Authentic Assessment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Live Excel Interview for Agribusiness Students

Hiring managers rank interview performance as one of the most decisive factors for entry-level selection. Yet spreadsheet courses typically assess competence through submitted Excel files rather than oral demonstration. This article describes a 10-minute, dual-interviewer technical mock interview integrated into an Excel for Agribusiness course. It was implemented during the final week of the semester to prepare students for job interviews. Grounded in authentic assessment theory and supported by principles such as situated cognition and retrieval practice, the interview aligns with employer-informed learning outcomes and a scaffolded instructional roadmap covering PivotTables, data validation, XLOOKUP, macros, dashboards, and more. A 60-question prompt bank, four-dimension rubric, and implementation timeline are included to enable replication. Implementation details address video capture, calibration, accessibility, and strategies to reduce anxiety, including a midsession feedback pause. In an era where AI-generated work threatens the validity of traditional assessments, this live, performance-based interview restores confidence that students can not only use Excel but also explain how they do so. Student and recruiter feedback suggests that the experience meaningfully enhances job readiness.