HOW and WHAT to study for a "Technical Tests", job pre-screening exams?

jman0war · July 2013

I have always done poorly on these pre-job screening "Technical Tests".
I've seen all manner of questions from How-To questions about MS Word, to understanding binary or subnetting.
I am referring to "Tech Tests" for HelpDesk/ Desktop Support and Windows Systems Administration.

For this reason I would like to compile my own exam (perhaps in VCE format) that I could use to try and pre-empt or commit to memory these sorts of catch-all tests.

Has anybody ever seen anything like this, or could point me to any existing resources for these sort of Tech Tests?

MSP-IT · July 2013

It would really depend on the level of position to which you are applying. From my experience, entry level technical interviews cover the OSI model, TCP/IP, ARP, DNS, DHCP and subnetting.

NetworkVeteran · July 2013

It depends on what skill you want to improve. For subnetting, a Network+ or CCENT book would cover these topics. Once you know subnetting well, you should be able to both ace such tests and apply the skill effectively on-the-job. There isn't much difference between being able to apply the knowledge when an interviewer asks, "What is subnet mask would summarize 192.168.1.0-192.168.4.0?" and being able to apply the skill when actually summarizing a network.

NetworkVeteran · July 2013

I'd add, once you have this knowledge down, consider getting the certification that proves it.

cyberguypr · July 2013

Welcome aboard!

Correct, questions will vary greatly depending on the position. Having interviewed dozens of candidates for desktop support and sys admin roles, I would touch on the following:

- My pet peeve: Networking. I've come accross too many techs that simply do not understand networking to the level a desktop role should. I've seen a LOT of guys that have no idea what the private IP ranges are, what APIPA is, etc. I don't necessarily expect a desktop role to be able to subnet on the fly but the basics need to be there.

- Group Policy: how can you determine if a PC is grabbing a policy. Are any specific policies not being applied?

- Malware: need to know how to identify and clean common stuff. Extra point if you mention (and know how to use) the tools the pros use.

- Troubleshooting process. I always come up with an overly convoluted scenario based on weird issues I've seen at some point. This is outside of the scope of the position and its sole purpose is seeing how the candidate will handle it. I always open saying "if something is not clear, please ask questions." For some unexplained reason many will never ask questions even though my initial scenario is very superficial and lacks detail. There's no right or wrong answer here, again, just want to see your thought process. Some get stuck after "reboot the pc". Others ask questions about the scenario and try to dig deeper. When they reach a point where the hit a roadblock they mention reaching out for help. This is what I like to see.

- Golden rule: if you don't know something, don't try to BS me. 9 times out of 10 someone on my team will catch your BS and you will end up in the "Don't call me, I'll call you" pile. Don't overthink stuff. If you don't know the answer I expect you to look it up, ask a colleague, post on a board, call the vendor, or some other creative solution.

- The Ronin Principle: I joke about this but it's true. I love DeNiro's line in the movie "I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out." This is very true fro IT. If you are asked to touch a system you are not familiar with, start by

HOW and WHAT to study for a "Technical Tests", job pre-screening exams?

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