INKWIRED

What’s an Edit Test?

What the hell is an edit test?

An editor will oftentimes give you an edit test after your interview and prior to making a hiring decision — most will give you a couple of days to a week to complete the test.

Edit tests can involve a variety of tasks, including but not limited to:

• copy editing
• researching
• brainstorming heds and deks
• pitching story ideas
• writing brief articles based on an assigned theme or topic
• suggesting feedback for improving web site content or social media presence

What are editors looking for?

They’re looking for strong writing, editing, and researching skills. Familiarity with the publication and its audience as well as the ability to capture the right tone is a must.

Here are some sample questions from women’s magazines:

• Please suggest 3 FOB ideas for the beauty section. Include sample hed and desk.
• Fix the HTML code on the following. [removed for confidentiality purposes]
• Edit the following text as you wish for content, length, etc. [removed for confidentiality purposes]
• Write answers to the following Q&A (this is make sure you get the tone of the magazine): Are there any ways to get lush lashes besides mascara?
• Write a 150-200 word blog entry for our celebrity style blog. Make sure both the trend and the celeb are current and trendy. Please make sure to include 2-3 questions about the post that will make the reader want to post comments.
• Pitch 2 slideshow ideas — one for fashion, one for beauty — that would work well on our site. Include a hed, dek, and brief intro.

Here are some sample questions from teen magazines and websites:

• Write a full set of horoscopes — one for each sign.
• Come up with three questions you would ask guys for on-the-street interviews.
• List 2-3 upcoming bands we could feature.
• Pitch two “real girls” who have a crazy story (she got skin cancer from tanning, abducted by her boyfriend, survived a burglary or abuse, etc.) that our readers can learn from. She must be between the ages of 16-22, live in the US, and not have had her story publicized over other media outlets.
• Write a 100-word blurb on an item that epitomizes a trend that you love right now, and include a link to the item.
• Based on an interview with [celebrity], write an article for our fitness blog. (Requirements: 400-word limit, suggest a juicy hed, and end with 1-2 questions that will encourage reader comments.
• Please suggest one quiz idea for the site. It can be about guys, school, fashion, or health, or life. Include the title, a hed and dek, and a sample question.
• Please offer your feedback of our site. What do you like? What would you change?