WORK SAMPLE TEST GUIDE
A work sample test asks for a small version of the work.
Instead of asking a candidate to describe what they would do, a work sample test gives them a bounded version of the job and observes what happens. The design challenge is making that sample relevant, consistent and fair enough to be useful.
01 / BASICS
What is a work sample test?
A work sample test is a practical assessment that asks someone to perform a small, controlled version of work they may encounter in a role. Depending on the job, that may mean producing an artifact, resolving a scenario, prioritizing tasks or making a sequence of operational decisions.
Mandorka uses decision-based work simulations rather than open-ended take-home projects. Each session samples tasks from a versioned bank, keeps authoritative scoring logic on the server and produces a record after completion.
Different from a CV
The evidence comes from observed work decisions rather than from a description of past experience.
Different from trivia
A work sample can test applied judgment even when memorized knowledge alone would not show how someone handles the job.
02 / DESIGN
A useful work sample is realistic enough — not enormous.
More work is not automatically a better assessment. A sample should be large enough to expose meaningful decisions but small enough to respect candidate time and avoid turning selection into unpaid production work.
For that reason, Mandorka's free challenges are deliberately bounded. The goal is a signal about work decisions, not a finished client deliverable.
Time-boxed
A defined session limit reduces ambiguity about how much effort is expected.
Versioned task bank
The result identifies the assessment version so materially different versions are not silently treated as identical.
Server-controlled integrity
Scoring keys stay outside the browser and a completed session cannot mint unlimited duplicate proofs.
Public limits
The record says what the simulation measured and what it did not establish.
03 / HIRING
How employers can use work-sample evidence.
A work sample can make interviews more focused. Instead of asking only hypothetical questions, an employer can inspect a concrete record and use differences in score dimensions to decide what deserves follow-up.
The evidence still needs role context. A strong result in one work track should not become a universal proxy for every unrelated job.
Before interview
Use the result to decide which job-relevant areas need deeper discussion.
During interview
Ask about decisions, trade-offs and gaps rather than merely repeating résumé questions.
04 / PORTABILITY
Why make a work sample result portable?
Many hiring assessments belong only to the employer that ordered them. Mandorka takes a different approach for public WorkProof: the candidate can keep the canonical record and share it again.
An employer can verify the live Mandorka record instead of relying on a screenshot. The record carries the assessment version, score dimensions and integrity information needed to interpret what happened.
FAQ
Work sample test questions
Is a work sample test the same as a take-home assignment?
Not necessarily. A take-home assignment is one possible format. A work sample can also be a short controlled simulation, scenario or set of decisions. Mandorka uses bounded simulations rather than asking for open-ended production work.
Can work sample tests be used before an interview?
Yes, when they are relevant to the role and designed responsibly. Mandorka recommends using the result as one evidence source, not as an automatic hiring decision.
What does a Mandorka work sample produce?
A completed assessment can produce a WorkProof record containing the track, version, score dimensions and public verification data.
MANDORKA / WORKPROOF
Do a small version of the work.
Start with a bounded free simulation and keep the resulting evidence as a verifiable WorkProof.