California State Board of Equalization Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was really dry, with no interaction between you and the interviewer. After they read the questions out, you are expected to answer it. And, the answer better be as long as possible, because the whole interview is 45 minutes. During your interview, they will also jot down some notes based on your answers. I had an interview over the phone, so obviously, I couldn't see their facial expression. Therefore, I did not know how well I did on my interview. Also, the position is an only entry-level position that requires no experience at all. I have no idea why they'd ask me the case study questions that require so many in-depth analyses.

So, the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) sent me a letter asking if I was interested in working for them. Before that, I had already taken the State of California Tax Auditor Exam and got a 95%. You have to take the exam first before any state agency will even look at you. I mailed back the info they asked for. About 3 weeks after the job posting closed, a staff member called me for an interview. There were two people interviewing me. After some introductions, they put a stack of 5 questions in front of me. These were skill and technical questions, which caught me off guard because the job description said there would be training. I felt rushed, and they didn't tell me I could use a calculator. One multiple-choice question was about the cost for 11 people for a meal, including tax. Two questions were about cost of goods sold, one generally and one for manufacturing. The fourth question involved a list of transactions and asked how I'd audit them, with the expected answer being to take a sample. I don't remember the fifth question. I didn't get the job. My advice is to study sales and use tax forms, related costs, tax auditing of those forms, and brush up on financial statements. The staff seemed happy and liked their work environment.

Getting the interview was a long haul since it's a government job. I first applied online, and then months later, got a letter saying there was an opening and to mail it back if I was still interested. After another few months, someone called to see if I was still keen and to set up an interview. They wanted me to bring three references and any awards, honors, or reviews related to my current job. The interview was professional and well-organized, lasting about 45 minutes in a nice, modern office. Two managers interviewed me and then gave me a writing task: given a scenario where a customer calling in is past due on State taxes, what would I do? They took notes on everything I said during the interview.

I applied snail mail and then got a call inviting me to come in for a written test. After passing the written exam, I had an interview with two managers that same week. They asked me standard questions about why I wanted to work there and why I thought I'd be a good candidate. They had a list of questions and even let me see them while they wrote down my answers. The written exam was about sales and use tax, covering a pamphlet and how to file a tax return. It's a math problem but mostly reading comprehension.