Creating an evaluation questionnaire

Here is a suggested initial assessment questionnaire for selecting candidates for the “Executive Assistant” vocational qualification, based on the the national reference framework and its two skill blocks. You can adapt it (length, format) to suit your context (interview, written test, etc.). If you want, I can also give you a condensed version or an MCQ.

Standards: key points to assess

According to the official reference framework, the main skills expected are :

• Providing administrative and organisational support to the management team (operational management, steering tools, oral interface, process optimisation) helpformation.fr+2France compétences+2
• Organising and monitoring specific projects and files: information monitoring, project coordination, event organisation, communication (including English) helpformation.fr+2France compétences+2
• Proficiency in digital and office automation tools, B2 level English, rigour, autonomy, interpersonal skills, discretion, adaptability, etc. helpformation.fr+2France compétences+2

Initial assessment questionnaire

Here is a questionnaire divided into several parts: technical skills, soft skills and motivation. Each candidate can be asked to answer in writing or during an interview.

Part 1: General information

1. First name / Last name
2. Professional background / previous training (related to assistants, office automation, project management, etc.)
3. Level of English (spoken / read / written)
4. Computer skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, collaborative tools (Google Drive, Teams, etc.) – self-assessment and examples of use

Part 2: Technical skills

(Each question can be marked, e.g. out of 0-5 depending on the answer, or qualitatively)

   Diary management and planning

• Describe a situation where you had to manage several appointments or competing tasks. How did you prioritise?
• What would you do if two urgent meetings were scheduled at the same time for your manager?

    Processing written and spoken information

• You receive an important external email, written in English, requesting information that you need to pass on to your management. Explain how you would go about this (reading, understanding, summarising, translating if necessary).
• Give an example of how to write the minutes of a meeting: what do you emphasise, how do you organise the document, what are the essential parts?

Management tools and figures

• Do you know how to create or use a dashboard? Give an example (real or fictional) of the indicators you think are relevant for monitoring a department’s activity (e.g. monitoring expenditure, project deadlines, satisfaction, etc.).
• Excel: do you know the basic formulas? Advanced functions (search, pivot tables)? Please explain.

   Optimising administrative processes

• Describe an administrative process that you have experienced (or can imagine) that could be improved: how would you carry out this diagnosis, what actions would you propose?
• Give a concrete example where you have proposed or implemented an improvement in an organisation, even a small one.

   Information watch

• Explain what monitoring means in this job.
• What sources or tools would you use to monitor regulatory, legal, economic or sectoral developments?
• How would you select the information to be disseminated, and to whom?

   Organisation of events / communication campaigns

• If you are asked to organise a professional event (meeting, conference, open day), what steps do you plan?
• For a communication campaign, what do you think is important in choosing the medium, the message, the audience and the resources?

    English

• Write a short paragraph in English (or translate a simple text) about a professional situation (e.g. announcing a meeting, replying to an email, etc.).
• Orally, do you feel able to present a project or respond to external contacts in English? (Give an example or situation).

Part 3: Soft skills

• Describe a tense or urgent situation you have experienced: how did you react? What priorities did you set?
• Autonomy / initiative: can you give an example where you had to make a decision without immediate supervision, or propose a solution to an identified problem?
• Discretion / confidentiality: what do you think are the best practices for handling sensitive information? Have you ever been in this kind of situation?
• Thoroughness, precision, attention to detail: how do you check that your work contains no errors? Give a concrete example where your attention to detail has made a difference.
• Adaptability / dealing with the unexpected: tell us about a time when a plan changed, or something unexpected happened in your work or project, and how you coped?
• Relationships / communication: how do you manage relationships with different people (hierarchical, colleagues, external)? Have you ever had to deal with a conflict or a difference of opinion? How did you resolve it?

Part 4: Motivation and career plan

• Why do you want to take this Executive Assistant course? What aspect(s) of the job appeal(s) to you most?
• What do you expect from this course (skills you want to develop, tasks you want to be able to carry out, desired professional context)?
• Where do you see yourself in this profession in 2 to 5 years’ time (desired career development, specialisation, sectors, etc.)?
• What are your strengths/skills that you feel you have already mastered, and those that you would like to improve significantly?

Suggested selection criteria

You can use a scale to weight the parts. Example:

Criteria to be taken into account :

• Coherence between the answers and the job in question (real-life examples, understanding of tasks)
• Sufficient level of English for the course (minimum B2)
• Ability to use digital and office automation tools
• Ability to analyse, summarise and plan
• Human qualities: autonomy, rigour, discretion, adaptability

To design an initial assessment questionnaire tailored to the selection of candidates for the Executive Assistant Professional Qualification, I based myself on the official training reference framework (available via the France Compétences website). This reference framework focuses on three main skill blocks:

1. Assisting management on a day-to-day basis and facilitating decision-making (administrative management, organisation, communication).
2. Manage the processing, organisation and sharing of information (writing, data management, digital tools).
3. Assisting management in the management of specific projects and dossiers (coordination, monitoring, planning).

The proposed questionnaire assesses basic skills, motivation and fit with the profile, and includes situational exercises to test operational skills. It is designed to be clear, structured and adaptable, with open and closed questions for a comprehensive assessment.

Initial Assessment Questionnaire

Training : Executive Assistant vocational qualification

1. Personal details

• Please complete the following information:
• Full name:_____________________
• Date of birth:_____________________
• Email address:_____________________
• Telephone:_____________________
• Last diploma obtained (title and year):_____________________

2. Professional experience

Please list your last two professional experiences (or significant work placements):

Open question:

What skills or experience gained in your previous positions could be useful for the job of Executive Assistant? (150 words maximum)

3. Technical skills

Tick the level corresponding to your skills in the following areas:

Open question:

Describe a situation in which you used an office or digital tool to solve a problem or complete a task (maximum 100 words).

4. Interpersonal and organisational skills

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = poor, 5 = excellent):

Open question:

Give a concrete example where you have demonstrated your organisational skills or your ability to work as part of a team. (150 words maximum)

5. Motivation and career plan

Answer the following questions (maximum 150 words per answer):

• Why do you want to take the Executive Assistant Professional Qualification course?
  What are your professional goals in the short term (1-2 years) and medium term (3-5 years)?
  How do you see the role of an Executive Assistant in a company?

6. Setting the scene

Case study:
You are an executive assistant. Your manager asks you to organise a meeting with 10 external participants, including 2 internationals, within 5 days. The meeting is to include a video conference and lunch. Describe the steps you would take to prepare for this event (logistics, communication, follow-up). (200 words maximum)

Case study (writing) :

Write a professional e-mail (150 words maximum) inviting the participants to this meeting, specifying the date, time, location and how to connect to the videoconference.

7. Self-evaluation

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your ability to :

• Manage several tasks simultaneously? ___ /10
• Adapt to unexpected situations? ___ /10
• Work under pressure? ___ /10

Case study:

Describe a situation where you had to deal with an urgent or unexpected task. How did you react (100 words maximum)?

8. Language evaluation

Exercice :

Correct the mistakes in the following paragraph:
“The executive assistant must be organise, meticulous and good at communicate. She manages diaries, drafts documents and welcome visitors.”

Question (optional):

If you speak a foreign language (e.g. English), translate the following sentence:
“The assistant organizes meetings and manages the director’s schedule.”

9. Commitment and availability

I declare that I have answered this questionnaire truthfully and that I am motivated to take the course.
Are you available to follow the course full-time? ☐ Yes ☐ No (please specify your constraints) : _____________________

Date and Signature:

Tips for using the questionnaire:

• Administration: Use a digital format (e.g. Google Forms) to make it easier to collect and analyse responses.
• Evaluation: Create a scoring grid for each section (e.g. 20 points for technical skills, 30 points for role-playing).
• Complement: Plan an oral interview to expand on the answers and assess oral fluency.
• Accessibility: Adapt the instructions for candidates with disabilities (e.g. large print version).
• Customisation: Adjust the case studies to suit the specific needs of the course or the target sector (e.g. SME, large group).