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Support Staff Testing

Testing is required to ensure that candidates have the necessary clerical skills for administrative positions at the College. The following tests have been designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and abilities of all potential candidates. Each position at the College has specific testing requirements. In addition to the tests outlined below, candidates may be required to take departmental tests to ensure competency in the specific program or area.  A minimum of 75% must be achieved as required under Skills, Knowledge and Abilities criteria as posted for each competition.

Word Processing

This is a series of timed functions to evaluate your word processing skills in the application of Microsoft Word software. Please refer to the Word testing criteria for an outline of functions you will be tested on at each level. The level required for testing will be determined by the requirements for each position.

MS Word Testing Criteria

The following is a guideline to inform candidates of the type of tasks that may be asked in each level of Word testing. (All tasks may not be listed). Candidates are advised to review all functions of the software in order to perform tasks efficiently.

WORD Basic Skills  
2007 Opening a Document Columns
  Typing in a Document View as a Web Page
  Select Text Bullets
  Spell Check Paragraph Case
  Printing Page Numbering
  Switch Between Documents Page Break
  Open a blank Document Print Layout
  Closing Word Insert a Table
  Headers Date Field
  Save Document with Password Insert Toolbar
  Pasting Tables
  Hyperlink Insert Comment
  Font Face Replace
  Font Size Thesaurus
  Italics Word Count
  Underlining Centering
     
  Intermediate Skills  
  Tracking Changes Sorting
  Cutting Text Saving Down
  Copying Save As
  Convert Table to Text Inserting the Date
  Margins Print Preview
  Paragraph Spacing Readability Statistics
  Margins Labels
  Insert a Picture  
     
  Advanced Skills  
  Find and Replace Recently Used File List
  Numbering Pages Macros
  Insert Trademark Symbol Create Merge Mailing Labels
  Mail Merge Auto Text

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Spreadsheet Skills

This is a series of timed functions to evaluate your skills in the application of Microsoft Excel software. Please refer to the Excel testing criteria for an outline of functions you will be tested on at each level. The level required for testing will be determined by the requirements for each position.

Excel Testing Criteria  

The following is a guideline to inform candidates of the type of tasks that may be asked in each level of Excel testing. (All tasks may not be listed). Candidates are advised to review all functions of the software in order to perform tasks efficiently.

EXCEL Basic Skills  
2007 Opening Workbook Inserting Borders
  Cutting & Pasting Text Column Width
  Editing Cells Page Orientation
  Save Margins
  Navigating in a Worksheet Repeating Rows on each page
  Spell Check Printing Workbook
  Save As Freeze Panes
  Print Worksheet Data Filter
  Hide Columns Text Alignment
  Select Non-Contiguous Cells Font/Font Size
  Formatting a Chart Font Style
  Data Sorting Format Number
  Set Print Area Selecting Cells
  Send As Attachment Borders
  Save Workbook with Password  
     
  Intermediate Skills  
  Formatting a Chart Use Paste Special
  Print Scaling Naming Cells
  Header/Footer Paste a Function
  Restoring Gridlines Use AVERAGE Function
  Center Across Columns Insert Column
     
  Advanced Skills  
  Formatting a Chart Concatenation
  Create a Custom List IF Statement
  Renaming a Worksheet COUNTIF Statement
  Print Center on Page Insert Worksheet
  Text Wrap Insert Chart

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Database Skills

This is a series of timed functions to evaluate your skills in the application of Microsoft Access software. Please refer to theAccess testing criteria for an outline of functions you will be tested on at each level. The level required for testing will be determined by the requirements of each position.

Access Testing Criteria

The following is a guideline to inform candidates of the type of tasks that may be asked in each level of Access testing. (All tasks may not be listed). Candidates are advised to review all functions of the software in order to perform tasks efficiently.

ACCESS Basic Skills  
2007 Switch to Datasheet View Delete Records from a Table
  Enter Records Using a Datasheet Create a New Database
  Display Forms Create a New Table
  Enter Records Using a Form Create a Form
  Navigate Through Records Create a Query
  Sort Records Run a Query
  Apply Filters Create a Report
  Find a Record Print a Report
     
  Intermediate Skills  
  Set Primary Keys Modify a Query
  Modify Data Type Move a Control
  Modify Field Properties Resize a Control
  Add Controls to a Form Change Report Control Formatting
  Modify Form Controls  
     
  Advanced Skills  
  Add Hyperlinks to a Report Using Reports
  Save a Report as a Web Page Using Reports
  Import Data to a New Table Using Access Utilities
  Repair a Database Using Access Utilities
  Print Database Relationships Using Access Utilities

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PowerPoint

This is a series of timed functions to evaluate your skills in the application of Microsoft Powerpoint software. Please refer to the Powerpoint testing criteria for an outline of functions you will be tested on at each level. The level required for testing will be determined by the requirements of each position.

PowerPoint Testing Criteria

The following is a guideline to inform candidates of the type of tasks that may be asked in each level of PowerPoint Access testing. (All tasks may not be listed). Candidates are advised to review all functions of the software in order to perform tasks efficiently.

POWERPOINT Basic Skills  
2007 New Presentation Group Objects
  Add Text to a Slide Insert Note
  Inserting Slides Hide Slide
  Editing Text Insert Chart
  Slide Navigation Deleting Slides
  Bold Save As
  Changing Views Run Slide Show
  Rearranging Slides Print Outline View
  Moving Objects Setting Properties
  Change Slide Colour Schemes Change Slide Layout
  Inserting WordArt Modifying WordArt
  Create AutoShape Change Chart Type
  Chart Options Insert Movie Clip
  Apply Custom Animation Continuous Play
  Slides from Presentations Insert Excel Worksheet
  Insert Media Clip Apply Animation Scheme
     
  Intermediate Skills  
  Demoting Points Inserting Pictures
  Inserting Organizational Charts Adding a Subordinate
  Drawing Objects Changing Border Colour
  Inserting Page Numbers Change Background
  Modify AutoShape Insert Sound Clip
  Edit Worksheet Print Handouts
     
  Advanced Skills  
  Applying a New Presentation Design Slide Master
  Adding Transitions Adding Animations
  Set Automatic Slide Timings Animate Chart
  Style Checker Modify AutoShape
  Save as Web Page Save as PowerPoint Show

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Basic Office Skills

This is a timed test to evaluate your basic office skills in different levels of math, math word problems, spelling, grammar, and filing skills. Please refer to the Basic Office Skills testing criteria for an outline of the topics you will be tested on.  A calculator will be available for this test.  

Basic Office Skills Testing Criteria

BASIC Basic Skills  
OFFICE Addition Calculating Fractions
SKILLS Division Spelling
  Subtraction Contractions
  Fractions Comma Usage
  Decimals Apostrophe Usage
  Hourly Wages Subject-Verb Agreement
  Taxes Filing Alphabetically
  Calculating Percentages Filing Numerically
  Calculating Progress  
     
  Intermediate Skills  
  Multiplication Calculating Percentages
  Multiple Decimals Calculating Percentages
  Fractions Spelling
  Decimals Comma Usage
     
  Advanced Skills  
  Subtraction Pronoun Usage
  Calculating Bills Spelling
  Calculating Commissions Punctuation
  Calculating Budgets Filing Alpha and Numerically

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Keyboard Skills

This is an on-line timed typing test to assess your typing speed and accuracy.   The level required for testing will be determined by the requirements for each position.

Data Entry Skills

This is a series of timed tests to evaluate your data entry speed and accuracy skills.

Written Communication Skills

This is a timed test to evaluate your business writing skills, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, format and letter/document content.

Prevue Assessment

The Prevue Assessment system is designed to assist with programs such as hiring, coaching, succession planning, as well as individual career planning. No two individuals are identical; each person presents a unique combination of qualities that are important to understand. Prevue provides information on an individual’s suitability for a particular job in terms of his/her abilities, interests, motivations and personality traits. A best match can optimize an employee’s potential for success.

The Prevue Assessment system is based on two normative measures: the Sten and Percentile scores. These measures are used to generate the scale for the abilities and traits required for success in each particular job; and then to generate the scales that make up the profile for an individual. There are no good or bad scores, however, there are preferred scores when matched to a job benchmark.

Prevue Reports provide support for:

• Selection
• Personal Development
• Succession Planning
• Individual Development Plan

The Prevue Assessment is free of cultural, racial, gender or age-related bias.