role-play recruitment using an actor

 I may sound like I'm just shilling for Mark and Mike, but you are SO much better off this time, because you've got Manager-Tools.  Really.  The casts about feedback and performance appraisal can really help you stick to the PRINCIPLES, so you don't get bogged down in the details.

One caveat: if the assessment of you is about how well you use the company's specific procedures, don't replace or shortcut those procedures.

So here's my suggestion - LOOP: tell this community a little more about the specifics of the test you'll be taking (are you once again going to be asked to appraise a "difficult employee"?)  Tell us more....

And M-T community - do that thing you're so good at - cite some specific casts that will help LOOP.

LOOP - you can NAIL it this time!

Loop, they flat out smoke screened you.  They want to see your focus and decision-making skills.

Most of that info that they gave you is useless and irrelevant to the performance appraisal.  It is called a performance appraisal because you are appraising the direct's performance.  So you look at his performance reports and how he did against the defined expectations.  I

f there are comments about prior feedback and coaching, bring those into play.  If he starts talking about how his aunt's chihuahua is in a coma or some other ridiculous distraction, thank him for the info and get back to the performance. 

At the end, you either give him a passing grade or you tell him he needs to be on a action plan (ie, coaching) and define what he needs to do by when and the consequences of not meeting plan.  If there is evidence that he has already been coached up the ying yang, pull the plug and fire him.