Interview advice?? Anyone work for/know anyone who works for the tax office??

Have just applied for a call centre job with the tax office and I had to do an online data entry test - now my typing skills are by no means sh*t hot, but I thought they were fairly good!!

BUT

There were 300 questions to answer in 20 minutes....

I managed 178

So am unsure if I am just RUBBISH...or if they do that to see if you start to panic and make mistakes??? As it gives you a countdown timer against the questions left to answer

Just so want out of the job I am in and although they have been great recently when I was off, being back is not helping me and I do not want to end up ill again

Just wondered if anyone knew of this test and do they actually expect people to do all 300 questions

Gosh what a hard test. I don't think I could do that test. its got to be impossible to read and answer that number of questions (15 if my maths is any good) every minute. You did REALLY WELL to answer as many as you did. Good luck.

Thanks Alison - I have my fingers crossed and Bens paws crossed here too!!

Oh has worked out I answered 9.3 questions a minute

Thanks again

Wine open here in anticipation they will tell me to get lost

Okay, I work in a callcentre. Your keyboard skills will catch up, believe me. I have been in admin in one way or another since I left school (soooooooooooooooooo long ago). I am up to around 120 WPM.

As for the questions, it's not a race, it's to see if you can handle the pressure methinks. My guess is yes, you can, at answering 178. Also seeing how accurate you can be under pressure.

I really wouldn't worry, I suspect you have passed with flying colours. Mind you I'm a 1st line grunt and about to be thrown into the pit known as technical support and faults. Since I haven't done tech there for nearly 7 years it's a little scary...

They just phoned I have an interview next Thursday. No typing involved at the interview, so guess you were spot on Lore and it was to see about accuracy, which I made really sure I was doing (kind of hard when my keyboard has no letter a or s or d or c or b or h or n or m as they have worn off!! )

It is less money than I get now but my job just now is just too stressful I worked in a call centre several years ago and liked it - till they moved to India!!

So fingers crossed

Good luck BM. Being stressed and ill is not worth the extra money. I have the same anxiety issues which is why I do supply teaching . I can take or leave the work offered depending on my health at that time. Hope you have now opened the wine to celebrate getting the interview.

Great news. Good luck for next week.

How did the interview go, sorry about the lack of response, been unable to get near the PC courtesy of my stepdaughter and my OH.

If you aren't already doing it you will be touchtyping before you know it.

It's not till nest Thurs - the 17th, so will let you know. I have never been able to touch type, even when I worked in the call centre but after reading you could do 120wpm I did 2 of these online type tests and I got 47 in 1 and 42 in the other.

Will just have to see how it goes I am now worrying they will be annoyed with the amount of time I have had off in my current job (but my illness has been related to the specific job I am doing and would not effect the new 1 if I were offered it) I will just have to be honest and truthful and hope I give a great interview

There will be 2 people doing the interview one talking and 1 writing and it will focus on things like customer care team work and communication. So have been trying to think of real examples that I can use as scenarios etc