Donnoe & Associates Information for Candidates
Donnoe & Associates provides Written Tests and Assessment Services for public agencies.
Management is our client – it would not be ethical for us to provide services directly to candidates or individuals. However, we willingly provide the following general advice to candidates:
Preparing for Your Test
- Protect Your Reputation and Your Career. Passing an examination is a big step toward a career in the public service. Understandably, you want to take advantage of all available resources when preparing for such an important career step.
In the past when you have prepared for examinations at school, you may have considered fellow students to be good resources for learning about questions that were on those tests. This is NOT the case when preparing for a public sector employment test. In preparation for your career opportunity, we suggest that you take the time to learn more about the job. In fact, we recommend that you talk to others about the job and the agency. This includes asking about job responsibilities, challenges, and how the job interacts with other positions in the agency or in the community. But don’t ask others to provide you with information about past tests – this is a form of cheating and could provide you with an unfair advantage in the process.
Is it Illegal to Recall and Share Questions? YES this is illegal! Donnoe & Associates aggressively protects the integrity of its examinations. Such protection is important to safeguarding the public from persons who do not have the requisite knowledge or ability to safely and effectively perform the duties of a job, as measured by one of our tests.
Donnoe & Associates’ examinations are protected by trade secret, contract, and federal copyright laws. It is a violation of those laws, and thus illegal, to share any information whatsoever about any Donnoe & Associates test questions. In particular, sharing information about a test question recalled from memory or asking someone who has taken one of our tests to share such information is illegal.
What if cheating is suspected? If you know someone who has violated exam security, please contact the agency administering the exam, or Donnoe & Associates at 877-22-EXAMS. If an investigation proves that theft of an exam has occurred, Donnoe & Associates will pursue both administrative and legal remedies to protect the integrity of the examination for all candidates, the agency and the public. This means that an individual who steals test materials can be held responsible for the complete cost of test development, and be held accountable for the crime.
- Entry-Level Written Tests. Entry level written tests will include questions that are designed to examine you in one or more basic ability areas that are related to the job, such as reading comprehension and problem solving. Some entry level tests may include assessment of specific knowledge. You should read the job announcement published by the agency for more information on what will be included in the test.
- Promotional Written Tests. Promotional written tests are almost always based on knowledge of standard operating procedures of the agency or the career field. You should read the job announcement published by the agency for more information on what will be included in the test.
- Monitor your use of time.
- Carefully read the question.
- Do not read too much into the question.
- Take the question at face value and provide a direct answer.
- Review your work before you turn in your response.
- Assessment Centers and Performance tests. An assessment center or performance exam will include multiple job-related simulations and problems that are designed to determine your ability to perform essential job duties. For example, if the essential duties of the job include supervision, you should expect a supervisory problem; if the essential duties require operating a bull-dozer, expect a problem that requires you to actually operate such equipment.
- Oral Examinations. An oral examination will typically include a series of questions that are designed to assess your preparation for the job, your interpersonal and communication skills, and your knowledge and problem solving ability.
