AppFolio Candidate Skills Test: A Hiring Scorecard

An AppFolio candidate skills test should check the work you plan to delegate: accurate records, sensible follow-up, clear communication and respect for approval limits. A short work sample gives you more useful evidence than asking whether someone has used AppFolio before.

Two candidates may both list AppFolio on their resumes while having very different experience. One may have handled leasing inquiries; another may have prepared accounting records. Start with the role, then choose exercises that reflect its daily responsibilities.

The examples below are original, fictional hiring exercises. They are a suggested framework, not an AppFolio certification exam or a claim that Revaya uses this exact test. Adapt the instructions and scoring with the manager who will review the hire's work.

Define the AppFolio skills your role needs

Write down three recurring outputs the person will own. For a leasing assistant, that might be an updated prospect record, a follow-up message and an exception list. For accounting support, it might be an invoice packet, a reconciliation workpaper and a list of unresolved items.

AppFolio's accounting and reporting tools and maintenance capabilities cover different operating workflows. Experience in one area does not establish proficiency in every other area.

Give each applicant the same instructions, sample records and time allowance. Use anonymized documents or fictional data. If you have an authorized demonstration environment, ask for a walkthrough there. A document-only exercise can test judgment, but it does not verify navigation inside the software.

Use five fictional work-sample scenarios

1. Leasing: respond without promising an unavailable unit

A prospect wants to move in on December 1. The supplied availability sheet lists the requested unit as available January 1. Ask the candidate to draft a reply and describe the record update they would make.

Look for: acknowledgment of the requested date, accurate use of the supplied availability and a question about approved alternatives. The candidate should not promise a December move-in or invent another unit. A useful note records the timing mismatch and who will confirm options.

2. Maintenance: recognize an urgent escalation

A fictional resident reports water appearing near a ceiling light. Supply your company's emergency-contact procedure and an approved acknowledgment template. Ask the candidate to explain the next steps and prepare a status note.

Look for: immediate escalation through the supplied emergency procedure, clear documentation and no unsupported assurance that the situation is safe. The candidate should follow the given protocol rather than improvise electrical advice or authorize spending outside their scope.

3. Accounts payable: catch a possible duplicate

The sample invoice folder contains vendor North Street Plumbing's invoice 1048 for $480. The supplied register already contains the same vendor, invoice number and amount. Ask the candidate to prepare the item for review.

Look for: a duplicate flag, a check of the supporting records and a question to the accounting reviewer. They should not approve a second payment, delete the existing record or assume the charge is fraudulent.

4. Reconciliation: explain a timing difference

The fictional bank statement shows $10,300. The book balance is $10,000, and the supplied records show one issued but uncleared $300 check. No other differences are provided. Ask for a short explanation and the next verification step.

Look for: recognition that subtracting the outstanding check from the bank balance gives $10,000. The candidate should verify that the check is genuinely outstanding at the cutoff, document it and avoid creating an entry solely to force agreement.

5. Reporting: separate known counts from missing context

A sample service tracker has 17 open items: five awaiting a vendor, three unassigned and nine in progress. It contains no creation dates. Ask for a three-sentence manager update and one recommended follow-up.

Look for: an accurate total, attention to the three unassigned items and a request for dates before making an aging claim. The update should not invent response times or describe the 17 items as overdue.

Score the evidence consistently

Use the rubric below for the exercises relevant to the role. Record an example from the candidate's work beside each score. A leasing hire does not need to complete an accounting exercise unless accounting is part of the actual brief.

The suggested total is ten points. It organizes a discussion; it is not a validated hiring cutoff. Discuss serious errors separately from the total. Someone who writes well but disregards payment limits needs a different follow-up from someone who needs help with your report format.

Follow the work sample with a focused interview

Ask the candidate to explain one decision, one uncertainty and one check they performed. Then change a small detail, such as the reporting cutoff, and ask what would change. This helps you understand the reasoning behind the answer.

Confirm the product area, tasks and level of independence in their previous role. Ask which actions they performed personally and which required a supervisor. For broader interview questions, use our assistant property manager interview guide.

Turn the results into a clear hiring brief

Document the skills required on arrival and the company procedures you will teach. Include the reviewer, approval limits and examples of a complete handoff. Use our AppFolio onboarding guide to plan the next stage, adjusting milestones to the person's demonstrated progress.

Revaya assesses relevant property management workflows before client interviews and recruits dedicated full time professionals against your requirements. Your team directs the work and reviews the output; Revaya handles recruiting, HR, payroll, benefits and ongoing people support.