IT Job Simulations

A new report by the Merit Systems Protection Board touts the use of job simulations in helping certain agencies select the best candidates for federal jobs. The report also notes that such simulations are being used by agencies to identify top candidates for information technology positions and/or to pinpoint specific technical skills. In these simulations, agencies present applicants with realistic, job-related situations and document their behaviors to help determine their qualifications for the job.

The report also highlights the use of video or digital technology to present applicants with job simulation scenarios and capture applicant answers, as well as unproctored Internet testing to administer job simulations.

As the government begins to move away from requiring applicants to write lengthy responses to essay questions about their skills and abilities in the initial application phase, it's possible that job simulations could become more commonplace. Have you completed a job simulation as part of the hiring process?