Specific Competencies and Skills Tested in this Assessment:
General Finance Technical Skills
- Use accounting procedures in a financial environment
- Employ marketing procedures to forward organizational goals
- Utilize customer service skills to work effectively with customers
- Perform accounting functions with computers and related software
Financial and Investment Planning Technical Skills
- Display knowledge of financial and investment products and services
- Review and research federal and state regulatory requirements as applied to financial and investment planning
- Assist clients in developing financial plans including retirement planning, estate planning, and budgets
- Develop procedures to adhere to compliance plans and manage client records
Academic Foundations
- Apply reading skills in a financial career environment
- Apply writing skills in a financial career environment
- Apply mathematical skills in a financial career environment
- Apply economic knowledge in a financial career environment
Systems
- Interpret financial elements such as economic conditions to determine impact on consumer behavior
- Interpret laws and regulations to determine the role of government in the financial industry
Ethics and Legal Responsibilities
- Identify and practice ethical behavior in the workplace
- Analyze practices of the financial industry to determine ethics and social responsibilities
Communication
- Locate, organize, and reference written information from reliable sources to communicate with coworkers and clients
- Develop and deliver formal and informal presentations using appropriate media to engage and inform audiences
- Apply listening skills and interpret verbal and nonverbal behaviors to enhance communication with coworkers and clients
- Interpret and use tables, charts, and figures to support written and oral communication
Information Technology Applications
- Use computers and software to increase work efficiency
- Utilize a database to manage general information
Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Decision Making
- Use problem solving and critical thinking skills to locate good sources of information about problems and determine appropriate methods for investigating causes
- Use problem solving and critical thinking skills to determine root causes of problems and suggest solutions
- Use decision making skills to solve problems and evaluate solutions
Leadership and Teamwork
- Exhibit leadership practices to improve the quality of work and the work environment
- Work effectively in a team environment to improve the quality of work and the work environment
Safety, Health, and Environmental
- Practice safe behaviors in work environment including ergonomics
- Respond appropriately in emergency situation by locating emergency information and equipment
Employability and Career Development
- Demonstrate employability skills related to a career in finance
- Pursue career development skills to advance in the financial world
Written Assessment:
Administration Time: 2 hours
Number of Questions: 106
Areas Covered:
General Finance Technical Skills: 13%
Financial and Investment Planning Technical Skills: 19%
Academic Foundations: 13%
Systems: 5%
Ethic and Legal Responsibilities: 6%
Communications: 12%
Information Technology Applications: 7%
Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Decision Making: 8%
Leadership and Teamwork: 7%
Safety, Health, and Environmental: 6%
Employability and Career Development: 4%
Sample Questions:
In automated accounting, an audit
- checks the accuracy of processed information
- in generated on a yearly basis
- is always stored using electronic media
- corrects the data
Which of the following is a non-taxable source of income?
- interest earned on a savings account
- interest earned in a foreign bank
- child support payments
- tips and gratuities
Assume that the current currency exchange rate for US Dollars and Euros is 1 US Dollar = .736 Euros. Brad is making a purchase in Germany that costs 25 Euros. How much will this cost him in US Dollars?
- $18.40
- $25.74
- $33.97
- $42.50
Government regulations are generally designed to
- create jobs for government workers
- protect the public from harmful or unjust actions
- increase the number of political campaigns
- make people think before they vote
An emergency number to call for aid should be posted
- at the first aid station
- on the company’s website
- next to, near, or on the phone
- near the nurse’s station
A retirement plan in which both the employee and the employer contribute is called a
- Roth IRA
- traditional IRA
- SEP
- 401(k)
Sample Questions (continued)
The public records section of a credit report may contain information regarding
- criminal records
- checking account numbers
- delinquent accounts
- salary history
Energy prices, economic growth, advances in technology, and changes in weather patterns are factors which can impact
- home and automobile ownership
- inflation and interest rates
- energy supply and demand
- global warming and disaster relief
If a technical report is based on large amounts of data, a good way to include all data is in a/an
- glossary
- appendix
- index
- text box
An effective mentor is a person who
- has mastered the skills and experience an employee needs
- is a good friend of the employee
- is external to the employee’s company
- has been given salary raises in the past