If you’re in the middle of the hiring process for a new job, you may find yourself faced with a job skill test. This assessment, meant to evaluate a candidate’s ability to perform aspects of the open role, can be an important step along the way to getting hired by exhibiting your knowledge and expertise of the field and showing how you’ll benefit the company. But what are some ways you can make certain that your answers do just that? Below, we have five tips to help you ace your skill test!
Research what may be on the skill test
A key to ensuring you’re successful throughout the interview process — from the phone screen to the interview and now onto the skill test — is thorough research beforehand. Take a look online to see if you can find common questions that may be asked for this particular role, or ask people in your network if they have any insights into what may be included.
Practice with common examples
Then, once you have an idea of what you might be asked to do, it’s time to practice. Gather together the questions you’ve found to be most common and work through your answers, so you can become more comfortable with responses. Keep in mind, though, that just because you think you know what will probably be on the test doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. So be prepared to adapt when presented with the real thing!
Prepare a space to take the test
You’ve gotten the official job skill test, and now it’s time to get to work! First, you’ll want to make sure you have the right space in which to take it. If you’re able, set up a room that’s quiet and free from distractions — then, get all of the tools you’ll need ready at your side, so you won’t have to worry about getting up and finding them later.
Give yourself time and don’t rush
You may be given a test that’s supposed to take 10–20 minutes, or 40–50. Regardless, you’ll want to allot yourself more than the estimated time when you actually take it. Unexpected interruptions can pop up, or you may simply need more minutes than you initially thought. Setting aside enough time will allow you not to rush through things at the last minute, so you can submit well-thought-out answers.
Highlight your soft skills as well as your hard skills
Most of the time, when companies conduct a job skill test, they’re not only looking for whether or not you’re competent in the technical aspects of the job. They’re also keeping an eye out for other factors which could indicate what type of employee you would be — in other words, both hard and soft skills. While you’re demonstrating that you can write clean code or know how to properly take measurements for a patient, you can also find ways to showcase other traits like communication, time management, and more!
