ExamopotamiaWhy test procurement skills before you hire?
A procurement officer can save the business money every month, or quietly cost it through poor supplier choices, weak controls and missed fraud. Interviews tend to focus on negotiation stories, which are hard to check. What matters day to day is more practical: comparing quotes on total cost, matching invoices to orders and deliveries, and refusing a bank change request that arrives by email. A short test gives you a consistent view of those skills across every applicant.
What this template covers
- Purchasing process: purchase orders, the three-way match and when to use an RFQ or an RFP.
- Value: total cost of ownership, comparing quotes with delivery charges, and why the lowest price is not always best.
- Controls: segregation of duties and the problem with maverick spend.
- Supplier management: what to check before approving a new supplier.
- Ethics, fraud and negotiation: gifts during tenders, fake bank changes and knowing your BATNA.
How to run it well
Twelve questions with a 15 minute limit works for most purchasing roles. Set the pass mark at 70%, and treat the fraud and ethics questions as must-pass, since a wrong answer there could cost far more than any savings. Allow a calculator for the quote comparison, and shuffle questions and options for every candidate.
When results arrive, check whether the candidate's strengths match the role. A transactional buyer must be strong on process and controls; a category manager or senior buyer should also handle the hard questions on maverick spend and negotiation well. Use any missed questions as the starting point for interview discussion.
Who this test is for
Use it for procurement officers, purchasing assistants, buyers, category managers at an early stage, and accounts payable staff who work closely with purchasing. Small businesses that are formalising their buying process can also use it to check what the people already placing orders understand.
Make it yours
Add questions on your own approval limits, preferred supplier lists, purchasing system and tender process. If you buy in the public sector or a regulated industry, write questions on the rules that apply to you and have them checked by your compliance team. You can also add a calculation based on a real quote comparison from your business, with the supplier names removed.