COBOL Programming Tutors

COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a high-level programming language created in 1959 for business, finance and administrative systems. It excels at batch processing, file handling and report generation, e.g. payroll calculations at banks. Designed for readability, it's still used on mainframes with modern DBMS integrtion. Many legacy systems rely on COBOL even today.

Enterprise COBOL (by IBM) powers many banking applications. Micro Focus COBOL adapts COBOL for modern platforms. ACUCOBOL-GT emphasizes GUI support, while GnuCOBOL (open source) compiles to C. COBOL II refers to IBM’s mid‑1980s enhancements. Each variant brings tweaks for compatibility, performance or tooling.

COBOL’s structure revolves around Divisions: Identification, Environment, Data and Procedure. Identification Division sets program metadata. Environment Division handles configuration and file locations. Data Division defines data types in Sections like File, Working-Storage and Linkage. Procedure Division contains executable logic, including conditional (IF, EVALUATE), iterative (PERFORM UNTIL) and file I/O statements for sequential or indexed access. Topics also include data structures (GROUP items), report generation, debugging, performance tuning, integration with DBMS and calls to external APIs. Real life projects use these for payroll, invoicing, inventory or large-scale batch jobs.

1959 saw the US Department of Defense form a committee led by Grace Hopper to develop a common business language; COBOL was born. In 1960, the first COBOL compiler processed code on Univac. The Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL) standardized COBOL by 1961. ANSI adopted COBOL 68 as the first official standard; revisions followed in ANSI-74, 85, 2002 and 2014, adding object‑orientation, improved exception handling and internationalization. IBM’s Enterprise COBOL appeared in the 1980s, boosting performance on mainframes. Micro Focus released portable COBOL products in the 1990s. GnuCOBOL emerged in the 2000s, sustaining COBOL’s longevity in modern ecosystems.

If you want to learn COBOL programming, MEB can help you. We offer private one-on-one online sessions with a tutor. If you are a student in school, college or university and want top grades on your assignments, lab reports, tests, projects, essays or dissertations, try our 24/7 instant online COBOL homework help. We prefer to chat on WhatsApp, but if you do not use it, you can email us at meb@myengineeringbuddy.com.

Many of our students come from the USA, Canada, UK, Gulf countries, Europe and Australia.

Students reach out to us because COBOL can be hard, they have too many assignments, the questions are tricky, or they face health or personal issues. Some work part time, miss classes or find the tutor moves too fast. Our tutors slow down, explain step by step and work at your pace.

If you are a parent and your ward is struggling in this subject, contact us today and help your ward do well on exams and homework. They will thank you.

MEB also offers help in more than 1,000 other subjects with expert tutors. It’s smart to ask for help when you need it so your school life is less stressful.

COBOL stands out because it’s one of the oldest programming languages still in active use. Its English-like structure makes it easy to read and understand, especially for beginners. Companies in banking, insurance and government use it on mainframes, so COBOL code is everywhere behind the scenes. It’s unique for its stability, handling massive data, and running mission‑critical systems reliably.

Compared to modern programming languages, COBOL has clear advantages and some drawbacks. Its straightforward syntax leads to highly maintainable code that many teams find reliable. On the downside, it lacks built‑in support for web or mobile applications and can feel verbose. Learning COBOL may limit exposure to newer tools, but experts are in demand to support critical legacy systems with high job stability.

After learning basic COBOL, you can move on to advanced mainframe topics like CICS for online transactions, DB2 for database work, and JCL for job control. Many colleges and training centers now offer courses in modernizing legacy systems, mainframe security, and cloud integration. Earning certifications from IBM or other vendors can boost your academic credentials and help you stand out.

COBOL skills remain in demand because banks, insurance firms, and government agencies still run critical systems on mainframes. As many veteran programmers retire, companies look for new talent to keep these systems running smoothly. This demand offers stable work and competitive salaries, especially for those with updated skills in modern mainframe tools and practices.

Common job roles include COBOL developer, mainframe programmer, systems analyst, and modernization engineer. In these roles you’ll maintain and debug existing code, write new programs, tune performance, and help migrate legacy applications to newer platforms. You may also work with APIs, connect COBOL modules to Java or .NET systems, and ensure data integrity.

Studying for COBOL tests or certifications teaches you to write reliable, high‑quality code. COBOL is prized for batch processing at ATMs, payroll, and large‑scale financial reporting. Its main advantages are stability, clear syntax for business rules, and long‑term support. Learning COBOL opens doors in critical industries and gives you a skill few new graduates have.

To start with COBOL, install a free compiler like GnuCOBOL or use an online IDE. Learn its main parts: Identification, Environment, Data, and Procedure divisions. Follow simple tutorials that show how to read and write files, use variables and loops. Practice by converting small business problems—like payroll or billing—into COBOL code. Gradually add more features as you grow comfortable with the language’s English-like style.

COBOL isn’t as hard as it seems. Its syntax reads like plain English, so you spend less time on symbols and more on logic. Once you know basic programming ideas (variables, loops, file I/O), transferring them to COBOL is straightforward. The key is regular practice and reviewing simple examples until they make sense.

You can certainly begin learning on your own using free guides, videos and coding challenges. However, a tutor can speed up your learning by answering questions, showing best practices and helping with tricky concepts. If you get stuck or need feedback on your code, a tutor cuts through confusion and keeps you moving forward.

MEB provides personalized 24/7 one‑to‑one tutoring, targeted assignment support and mock tests. Our experienced COBOL tutors guide you through each division of the language, review your code line by line, and set practical exercises. We also offer quick-turnaround help with your programming assignments and projects, so you stay on track for exam success.

With focused study of about 1–2 hours a day, most beginners get comfortable with COBOL basics in 4–6 weeks. Reaching an intermediate level—handling files, data structures and simple reports—takes around 2–3 months. Consistent practice and real‑world projects help lock in your skills faster.

Useful YouTube channels include IBM Developer for real-world demos, TutorialsPoint for step-by-step lessons, and The New Boston for beginner-friendly videos. Websites such as tutorialspoint.com/cobol, ibm.com/docs/cobol, and cobolprogramming.org offer free tutorials and reference guides. Recommended books are “Murach’s Mainframe COBOL” by Mike Murach & Associates, “Beginning COBOL for Programmers” by Michael Coughlan, and “COBOL for the 21st Century” by Nancy Stern. Students also use online forums like Stack Overflow and GitHub repos to study sample projects and get peer support.

College students, parents, tutors from USA, Canada, UK, Gulf etc., if you need a helping hand, be it online 1:1 24/7 tutoring or assignments, our tutors at MEB can help at an affordable fee.