Before starting a take-home recruitment assessment, clarify the deliverable, expected effort, deadline, permitted tools and how the submission will be used. A short written brief helps you demonstrate the requested skill without guessing what the employer wants or disclosing material you cannot share.
A take-home exercise might ask for a scheduling plan, a spreadsheet, an editing sample or a response to a fictional customer problem. The employer’s actual instructions govern. Do not assume that an exercise used in one recruitment process has the same rules in another.
Turn the invitation into a clear brief
Write down the task in your own words. Identify the output, audience and evidence the assessor will see. A request to “show your approach” is different from a request for a polished final product, and the amount of detail should match that distinction.
Clarify these points before committing substantial time:
- What file or presentation is required, and in which format?
- What effort is expected, and what is the submission deadline and time zone?
- Which data, assumptions and reference materials should be used?
- Are AI tools, templates, collaborators or external references permitted?
- How will the task be assessed, stored and used after recruitment?
- Who can answer questions or discuss an access adjustment?
For APS recruitment, consult the APSC candidate AI guidance as well as the agency’s instructions. Do not apply APS rules as a universal policy for private employers.
A fictional clarification email
The following original example concerns an invented administration assessment.
Dear Recruitment Team,
Thank you for the scheduling exercise. Before I begin, could you confirm whether you want a one-page proposed schedule or the completed spreadsheet as well?
I understand that the exercise uses fictional bookings and is intended to demonstrate my prioritisation approach. Please confirm the expected preparation time, whether spreadsheet formulas and external reference material are permitted, and whether any AI assistance is prohibited or needs to be declared.
Could you also confirm whether the submission will be used only for recruitment assessment and how long it will be retained? I will use the supplied fictional information and will not include material from my current employer.
Kind regards,
Alex Example
Make assumptions visible
When the brief deliberately leaves information incomplete, do not secretly invent a complete operational situation. State the assumptions that matter to your answer: available staffing, the deadline or whether a booking can be moved. Explain what you would verify before acting in a real workplace.
Use a small assumptions note rather than filling the submission with caveats. For example: “For this fictional exercise, I assumed the supervisor approves changes before customers are notified.” That helps an assessor distinguish your reasoning from a misunderstanding.
Protect material you do not own
Do not submit your current employer’s customer list, confidential pricing, internal procedures or identifiable records as convenient evidence. Create a fictional or properly authorised sample. Removing a company logo does not necessarily remove sensitive information from a document.
If the request appears to involve productive work rather than a proportionate assessment, stop and clarify the arrangement. The Fair Work unpaid-work guidance is a starting point for checking an actual situation; the label “assessment” does not settle its legal status.
Submit something you can explain
Check the filename, version and deadline. Open the final file and verify that it contains the intended output, assumptions and any required source or tool declaration. Keep a copy of the brief and your submitted work.
Be ready to explain your choices at interview. Our interview-preparation guide provides the wider preparation context; the assessment itself should demonstrate your own relevant capability under the agreed rules.
