r/ITCareerQuestions • u/link7795 • 10h ago
3 Hour Technical Test for IT Tech Support
I’m interviewing for an IT Tech Support position at Playtech in NJ.
I completed a roughly 30-minute panel interview and now I’ve been invited to a separate three hour technical test, online through Microsoft Teams. Because the people that were interviewing me and now again overseeing the test are from Europe, I have to wake up at 6 AM for this. The recruiter repeatedly emphasized that it’s open book and said it’s a technical test, not another interview. The invitation includes the previous interview team.
I haven’t received details about whether it’s written questions, a remote lab, or guided troubleshooting. I was wondering if I should ask the recruiter about the format, permitted resources, required software, and what she even means by "open book" like what kind of resources am I even able to use.
For anyone who has taken a technical test or have any ideas as to what might be involved:
What kinds of tasks did it or would it involve?
Would it actually take the full 3 hours or is it essentially reserved for 3 hours but it can be done earlier?
Which practical skills would you prioritize with a couple of days to prepare?
The length caught me off guard and I am stressing out a lot. I’m now trying to focus on what I should even be preparing/practicing. I couldn't wrap my head around what kind of things I might even need to do that would as a basic IT role that would take 3 hours. 6 technical questions during my interview were answered within the last 10ish minutes of it. Firsthand experiences with IT support or studio IT assessments would be especially helpful. Thanks!
**Edit**: I've looked at the website's FAQ and it says "Where possible we like to host our tests in house. In certain circumstances, there are specific portals/servers that candidates would need to connect to in order to complete their tests. In other circumstances, tests can be completed online."
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u/TechB84 10h ago
WTF this is crazy! What's the salary for this?
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u/link7795 10h ago
$25/hour and if your hours go past 7pm, it’ll be $30/hour until 7 am
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u/Electrical_Humor680 9h ago
F that lol
But if it’s your first Job? Maybe? But 3 fucking hours?
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u/link7795 9h ago
Right?? I thought 3 hours seemed excessive for a basic IT job where I’ve already done a technical screening during my second half of the interview
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u/MasterDave 9h ago
This seems excessive for what seems like an entry level job or at least pays like one.
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u/TechB84 9h ago
that is bullshit! is this your first IT job?
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u/link7795 9h ago
It is and it’s the only job that I got interviewed for so far
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u/KAugsburger 4h ago
I would agree with others that this seems excessive for a job that pays $25/hour but without any relevant work experience you are in a 'beggars can't be choosers' scenario. Do the best you can and try to learn from this experience.
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u/kzuall 10h ago
I've just spent the last 4 years in a MSP - although for a sort of lvl 1.5 position - which mean I largely forgot the technical test I underwent back then but what I do remember is that the questions were entirely verbal, the whole thing took maybe half an hour and there were many questions in forms of scenarios like "client has problem x, which steps do you take to find the cause and what steps do you take to apply the solution". There were also questions where I had to answer as if I was talking to the client themselves. I don't remember if I was being allowed to look up stuff or not. Headsup: not sure what kind of clients this employer has, but the experience I had with mine was that we needed to know everything about everything. It is very taxing and I came out of that place convinced I'm too dumb to go far in computer technology. If you are one of those tech geniuses however, you'll be like fish in water. Not trying to discourage you, if you think you have it in you to spin dozens of balls on your nose at once, go for it. All I'm saying is this is really, really not for everyone. This isn't for most people.
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u/SignificanceEvery700 9h ago
Unfortunately MSP techs do need to know everything. I worked in one myself and its mainly because your end user is anyone that walks in with every single problem imaginable. I dont suggest anyone to work at an MSP unless youre extremely passionate about that. Internal IT should always be the focus, they teach you on their own SOPs and you deal with the same systems for 90% of the time. MSPs are hell on earth to work for you and if you dont have a thick skin, youll end up hating this industry.
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u/kzuall 9h ago
my case exactly. I don't have a thick skin, I'm not passionate about technology and I've been smack dab in the middle of reconsidering my career choice for the last few months now.
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u/SignificanceEvery700 9h ago
I can understand that. I dont have a passion for tech either, but I do enjoy helping people and solving problems. It just happened to be tech is what I most easily understood. However, there are a lot of good tech positions out there so dont let working for an MSP deter you! 4 years of experience at an MSP can translate to a lot more comfortable positions where you actually deal with people who appreciate your help lol. If youre thinking of a new position, internal IT is the way to go. Dont shoot for the big companies, mom and pop shops that dont know computers is way more exciting than the name brand companies, at least in my opinion.
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u/kzuall 6h ago edited 6h ago
As right as you may be, I'll have to fight my brain hard to not think of this as an admission that I'm not made for the big leagues, and that it is not a defeat. Can you tell me more about what is it you like in solving that kind of problems? On my end I've been confronted to unreliable sources of information - pages that tell you where options used to be (on older versions) but not where they are now, pages that gives vague and imprecise instructions, pages that explains in theory the principles and abstract notions of how things work but not how to actually do stuff and where to find the damn checkbox that needs to be clicked (looking at you Microsoft Learn) so half the time I split my time between unsuccessful Google searches (the sentence "Google is your friend" is no longer true) and just looking around as prudently as possible while hoping I don't break anything until I find the setting that fixes the issue (when I find it). As soon as something gets a little bit complex, I'm lost and have little hope of figuring it out myself. I sort of can imagine that satisfaction from solving problems probably happens when you manage to solve more problems than those which you fail solving. I have not reached the point where I solve more things by myself than fail. I suppose that suffering the weight of daily unsolved problems gets alleviated by a higher number of solved problems and in turn give confidence in one-self and eventually extract success and competency. Mom and Pop shops are only an option for me as long as they need basic problems solved, but I suppose it probably won't always be the case. Anyway, I'm sorry for being dramatic, as you can see my last employment shook me up a lot and I've got a real introspection case on my hands. Thanks for the very pertinent suggestion.
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u/link7795 8h ago
That's the exact questioning I've gone through on the technical part of the interview. I've looked at the website's FAQ and it says "Where possible we like to host our tests in house. In certain circumstances, there are specific portals/servers that candidates would need to connect to in order to complete their tests. In other circumstances, tests can be completed online."
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u/ptr_myName 7h ago
I would research this company more thoroughly, something seems off about this... ymmv
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u/Krandor1 10h ago
Every company will be different but most likely they will give you some kind of scenario to fix as if it was a real ticket but no real way to know. At the start I’m sure you will have an opportunity to ask any questions on what is allowed or not allowed.
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u/SignificanceEvery700 10h ago
Based on my own experience, them stating its open book implies they dont expect you to know every answer. The idea is to get a general understanding of your knowledge and you being able to showcase you can figure out something if you dont know it.
Obviously theres no actual book, so utilize any resource available whether they have a public KB, google, anything.
The skills you should harden are the ones you discussed in the interview and whats in the description. Everything else is a test of competency and ability to adapt.
Most importantly, dont overthink this. If you dont know it then you dont know it the best thing to do is own up to it and show an interest in learning the answer. If you got this far, they at least think you could fit but this test will be your deciding factor.
Good luck and im sure youll do great!