Simulated job interview is a structured oral exam designed to simulate a real-world job interview, requiring students to discuss a completed project, articulate their learning journey, and demonstrate their readiness for the workplace.
Key features
Lane 1: Secure assessment
Supports verified learning through in-person student presentations (could also occur online in invigilated settings)
Exposes gaps in familiarity that written assessments might conceal, revealing the true depth of knowledge and comprehension
Develops verbal communication skills essential for future workplace discussions across all career paths
Creates authentic opportunities for students to articulate personal growth and reflect on their learning journey
How it works
Students complete a foundational assessment earlier in the semester, with knowledge that they will discuss and refer to this during their viva exam
Students receive viva examination guidelines and support resources early in semester
Educators prepare a structured question bank for other co-examiners to ensure consistent but comprehensive assessment experiences
Students study independently to review relevant knowledge and reflect on their project experiences, including problem-solving and decision-making choices
Students decide which element of their previous assessment is best suited to showcase their learning and job readiness
No check-ins are required
Students engage in the job interview viva examination, responding to examiner questions with evidence from their project experience
Students are permitted to bring a personal device to access project evidence during their examinations
Sessions are recorded to ensure assessment consistency and provide opportunity for moderation
Educators evaluate the individual’s job readiness by focusing on decision-making and problem-solving processes rather than content recall
Immediately following the conversation, educators provide live feedback and mark the assessment
Curtin snapshot
Case Study
Dr Nigel Gribble
“The stimulated job interview gives students authentic practice for their future careers while allowing me to assess their professional readiness in a way that written work simply can’t capture. Students leave feeling more confident about real job interviews.”
Faculty of Health Sciences
Nigel’s example assessment
About my unit: Faculty of Health Sciences | Under 50 students | In-person | Individual work
For my unit, I use the stimulated job interview exam to assess job-readiness for physiotherapy, speech pathology and occupational therapy students completing an Allied Health Professional Honours project. It’s an opportunity for students to practice job interviews, receive feedback, and demonstrate how their academic work translates directly into employability skills.
In this assessment, the stimulated job interview is combined with an ePortfolio, which has captured the student’s journey from the start to finish of the Honours project. As it includes documents like project management plans, drafts and final deliverables, progress reports and Gantt charts, it’s exactly the evidence that potential employers would be interested in.
Students approach the 10-minute examination as a formal job interview for a position at their ePortfolio project organisation. Authenticity drives the experience – students should wear professional dress, show genuine enthusiasm for the role, and demonstrate thorough understanding of the organisation.
The job interview viva exam is split into three parts:
Introduction (1 minute) – Exam begins with the examiner asking: “When working in this organisation, you will be expected to manage small and medium-sized projects and your clinical caseload. You have been working on a project with us. Can you briefly describe the project? And describe your roles in the project?”
Job interview questions (8 minutes) – Students will be asked up to four interview questions, drawing responses from their project experience. At least once during their interview, they must show evidence from their ePortfolio to support their answer.
Feedback (1 minute) – Examiner will provide brief feedback on the student’s interview responses.
My advice
For the stimulated job interview to be most successful, I make sure that the earlier ePortfolio assessment is a collation of thoughts, ideas and reflections on how students are moving to become a productive project manager and includes documents related to professional practice.
It’s also important to brief students on professional interview etiquette and provide them with sample interview questions beforehand. I’ve found that giving students time to practice with peers builds their confidence significantly. Remember to emphasise that this isn’t just about project knowledge – it’s about demonstrating professional communication skills they’ll use throughout their careers.
Suggested marking criteria
Student demonstrates a strong understanding of the rationale and outcomes of the project, clearly highlighting their role, responsibilities and contributions to the project. Discusses their strengths and accomplishments in an authentic way. Where relevant, demonstrates a strong understanding of project management principles and the role of their discipline in the project. Understands the organisation they are applying for a job with, including terminology that the employer would use and relevant healthcare and project management language.
At a relevant time during the interview, the student shows evidence from their project that supports an answer (e.g., final or draft deliverables, presentations, minutes, parts of the project management plan).
Student is professional throughout, providing well-structured, insightful responses. Shows genuine enthusiasm during the discussion with the employer and exudes confidence in their ability to work for the organisation as a speech pathologist, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist.
Note: Marking criteria and weighting are suggested guidelines. Specific descriptions should be adapted to relevant content and learning objectives.
