Hi Mary! Happy belated Thanksgiving to you, too (and everyone else 🙂 )!
Yeah, I’ve heard of those pre-interview tests, although I agree — I’m not sure what the purpose is (especially for something like a technical writing position). I’ve also heard of personality-style pre-interview assessments, which I suppose make slightly more sense. But still, it’s no replacement for actually meeting someone personally.
Sorry to hear that you haven’t heard back from that job yet, but keep in mind that the week of Thanksgiving is kind of a wash for most companies. So don’t give up hope yet!