# basic employee interview excel test



## Paulos (Mar 27, 2006)

In interviewing for a post to supplement the marketing department I am finding the level of claimed excel knowledge and the reality among the interviewed candidates as somewhat open to question. I want to offer a basic  *employee selection task test* in excel for candidates and am looking for some sort of test that members here may have offered in the past. Its not aimed at the power excel user, but certainly one at which the candidate can demonstrate capabilities beyond the basic grasp of excel. It could be a multiple choice short excel test or a series of tasks. Before devising such I wondered if anyone had done similar ?

Oh, if indeed such a test exists in Spanish then all the better!

rgds

Paul

Note: Also posted in Spanish: http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=203357 ~ Von Pookie


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## lenze (Mar 27, 2006)

I asked this same question of the other MrExcel MVPs some time ago. No one seemed to have a specific test, but Anne Troy provided me with this link which proved quiet useful
http://www.xl-logic.com/user_scale.html

lenze


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## Paulos (Mar 27, 2006)

thanks - i agree it is a subjective exercise. im just finding the competency level to be below expectation unfortunately. - im strongly considering asking candidates to offer examples of prior spreadsheets (without compromising confidentiality) or bringing along 2 samples of a the same spreadsheet they authored and print one with option>view>formulas activated so i can assess/query competency. - do you think this is fair game?


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## lenze (Mar 27, 2006)

Probably your best bet is to have them create a speadsheet as part of the interview. If they bring one in, you have no way of knowing if it's really their work. I would write out a senario for a speadsheet that reflects the way you and your company use Excel and ask then to create one. Include the need for your commonly used Functions and also any Data Analysis Tools you deem appropriate (Ie Pivot Tables, MSQuery,DFunctions,etc).
Give them a floppy to save their work on so you can review it at your leisure.

HTH

lenze


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## pbornemeier (Feb 24, 2011)

Updated link:
http://www.xl-logic.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1


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