A skills assessment technical interview is a spoken test of your trade knowledge. An assessor who is also a qualified tradesperson in your occupation asks how you do your work, and you answer in English without help. It is one part of a trade skills assessment for Australia. This guide is for every trade. It explains what the interview is for, what one assessing body tells candidates about the day, and a simple plan for explaining your work clearly.
What the technical interview is for
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) describes itself as a skills assessment service for people who gained a trade skill overseas or in Australia. In its Offshore Skills Assessment Program, the technical assessment is the third of four steps. It comes after you choose a TRA-approved registered training organisation (RTO) and the RTO assesses your documents.
TRA says this step confirms that you can do the full range of tasks expected of a tradesperson in Australia in your occupation. The assessor is also a qualified tradesperson in your trade, so you are talking to someone who knows the job. The RTO then recommends an outcome, and TRA must approve it.
TRA describes two pathways. Pathway 1 is for people without a relevant Australian vocational qualification. It includes a technical interview and may involve a practical demonstration of skills, which TRA says is compulsory for a licensed occupation. Pathway 2, for people who hold a relevant Australian qualification or a current Australian occupation licence, uses a technical interview and evidence from your employer or referee.
Which program and pathway you need depends on your occupation, your passport and your visa. We are interview coaches, so we do not advise on that. Read the Offshore Skills Assessment Program page on the TRA website and the skills assessment page of the Department of Home Affairs. If Australian qualification names are new to you, this background reading on skills assessment and trade qualifications in Australia can help.
How the interview is held: ask your RTO first
Your RTO tells you how your own interview will run. TRA says the RTO discusses the assessment requirements with you beforehand, and you must agree that you can meet them before you pay for the technical assessment.
One TRA-approved RTO, VETASSESS, publishes applicant guides that describe its own technical interview. The table shows what they tell candidates. Another RTO may do things differently.
| Topic | What the VETASSESS guides say |
|---|---|
| Where | Over the internet or face to face, at a VETASSESS approved venue |
| How long | About three hours for the Pathway 1 technical interview |
| Language | English only, with no interpreter. The interview may be cancelled if you cannot understand or answer in English |
| What to bring | Your current passport and your Technical Interview Admission Voucher |
| What to leave outside | Written notes, textbooks, manuals, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, pens, pencils and paper |
| If you are late | The interview is cancelled if you arrive more than 30 minutes late |
| Recording | All interviews are recorded |
| Result | The assessor cannot give you a result at the end |
An online interview does not mean you sit at home. The Pathway 1 guide says you sit at a computer at the venue, with a venue supervisor in the room. An online host checks your passport on camera, then introduces the assessor. The questions are also shown on the screen. A face-to-face interview room may be set up like a real workplace, with tools and equipment in it.
What the assessor asks about
The VETASSESS guide says the assessor asks about the knowledge you need to work in your trade in Australia, and how you apply that knowledge. For trades such as carpenter, bricklayer and motor mechanic, its list of interview areas begins with workplace health and safety (WHS): correct manual handling (lifting and carrying safely), finding safety hazards on the worksite and preventing them, and wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
After safety come the areas for each trade. For a carpenter, the guide's examples include working from specifications, levelling and roof construction. For a fitter, they include marking out, fault diagnosis and welding techniques. VETASSESS says the list is not complete and tells candidates to review each unit (one block of skills and knowledge) in their qualification.
The guides also give practice questions. They are open questions, so "yes" or "no" is never enough. One is "What is a typical day's work at your job?" Others ask you to list your tasks and explain how and why you do each one, and to name the main safety hazards at your work.
Our separate guide to what happens in a skills interview for a motor mechanic has worked answers for that trade.
A speaking plan that works for any trade
You can answer most technical questions with one plan. Learn the plan, not a speech.
- Set the scene. Say where you work and what jobs you do on a typical day.
- Put safety early. Name the main hazards of the task and what you do about each one.
- Give the steps in order. Use "first", "then", "after that" and "finally". Say every step, even the easy ones.
- Name your tools and equipment. Say what each one is for.
- Say where your information comes from. This may be the drawing, the manufacturer's instructions or the workplace procedure.
- Explain why. Give the reason for a step: safety, quality or the standard you work to.
- Finish with the check. Say how you test or inspect the finished work.
Here is how the plan sounds for a welder who is asked how they prepare and weld a joint. A simple answer could be:
"First I read the drawing and the welding procedure. Then I check my work area for fire risks and move anything that can burn. I put on my helmet, gloves, jacket and safety boots, and I check the leads and the earth clamp. After that I clean the metal and tack the joint in position. Then I weld, and I check each run. Finally I clean the weld and inspect it for defects such as cracks. If it does not match the drawing, I report it and repair it."
Notice the order: safety early, equipment named, a check at the end.
When you do not understand a question
VETASSESS tells candidates to listen carefully, to ask the assessor to repeat a question they do not understand, and to answer clearly and as best they can. You can say, "Could you repeat the question, please?"
How to prepare in the weeks before
The VETASSESS preparation checklist has four simple points. Read the fact sheet for your occupation. Look at each unit in the qualification on training.gov.au. Think about how your own knowledge and skills relate to each unit. Ask a friend or family member to ask you questions about your occupation.
As coaches, we would add three more points.
- Know your own evidence. TRA says assessors may rely on evidence from your employer or referee. Be ready to talk about the jobs named in your documents.
- Learn the safety words. Hazard, risk and PPE come up in every trade. Our guide to workplace safety questions in a trade interview explains them with example answers.
- Learn the local trade words. VETASSESS says its assessors have many years of experience working in Australia, so expect Australian words. Start with our list of Australian trade words that confuse new arrivals.
VETASSESS also says its assessors are experienced in listening to candidates from all types of backgrounds. So speak slowly and give every step.
Common mistakes in a skills assessment technical interview
- Arriving late or without the right documents. Check your RTO's rules on time, passport and voucher, and plan your trip to the venue.
- Not turning up and telling nobody. TRA says failing to attend the technical assessment without giving notice may result in withdrawal and forfeiture (loss) of the fee.
- Memorising a speech. A learned speech breaks when the question changes a little. Learn the plan and your key words.
- Answering in one sentence. "Yes, I can do that" tells the assessor nothing. Give the steps and the reason.
- Claiming work you have not done. Say what you know, and say honestly where your experience is small.
After the interview: results and next steps
Do not expect an answer in the room. The VETASSESS guide says results are sent once the full assessment has been completed. A successful applicant receives a Skills Assessment Result Letter with a "Suitable" outcome.
If the result is unsuccessful, VETASSESS describes two options. A reassessment covers only the units marked NYC (Not Yet Competent). You must apply within 12 months, with evidence of further training or work experience. A review must be requested within 7 business days of the unsuccessful outcome. TRA says only one reassessment is available for each assessment stage.
We do not list fees here. VETASSESS says all fees for a trades skills assessment are paid directly to TRA, so check the current amounts on the TRA website. A skills assessment is also not a licence: TRA says licensing is the responsibility of the state or territory licensing authority.
Practise explaining your work out loud
If nobody near you knows your trade, you can still practise alone. In Skills Practice, an interviewer on video asks a technical trade question and you answer out loud. You get a score from 0 to 10, with what you did well, what to add and a stronger answer. The marking does not take marks off for your accent, small grammar mistakes or simple words.
When single questions feel comfortable, try a full Mock Interview. Our interview practice page for Australia shows what is there for that country.
This is practice only. InterviewTraining.ai is not linked to any government, visa authority, skills-assessment body or employer, and practice cannot promise any result.
Rules and requirements can change. Check the official government website before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Is the skills assessment technical interview held in English?
Yes. TRA says you must do the technical assessment in English without assistance, although an IELTS result is not required for any of its programs. VETASSESS adds that no interpreter may attend.
How long does a technical interview take?
It depends on who assesses you. VETASSESS says its Pathway 1 technical interview takes about three hours. Ask your own RTO how long yours will be.
Is there a practical test as well as the interview?
Sometimes. TRA says Pathway 1 may involve a practical demonstration of skills, and that it is compulsory for a licensed occupation. Your RTO explains what applies to you.
Will the assessor tell me the result on the day?
Not at VETASSESS. Its guide says the assessor cannot give a result at the end of the interview. Results are sent once the full assessment has been completed.
What can I do if the result is unsuccessful?
VETASSESS says you can apply for a reassessment or a review. A reassessment covers only the units marked Not Yet Competent and has a 12 month time limit. A review must be requested within 7 business days.
Key takeaways
- A technical interview checks that you can explain the tasks of your trade, in English, to an assessor who knows the trade.
- Your RTO explains the format and the rules, so ask early.
- Use one plan for every answer: scene, safety, steps in order, tools, information, reason, final check.
- Practise out loud. Practice helps you explain your work. It cannot promise an outcome.
Topics
- skills assessment
- technical interview
- trade interviews
- australia
- tra
- vetassess
- interview practice
