Assessment
Epic EHR Assessment
Epic skills assessment for healthcare hiring: chart review, In Basket, orders, documentation, scheduling and privacy scenarios, with sample questions.
The short answer
An epic ehr assessment for hiring typically runs 20-30 minutes, clinical workflow scenarios, screenshot-based tasks, multiple choice and short written reply, at 3 difficulty levels. Give it after the first screen and before interviews, and score it on the areas below, fixed before you see any answers, so every candidate is judged the same way.
- Navigating a patient chart and finding the right information quickly
- Managing In Basket messages, results and tasks by priority
- Order entry and checking orders for completeness and safety
- Documentation with templates and text shortcuts without copying errors forward
Cohesyve tests Epic EHR inside an AI job simulation of the role, after finding and contacting candidates. Ten candidates free, no card.
About to take an Epic EHR test? Practise it free →An Epic skills assessment checks whether a candidate can work accurately in the Epic electronic health record (EHR): reviewing a chart, handling In Basket messages, placing and checking orders, documenting with templates, scheduling and registering patients, and protecting patient privacy. Healthcare employers use it for clinical, front-desk, billing and analyst roles. Formal Epic certification requires sponsorship by an Epic customer organisation or employment at Epic, so many capable applicants are not certified; a scenario-based assessment tests what they can actually do. Epic is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation, and this page is not affiliated with it.
Format
What it measures
- Navigating a patient chart and finding the right information quickly
- Managing In Basket messages, results and tasks by priority
- Order entry and checking orders for completeness and safety
- Documentation with templates and text shortcuts without copying errors forward
- Scheduling, registration and insurance details for front-desk roles
- Charge capture and claim basics for revenue-cycle roles
- Privacy judgement: minimum necessary access and handling of patient data
Cohesyve
Test Epic EHR on the real work
Cohesyve builds an AI job simulation from your job description that covers Epic EHR as the role uses it, finds and contacts candidates, and returns a ranked shortlist. Ten candidates free, no card.
Who takes it
Topics covered
Clinical workflows
- Chart review
- Results and In Basket
- Order entry
- Medication reconciliation
Documentation
- Templates and text shortcuts
- Avoiding copy-forward errors
- Problem lists and allergies
- Signing and routing notes
Patient access and revenue cycle
- Scheduling and appointment types
- Registration and insurance
- Charge capture
- Claim edits and denials
Privacy and safety
- Minimum necessary access
- Break-the-glass situations
- Downtime procedures
- Patient portal messages
Sample questions
Your In Basket has a critical lab result, three refill requests and a patient portal message asking about parking. In what order do you handle them, and why?
End userLook for Critical result first with prompt escalation to the responsible clinician, then refills by clinical urgency, then routine messages; knows how to route items they cannot act on.
A note was copied forward from the last visit and still lists a medication the patient stopped. What do you do?
End userLook for Corrects the documentation, checks the medication list and reconciles it, and understands why copy-forward creates safety risk.
A patient calls to book a follow-up with a specialist, but their insurance on file has expired. Walk through what you check before booking.
End userLook for Verifies identity, updates coverage, checks referral or authorisation needs, picks the right appointment type, and confirms with the patient.
A friend is admitted to your hospital and you are curious how they are doing. You have access to their chart. What do you do?
End userLook for Does not open it. Explains that access must be needed for their job and that access is audited.
Clinicians complain that an order set is slow and often leads to duplicate orders. How would you investigate and propose a change?
AnalystLook for Gathers examples, observes the workflow, checks for redundant defaults, involves clinical owners, tests the change and follows the organisation's change process.
Red flags
- Treats In Basket as first-in, first-out regardless of urgency
- Copies notes forward without reviewing them
- Would look up a chart out of curiosity
- Does not verify patient identity before acting
- Cannot describe what to do during system downtime
Scoring rubric
| Criterion | Weight | What strong looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Patient safety and accuracy | 35% | Prioritises by clinical risk and checks before acting. |
| Workflow knowledge | 30% | Knows where information lives and how tasks move through the system. |
| Privacy judgement | 20% | Applies minimum necessary access without prompting. |
| Communication | 15% | Routes and escalates clearly to the right person. |
Why it is used
For employers
- Assess practical EHR skill in applicants who could not get certified without a sponsor
- Reduce training load and early documentation errors
- Check privacy judgement, which matters as much as speed
- Compare applicants across clinical, access and billing roles on job-relevant tasks
For candidates
- Show Epic experience from previous employers even without certification
- Scenarios that reflect real shifts and front-desk work
- A fair route in for experienced staff moving between organisations
- Clear sense of the workflows the role expects
Common questions
What is an Epic skills assessment?
An assessment of how well someone uses the Epic EHR for their role, such as chart review, In Basket, orders, documentation, scheduling or billing. The format on this page uses written scenarios and mock screens rather than a live Epic system, so no real patient data is involved.
Can I get Epic certified on my own?
Generally no. Epic certification requires sponsorship by an organisation that uses Epic, or working for Epic itself. That is why employers often test practical Epic skills directly.
How do I prepare for an Epic assessment?
Review the workflows for your role: how you prioritise In Basket items, place and check orders, document visits, or schedule and register patients. Be ready to explain privacy rules, downtime procedures and how you escalate problems.
Is an Epic assessment the same as a medical terminology test?
No. Medical terminology tests check vocabulary. An Epic assessment checks whether you can carry out tasks in the EHR accurately and safely.
Cohesyve · Skill assessments for hiring
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About to take an Epic EHR test yourself? Practise on an AI job simulation that uses it. 3 free practice assessments, no card.
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