The invention concerns a test procedure for a control programme in source-code form designed to be executed by a computer. The source programme, which is written in a control language, is processed by a method in which statements concerning binary or arithmetic operations are grouped in functional blocks. The order of these functional blocks is permuted as a function of their dependence on each other so that a uniform sequence must subsequently result as a function of the individual programme functions. In addition, the processing method calls for the individual commands to be sorted in ascending order of magnitude of the number of their output or input. In a third operation, constants are converted into coherent measuring units. Subsequently, the control programme is compared with a reference programme which has also been processed by the method proposed. This enables differences between different versions of the programme to be easily detected and any changes necessary in the programme documentation can be derived from the differences. The fields of application of the invention include, for instance, complex plant processes, such as the control of power stations, in which the control software is developed and documented separately and adapted on site, as well as the development of code generators for graphical planning tools.