MINISTRY OF BUSINESS,
INNOVATION & EMPLOYMENT
HIKINA WHAKATUTUKI
27 June 2018
Mx Jem Traylen
PolicyWorks NZ
fyi-req uest-7980-bae397bd@req uests. fyi .o rg. nz
DOIA 1718-1733
Dear Mx Jem Traylen
Thank you for your email of 2 June 2018 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
I understand that written exercises are part of your recruitment process for policy roles.
Please provide a copy of all question papers used during 2017.
The written exercises used as part of MBIE's recruitment process in 2017 are still currently in use. It
would be unfair to all candidates to release such information publicly under the Act in case some future
candidates were to come into possession of the exercises and had advance notice of the matters they
might be asked to analyse in a test environment. Therefore, MBIE is refusing your request under section
9(2)(k) of the Act, to prevent the disclosure or use of official information for improper gain or improper
advantage.
However, MBIE is able to provide a summary of the written questions used in its recruitment process.
MBIE typically uses a suite of written assessment exercises in its policy recruitment processes, although
managers may tailor or develop assessments specific to their particular recruitment process.
MBIE's assessments cover policy topics candidates may be exposed to during their employment. The
assessments are designed to test their analytical ability, general understanding of the policy issue
presented, how they would approach the policy problem, their written communication and presentation
skills, and their ability to evaluate and synthesise information.
Examples of topics candidates may be tested on include, but are not limited to:
• Unsafe buildings
• Affordable Auckland Housing
• Rental housing markets
• Wellington housing accord 6
th Monitoring
• A tourism opportunity for Wahiwaiariki
• Mobile phone market
• Payday lending
• Import tariffs
• Improving the governance of NZ firms
• Director's duties
