A technical writer requires a range of skills to oversee the production of great technical copy, which is why a skills test can be useful when hiring for this position.
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A technical writer test allows you to assess whether a candidate has the right competencies, knowledge and skills to succeed in this position.
The test is a timed multiple-choice assessment that covers topics such as general technical knowledge, attention to detail, best practices for content and the ability to communicate ideas clearly.
The technical writer test provides an easy, bias-free way of assessing multiple applicants and shortlisting them effectively.
Technical writers (sometimes called technical communicators) are skilled wordsmiths who create content to show or describe how a product works.
Their responsibilities might include preparing instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily.
Hiring quality technical writers is key to successful content, and so you might want to consider a technical writer test to ensure candidates are suitable for the role.
A technical writer test can be particularly useful for the pre-employment stages of recruiting. Resumes and portfolios of work can be quite hard to judge for a position such as a technical writer: experience doesn’t necessarily mean someone is good. Portfolios can also be misleading, as it is difficult to know how much contribution to a piece of content someone had.
A technical writer test can help by assessing proofreading, attention to detail and problem-solving skills, as well as editing principles and technical knowledge.
For recruiters, the test results are a great way to speed up the shortlisting process and allow a data-driven approach to hiring.
You might use a technical writer test for a range of other job roles, including:
Results for the Technical Writer Test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report.
The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.
Candidates will need to answer a range of questions that measure industry-specific technical skills where applicable (e.g. Microsoft Word), soft skills (e.g. time management), aptitude (e.g. verbal reasoning) and relevant personality dimensions (e.g. detail orientation). The results present a holistic view of how well suited each candidate is for the job at hand, using a data-driven approach.
The format varies by type of question, including multiple-choice for aptitude and technical skills, situational judgement for soft skills and agreement on a Likert scale for the personality dimensions. This approach ensures candidates are being assessed in an accurate and fair manner, and that results reflect the true underlying qualities of each candidate.
The characteristics, abilities and knowledge necessary to be a technical writer were identified using the US Department of Labor's comprehensive O*NET database. O*NET is the leading source of occupational information that is constantly updated by collecting data from employees in specific job roles.
During the development process, test questions were rigorously analysed to maximise reliability and validity in line with industry best practices. They were created by our team of I/O psychologists and psychometricians – who collaborated with subject-matter-experts – and field-tested with a representative sample of job applicants who have varying experience, just like you might find in a talent pool.
Each test is reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues. This ensures each candidate has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of expertise.
Our technical writer test is monitored to ensure it is up-to-date and optimised for performance.
Our test platform
Our platform offers an extensive library of hundreds of tests, giving you the flexibility to select and combine them in any way that suits your hiring needs. From understanding specific role requirements to assessing general cognitive abilities, our diverse library ensures you can tailor your assessment process precisely.
When recruiting a technical writer you might want to consider a personality test, verbal/non-verbal reasoning assessments and/or a situational judgement test. This can help give you further insight into the potential candidates you might hire.
When hiring technical writers you should keep in mind six of the key principles that make a good technical writer. They are:
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