Competency Test

[Bteachman]

The Test

Let me know if you think it is to easy or hard.

 

[geniusintraining]

Let me know if you think it is to easy or hard.

Short on time but..... very easy, you need some hard questions to test them, that was good for a general overview but I would through in some 'good ones'

But all in all very nice!!!!

I do have a issue with number 1) its should be wired N/C programmed N/O...

EDIT: and number 16????

 

[rsdoran]

1. An ESTOP is Normally Closed
2. and 10. are the same.
24. The switch inside the diamond reps a limit, so not sure.
25. Pressure Switch

Personally would just ask what the symbol is insteand of asking multiple choice.

Would also have them draw basic ckts, like a motor ckt.

Here is a basic symbol list http://www.patchn.com/symbols.htm

Personally think its too simple.

EDIT: Since GIT mentioned it number 16 could be answered None of the above by some, since the advent of saftey relays and plc's this is a gray area now.

It depends on how much you need them to "know" or better yet, be able to show what they know. I would use a few more from the test I provided, if you need basic answers those can be provided too.

 

[plchacker]

Warning: Wordy

Mills in our area are taking two different tacks on this.

One group writes a test that a very knowledgeable person would score about 60%. The advantages are simple. With a test that hard, the likelihood of having four or five people ace the test is nil. Second the proctor gets a good view of the individuals under a certain amount of stress. This group includes a decent skills (hands on) check to follow up the knowledge test. Results are typically what you would expect, if they do well on the written test, they do well on the practical.



The other group writes a basic test and expects a high grade. They do more interviews, and use the interviews to sort out the good ones.



We just completed a Pay-For-Skills assessment for one mill in a major company. The skills included wiring and programming a reversing starter (using PLC5), setting up a powerflex 70 to meet certain standards (ramp up, down, max current etc.), replacing a processor, input card, and RIO card (again PLC5) and checking a motor with a megger, (the motor is actually a trainer that is faultable.) finding open and shorted wires in conduit, and clearing a fault (math error) in a processor. This did not include a written test.



Another mill in the same company asked for a four hundred question bank to pull a 150 question test as the written part of their Pay-For-Skills. The written will be followed by an instrumentation skills test.



NFPA 70E knowledge is a plus. Safety violations are grounds for failure.



I see both strategies working. The choice is up to the individuals who do the interviews/grade the tests. I like to interview at least three people for every position I need to fill.



One thing I really expect of a good electrician is a good working knowledge of the most common equipment in a mill. Directional valves, regulators, gearboxes, cylinders, and so on are a must. Nothing gets on my nerves faster than an electrician that says “that’s not my job,” when the millwrights and operators are stretched out. Note to union guys: In a union mill I fully respect the union, but lazy is lazy. I don’t like lazy. I was a shop steward, and Local VP.

 

[OkiePC]

I agree with PLCHacker's comments entirely too. At my previous employer I wrote 1/3rd of the test for my position as a multi-craft maintenance specialist in their tire assembly department. All of my questions came from real world problems I had faced in my 3 years on that job. We made it so hard that we had to drop our minumum score from 80 to 70 and let them take the test again. I had told the administrators that calculators were allowed and recommended, but someone else from HR banned them when they administered the test. Once I found that out, we convinced mgmt to let them take the test again with calculators, and two of 10 scored over 70. It was 50 questions randomly taken from 150 I think.

It had a few area specific questions, and many questions to ascertain the person's ability to think mulitple layers deep into troubleshooting. We used lots of screenshots of code, several actual machine drawings with symptoms but they forced us to use multiple choice questions, so I ensured that all of the questions had very convincing wrong choices, and even did the math problems wrong to find answers that would keep them from guessing at simple formulas.

The two guys they hired as my peers thought I was too hardcore with some questions, but they were the most educated, aggressive learners of the bunch with good practical problem solving skills.

Here is the test I took before they interviewed me for my current job. My counterpart wrote this on 8 hours notice so it is rough, but I thought it was a pretty effective way for them to find out if my skill set matched their perceived needs.

Paul

 

[geniusintraining]

Good test... Is this a plc portion for a multi-craft technician? Do you have the multi-craft test that you wrote anymore?

 

[rsdoran]

We never did learn what kind of employees or position it was, at least I never saw it.

The last test is about AB, if the facility does not use AB then it would be irrelevant. If they are not specifically looking for a programmer then any indepth questions involving protocols may be too much.

 

[OkiePC]

Good test... Is this a plc portion for a multi-craft technician? Do you have the multi-craft test that you wrote anymore?

No this test is for my current job. Everything here is A/B except a few AC drives.

And, no, I cannot get the test from my very protective prior employer, if it still exists there.

Ron is right on all points. This test was designed to hire a PLC Programmer for one small company. And, the OP needs to write down the purpose or objective of the test.

 

[plchacker]

Here is the test I took before they interviewed me for my current job. My counterpart wrote this on 8 hours notice so it is rough, but I thought it was a pretty effective way for them to find out if my skill set matched their perceived needs.

Paul

That's a good test. I had to look up answers to a couple of the questions. The logic portion was great.

 

[vikas1947]

thanks

great job thanks for posting some test docs ...this will help me to keep enhance myself