Games Tester interview Wed 4th May @ EA! Any Help/Tips welcomed!

#21 Since I got an email asking for tips regarding the EA QA Tester assessment day, i decided it might be useful to put the info on the forum for everyone to benefit from, should they choose to brave the EA assessment and want similar insider info (plus is saves me emailing loads of folk on the same subject ;)), So here it is.

TIPS for the EA qa assessment:

The First Paper:

The first is a simple menu comparison test (Ref Num, Activities, Food and Drink etc) where one side will have information in typed form, while the other will have the same info in handwriting/visual form (logos etc), you simply check the data is the same either side for each entry, and point out any mistakes in their translation.

The Second (Dodgy) Paper:

The second test involves inputs and outputs, e.g on/off lights from A-E and the processes in between them

INPUT PROCESSES OUTPUT
A-OFF A-ON
B-OFF F-D-H B-ON
C-ON C-OFF

You job is to find which process is not working/affecting the output. So, in the above example, if F turns on A+B (if already off) and D turns off C (if already on) and H turns on A + C, the answer would be H as the dead/non working process as the output shows C is still off.

Bear in mind I got this paper wrong and only realised this at question 30 or so, so you can decide how much of my knowledge on this paper you wanna take. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that just because you may get the answers right on the example questions and the EA assessment chick/dude confirms this, this doesn't necessarily mean you have the method figured out (as in my case), the examples for this paper can/are very misleading.

So, if your flying through it, you've either got it figured or your doing it wrong, figure out which you are quickly if you plan on getting further then the EA building's toilets ;)

Group Hug Thingy:

I can't tell what the group assessment involves exactly, but it comes after you've successfully completed the above two tests, but i imagine they are like those group things you see on telly, just be outgoing, repsonsive and listen to everyone's opinion as well as share your ideas clearly and effectively and you should fly through.

Interview:

To quote Ian (Thanks for this)

"In the interview you will be asked several questions mainly from two senior testers. They cover things like what qualities make a good tester, how do you handle a high pressure environment and what sort of games do you like and do you _not_ like, and why. Just be honest and enthusiastic.

Things NOT to say:
1) I am part of a piracy ring, can I take the games home, my friends and I make a lot of money doing this?
2) I normally download and crack games, just not EA games as they are too hard to crack. *smile*

Interesting fact, Ive had people say BOTH those things to me in interviews I did at EA. I kid you not."

NOTE: This is quite general and not unique to EA, so it may be useful to have/expect similar q's and a's for other qa tester interviews you may will have in the future.

Closing:

All in all, i don't particulary agree with the way EA do (a lot of things) their qa scouting, but you'll be glad to know, not all studios do this non practical way of finding testers/staff (some still do the good old game/video with bugs and you report them on paper -method), and if i were looking for testers/team members i'd be more concerned that they can do the job in practice rather then papers provide by corporates, for corporates, anyhow, i'm not EA, so they can do what want, and if after you've read this, you still wanna give it a go, their still looking (150 testers by august allegedly), good luck!

Hope this helps. And don't forget to read the other useful tips above!

PS. Remember, if your name is called to go out side after the two tests, you're a gonna! But, other then that, I'm sure you'll be fine!

#22 I thought i'd better add this just in case

Disclaimer: I can't guarantee they will use the same papers as stated above, or the order of things metioned will be the same on your assessment day, but hey, if they are, your in luck, but it's safe to assume anything (especially with EA) is possible so be prepared to CHALLENGE EVERYTHING as EA say. So, decide whether or not to use/ignore some or all of these tips.

In other words, I don't want any emails saying "i've been practicing input/output tests online all weekend, and they didn't even do it! It's your fault i didn't make it through to the group hug sessions, not because i was rubbish at the test paper(s), errrrrrrrr!"

#23 I had a interview last month, the 2 papers they give r the same as explained above, really u cant practice it its basic sence, u need a bit of a high i1 to do the 2nd one at a fast pace, the 1st seaction is just spotting mistakes, but half the class never got all the example question correct, so look closer, its all about time as well as mainly its about how many u do as well as correct as no 1 completed it in time.
finishing both sections of is very hard and only 1 person finished of a section in the whole group, i wont say who that was:)

group saniero is simple, the scaneiro is not really being judged but just what contribution so all u got to do is speak in your group and dont act like a dead duck, this stage is a waste of time as it dont tell anything unless u dont speak at all.
the final stage is 1on1 interview, this is most important to seperate your self from the other losers, i got it, may be cos i answerd all the questions they gave me, just basic interview questions, make shore u do play games and u know what u play or unlike me, i dont play much so i had to think hard on what games to say so i just said i play simple games, any way the people r nice, the building is awsome, the girls look hot whichcome in a minority. just make shore u dont turn gay, the pay sucks, but u r working for the biggest games company in the world, remember that so u tell them that at the interview. also dont act like a dweeb be confident and thats most the batel 1, and of corse if u cant get threw the first stage u may as well become a binman cos thats the sort of job your mind is capable of handeling. cya
Daveboy