ICT Network Administrator Technical Test

[andrewjones1987]

I am a School Network Manager and we are interview for a 2nd / 3rd Line ICT Network Administrator on Thursday. I have been asked to write a technical assessment for candidates to complete prior to interview.

 

Can anyone give me some guidance on the questions that I should ask?

[mrbios]

Question: Coffee

 

Answers:

1. Yes please - Wrong

2. Huh - Wrong

3. Would you like milk and sugar with that? - This is your man

 

 

But seriously.... question them on group policy, active directory, operating system deployment, virtualisation, DNS etc.

 

Focus questions on those aspects around what you use currently and see what they've had experience with in the past. If you've had any recent issues with those aspects then focus a question around the problem you had and see what answers they come up with (not forgetting of course that one vague problem can have many possible answers, so focus on the thought process rather than the actual answer, as a 3rd line guy you want someone who's a good thinker and works through issues in a logical manner)

 

Lastly one thing no one ever seems to add in to interviews is problem and resolution tracking, change control and documentation. Many will say they do it, but try and get them to bring it up without you bringing it up directly.....a little difficult i admit but it's a vital part of IT.

Edited November 12, 2013 by mrbios

[featured_spectre]

I think written tests are setting people up to fail. You should set technical tests, IE deliberately have some faults on your network (wrong passwords, machine not connected to network etc). This tests a persons ability in a crunch better than a written test where they can google the answer on their phone.

[Danp]

I had to fit a power supply in a PC on my 'test' for my current job. Apparently I was the only one of 5 to ask if there was an anti-static strap (not that I use them!) and the only one to complete it successfully!

 

I had an interview earlier this year at another school and that had a full on 45 mins written test, 10 questions about AD, DHCP etc etc.

[mikkydoos]

Best looking Lego case for a PC ?

[witch]

There are lots of threads on edugeek about this - have a look around.

I had an interview with a written test - he left me in a room on my own with my phone - so I googled the answers I didn't know....well, isn't that using my iniative?

Didn't get the job though....

[Admiral208]

Depending on what their role is actually going to be, I would like to see a 'social technical' test. I thinks its sometimes more important to see how they can interact with other members of staff and what is their line of questioning is to find out a problem.

 

You will probably already know within 5 minutes if they are technical enough through chatting with them and looking at their CV/application.

[mrbios]

I don't think any "fix this PC" practical tests are really suitable for a 2nd/3rd line guy, for a first line guy then fair enough but you're better off evaluating a 3rd line guy on how logically they can think through a network issue. Ask them verbally how they'd fix a problem and gauge their thought process rather than just their answer.

[Willott]

I set up a beast of a test with 3 virtual machines... I'll share in PM shortly - part networking related, part "pretend virus", part windows startup knowledge - gave access to internet for them to be able to show problem solving capabilities (ie so if they didn't know precisely where to set windows shell they could research). Asked them to write notes on the problem solving path they'd taken.

[mac_shinobi]

There are lots of threads on edugeek about this - have a look around.

I had an interview with a written test - he left me in a room on my own with my phone - so I googled the answers I didn't know....well, isn't that using my iniative?

Didn't get the job though....

 

One of the interviews a number of years back now had a mix of both a written test with about 10 to 15 questions or so and also a practical test and then an interview with the network manager , Head Of ICT and I think it was the principle or something like that asking questions such as what makes you think you would be good at this job and also why do you want this job etc

[IrritableTech]

I agree with @mrbios. A hands on test of fixing and replacing parts in a computer is not suitable for a 2nd/3rd line job.

 

We do a written test, and a two stage interview process. One formal, one less formal.

 

One of the most interesting questions we ask in our written test is along the lines of "these jobs are on the helpdesk, how would you prioritise them and why?" Create half a dozen tickets submitted by different people across the school and mix up the seniority and t&l importance.

[plexer]

I think written tests are setting people up to fail. You should set technical tests, IE deliberately have some faults on your network (wrong passwords, machine not connected to network etc). This tests a persons ability in a crunch better than a written test where they can google the answer on their phone.

 

Erm

I have been asked to write a technical assessment

 

That appears to be what he's been asked to do doesn't say that it's going to be a written paper for them to sit and answer.

 

Ben