Section 1: Troubleshooting Scenarios

Focus on their thought process in real-time. Ask them to walk through steps verbally, as if troubleshooting live.

1. Follow-up on their assessment answers: “In your response to the printer being ‘offline’ for one user but not others, you mentioned [their idea, e.g., checking cables]. Can you explain why that would be your first step, and what tool or command you’d use to verify it?”
2. “A user reports their computer is making a clicking noise and won’t boot. Walk me through your troubleshooting steps from start to finish, including any safety precautions.”
3. “Imagine a user’s email is sending duplicates of every message. What could be causing this, and how would you diagnose it without access to their machine?”
4. “A laptop is overheating and shutting down during use. What hardware and software factors might be involved, and how would you prioritize checking them?”
5. “Tell me about a real troubleshooting issue you’ve faced (from work or personal experience). What was the problem, your steps, and the outcome?”

Section 2: Technical Knowledge

Test recall without aids. Use these to verify if they truly know basics or relied on searches.

1. Follow-up: “You selected [their answer] for the command to show IP configuration. Why is that useful in troubleshooting network issues, and what specific details does it provide?”
2. “Explain the difference between TCP and UDP. When might you use a tool like ping to test one over the other?”
3. “What are the key components of a computer’s hardware (e.g., CPU, RAM, HDD/SSD)? How would a failure in one affect performance?”
4. “Describe how DNS works in simple terms. If a user can’t access a website but can ping its IP, what’s likely wrong?”
5. “What’s the OSI model, and why is it relevant to IT support? Give an example of troubleshooting at Layer 3.”

Section 3: Hands-On / Simulated Tasks

Since this is optional in the assessment, simulate it orally or with screen-sharing if remote. Focus on practical application.

1. “Pretend I’m a user with a frozen application. Walk me through how you’d guide me to force-quit it on Windows and check for updates.”
2. “If we were screen-sharing, how would you instruct me to check Event Viewer for errors related to a recent crash? What logs would you look at first?”
3. “Describe setting up a basic user account on a Windows machine. What security best practices would you apply?”
4. “How would you remotely assist a user in mapping a network drive? What commands or tools would you use?”
5. “Simulate explaining to a non-technical user how to run a disk cleanup. What steps would you include to avoid data loss?”

Section 4: Communication and Documentation

Evaluate soft skills live. Have them role-play or draft verbally.

1. Follow-up: “In your email example for password reset, you wrote [quote their response]. Why did you include [specific element, e.g., MFA mention]? How would you handle if the client calls confused?”
2. “Role-play: I’m a frustrated client whose internet is down. Explain the issue (assume it’s a router reboot needed) calmly and document the call afterward.”
3. “How do you ensure clear documentation in a ticketing system? Give an example of a ticket you’d write for a resolved printer jam.”
4. “Describe how you’d communicate a system outage to a team versus to end-users. What’s the key difference in approach?”
5. “Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical concept to someone non-technical. What made it successful or challenging?”

Section 5: Aptitude, Drive, and Curiosity

Probe motivation and learning agility. These reveal if they’re proactive.

1. Follow-up: “You mentioned [their tech news/trend]. What impact do you think it has on everyday IT support, and how might we adapt?”
2. “What’s a tool or software you’ve recently explored (e.g., for monitoring or automation)? How did you learn it, and why?”
3. “If faced with an unknown error code, what’s your process for researching it? What resources do you trust most?”
4. “How do you stay updated on IT trends? Give an example of something you learned that improved your work.”
5. “Describe your ideal home lab or personal tech project. How has it built your skills?”

Section 6: Cybersecurity Skills

Test awareness of threats and responses, as this is critical for support roles.

1. Follow-up: “For the compromised Office 365 account question, you chose [their answer]. What specific signs of compromise would you look for in the logs?”
2. “What is multi-factor authentication (MFA), and why is it essential? How would you enable it for a user’s email?”
3. “A user clicks a suspicious link. What immediate steps do you take, and how do you prevent recurrence?”
4. “Explain the difference between antivirus and endpoint detection/response (EDR). When would you escalate to EDR?”
5. “How would you handle a ransomware alert on a client’s machine? Outline your response protocol.”

General Evaluation Tips

• Integration with Assessment: Always reference their submitted answers to spot inconsistencies (e.g., if their written response was detailed but verbal explanation is vague, they may have used external help).
• Probing for Depth: Use follow-ups like “Why that step?” or “What if that doesn’t work?” to test adaptability.
• Behavioral Focus: Incorporate STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for experience-based questions to assess real-world application.
• Diversity and Fairness: Avoid trick questions; aim for entry-level relevance. If the candidate struggles, note if they pivot resourcefully (e.g., “I’d Google X”).
• Next Steps: If possible, include a quick live demo (e.g., via screen-share) for hands-on validation. Follow up with references or a trial task.

This set should give you a well-rounded view of their core knowledge while complementing the assessment. If you share a specific candidate’s responses or focus areas, I can refine these further.