| Category | Maximum Score | Ada | C | Pascal | JOVIAL | FORTRAN |
| Capability | 16.7 | 16.1 | 9.6 | 10.4 | 7.6 | 3.9 |
| Efficiency | 16.4 | 8 | 11.8 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.1 |
| Availability/ Reliability | 22.6 | 21.5 | 11.6 | 14.5 | 15.6 | 10.3 |
| Maintainability/ Extensibility | 17.4 | 14 | 10.2 | 12.2 | 6.8 | 8.3 |
| Lifecycle Cost | 11.3 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 4.9 | 5.2 |
| Risk | 15.6 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 9.6 | 8.2 |
| TOTAL | 100 | 76.6 | 59.6 | 63.3 | 55.5 | 47 |
Source: IBM study, 1985
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From the Script: SLIDE 6 - FAA Weighted Scores for 6 Criteria Categories
How successful were the designers of Ada?
In the mid-1980's, the Federal Aviation Administration contracted with IBM to evaluate high order languages for use on its Advanced Automation System Program.
The result was a formal, quantitative study comparing 48 language features in six catagories: Capability; Efficiency; Availability/Reliability; Maintainability/Extensibility; Life-Cycle Cost; and Risk. This study concluded that the use of Ada was “in the ultimate best interest... to reap the significant benefits/payoffs over the long term.” [Weiderman, p.36: Ada and C++, pp.3-4]