Microsoft Word test: Online skills assessment for candidate screening

Use our Microsoft Word test to hire the best

This online Microsoft Word test evaluates candidates’ ability to use Microsoft Word in a business context. This skills test will help you hire candidates who are proficient in Word and can use it as part of the Microsoft Office suite to complete their work.

A subject matter expert has designed this online MS Word skills test to screen candidates who can work independently with the software to layout and format documents correctly and can collaborate with others to exchange information and make improvements on projects. You can send this online MS Word test to your prospective job applicants before inviting them to an interview.

Covered skills

Opening, saving, protecting, closing, and printing a document.
Using formatting and page layout features.
Using collaborative and solo editing tools in MS Word.
Using tables, graphs, images, objects, footnotes, and page numbers.

Use the Microsoft Word test to hire

Personal assistants, executive assistants, copywriters, editors, content marketers, and any other job role that requires good use or Microsoft Word for creating and editing documents.

Type

Software skills

Time

10 min

Languages

English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil)

Level

Intermediate

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About the Microsoft Word test

Hiring employees with adequate Microsoft Word skills can greatly improve the productivity of your company. An inadequate familiarity with Microsoft Word causes inefficiencies that can delay projects, frustrate teams, and negatively impact results and deliverables.

The Microsoft Word test assesses candidates’ ability to use the basic functionality of Word to open, save, protect, close, and print a document. It evaluates their ability to use formatting and page layout features and their skills in the use of collaborative and solo editing tools. It also evaluates candidates’ ability to use tables, graphs, images, objects, footnotes, and page numbers within a document.

This test helps you identify candidates with strong Microsoft Word skills who can work independently with the software to lay out and format documents correctly and can collaborate with others to exchange information and make improvements on projects. These candidates know how to handle the various features of Word efficiently and effectively to create the desired results.

The test is made by a subject-matter expert

Miranda C.

IT support manager Miranda possesses a demonstrated history of supporting cutting-edge software in high-growth, fast-paced environments. Her mastery of all versions of Windows and Office suite software works hand-in-hand with her excellence in network troubleshooting, training, software implementation, and technical writing.

Miranda’s approach to fixing every software issue with urgency and empathy consistently leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Crafted with expert knowledge

TestGorilla’s tests are created by subject matter experts. We assess potential subject-matter experts based on their knowledge, ability, and reputation. Before being published, each test is peer-reviewed by another expert, then calibrated using hundreds of test takers with relevant experience in the subject. Our feedback mechanisms and unique algorithms allow our subject-matter experts to constantly improve their tests.

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View a sample report

The Microsoft Word test will be included in a PDF report along with the other tests from your assessment. You can easily download and share this report with colleagues and candidates.

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How Microsoft Word skills feature in business

Microsoft Word is used by professionals worldwide to create and format large volumes of text. In addition, the software boasts a variety of applications and built-in features that have become crucial in many job roles.

In the 30-plus years since the program was launched, Microsoft Word has evolved to include many features that enable advanced customized document processing. Hence we see the software adopted in a lot of industries and job roles, making it an established and popular tool in many businesses.

Microsoft Word as an important skill

Because Microsoft Word has a variety of applications, being able to use the software is a practical skill. The features used by professionals include formatting text, inserting images and graphics, creating graphs, and securing documents. For these reasons, some of the roles where the software is frequently used are:

• Personal assistants: They are responsible for managing calendars and scheduling meetings, taking meeting notes, and managing and drafting documents, correspondence, and emails, as well as planning. Therefore, personal assistants are often required to have strong word-processing skills.

• Copywriters: Microsoft Word is often used by copywriters to write draft copy before it is submitted to editors. The software can also be used for styling, editing, and proofreading copy.

• Editors: Those working as editors are responsible for reviewing facts, spelling, and grammar. Microsoft Word offers a track-changes feature that highlights editors’ changes to copy. In addition, editors can add notes to copy by using the comments feature.

• Content marketers: Although many disciplines in marketing use Microsoft Word, content marketers in particular use the software for planning, scheduling, content management, and collaboration.

• Paralegals: Document processors are critical to the day-to-day tasks of legal professionals. This is especially important in the case of paralegal roles, because they gather and arrange legal documents, write and/or summarize reports, draft correspondence, and compile legal documents.

Microsoft Word files can be saved in a variety of formats, as well as being secured through password protection and editing restrictions. These files can be accessed anywhere: the software’s universal standard allows for collaboration and cloud access anywhere in the world.

Although the software is used far and wide by professionals, recruiters may find it challenging to find candidates with the competencies to use its more advanced and specialized features. Therefore, a Microsoft Word test can help recruiters find candidates with the required level of proficiency.

Microsoft Word competencies for candidates

With its varying degrees of difficulty, Microsoft Word ranges from more generalized word processing to advanced skills within the software. When hiring, you should clearly define the needs of the role to help determine the skills required.

Generalized Word skills:

• Open, save, and close documents: To interact with the software, create a new document, save it in the required format and location, and close it.

• Protect documents: In some cases, unauthorized people need to be prevented from accessing and editing documents, so candidates must understand how to add protection to them.

• Formatting and page-layout features: Being able to manage the options that affect how content appears on the page means that candidates will know how to customize documents for specific business needs.

• Collaborative and solo editing tools: These are important for documents that require editing or review. The functions allow multiple individuals to collaborate on a document.

• Tables, graphs, images, objects, footnotes, and page numbers: The ability to include additional information in specified formats is crucial in many businesses.

How a general Microsoft Word test can help recruiters hire

Pre-screening tests are designed to help recruiters better understand a candidate’s competencies. If you give your candidates a test before reviewing their resumes, you can use this insight into their skills when deciding which applicants to interview.. This streamlines the hiring process by enabling you to see which candidates are technically best suited to the position.

You can also include the Microsoft Word test in a customized assessment created for the specific role you are recruiting for. This enables you to test for additional skills and personality. Pre-employment testing removes the need to review skills once the successful candidate starts work and sets up both your new hire and your business for success.

Test for MS Word as well as culture

In addition to testing for hard skills, recruiters can also test candidates on soft skills, such as personality, culture, and motivation. Soft skills are important because they determine how candidates’ values and behaviors align with your organization. Well-known soft skills like adaptability, communication, and comprehension contribute to candidates’ ability to work well within a team.

When you’re creating a pre-employment assessment with TestGorilla, you can test MS Word and other technical skills, while also testing for soft skills.

In summary

Although a Microsoft Word test may seem like an unnecessary addition to the recruitment process, it can be difficult to evaluate the breadth of a candidate’s skill from only a resume or an assigned task. As a stand-alone test or as part of an assessment, the Microsoft Word test can help you determine the best candidate for the role. It also enables you to see candidates’ abilities through detailed reports and personalized videos.

In addition, a tailored assessment covering hard and soft skills provides a broader view of the candidate’s abilities and shows you how they will fit in with the business.

Finally, using skills tests in combination with other human-resources best practices makes your recruitment process more effective and efficient, leaving both you and the candidate with a positive experience.

FAQs

What is the difference between an assessment and a test?

An assessment is the total package of tests and custom questions that you put together to evaluate your candidates. Each individual test within an assessment is designed to test something specific, such as a job skill or language. An assessment can consist of up to 5 tests and 20 custom questions. You can have candidates respond to your custom questions in several ways, such as with a personalized video.

Can I add my own questions to an assessment?

Yes! Custom questions are great for testing candidates in your own unique way. We support the following question types: video, multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Besides adding your own custom questions, you can also create your own tests.

How do video questions work?

A video question is a specific type of custom question you can add to your assessment. Video questions let you create a question and have your candidates use their webcam to record a video response. This is an excellent way to see how a candidate would conduct themselves in a live interview, and is especially useful for sales and hospitality roles. Some good examples of things to ask for video questions would be "Why do you want to work for our company?" or "Try to sell me an item you have on your desk right now." You can learn more about video questions here.

Can you explain how the other custom question types work?

Besides video questions, you can also add the following types of custom questions: multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Multiple-choice lets your candidates choose from a list of answers that you provide, coding lets you create a coding problem for them to solve, file upload allows your candidates to upload a file that you request (such as a resume or portfolio), and essay allows an open-ended text response to your question. You can learn more about different custom question types here.

Can I customize an assessment with my company logo and color theme?

Yes! You can add your own logo and company color theme to your assessments. This is a great way to leave a positive and lasting brand impression on your candidates.

What type of support do you offer?

Our team is always here to help. After you sign up, we’ll reach out to guide you through the first steps of setting up your TestGorilla account. If you have any further questions, you can contact our support team via email, chat or call. We also offer detailed guides in our extensive Help & Inspiration Center.

What is the cost for using the Microsoft Word test?

You can find our pricing packages here. Sign up here to try TestGorilla today.

Can I combine the Microsoft Word test with other tests?

Yes. You can add up to five tests to each assessment.

Where in my recruitment process should I use the Microsoft Word test?

We recommend using our assessment software as a pre-screening tool at the beginning of your recruitment process. You can add a link to the assessment in your job post or directly invite candidates by email. TestGorilla replaces traditional CV screening with a much more reliable and efficient process, designed to find the most skilled candidates earlier and faster.

Microsoft Word