[andyjdavis]

>what steps should a candidate take to avoid completing such tests and investing personal time that results only in giving the company free performance data?

Probably nothing different. I suspect that investing additional time and energy is not going to be a net win for you.

>The revised ad also made it sound like the position was far more junior than when I initially interviewed.

It is possible that there was discussion internally and they decided against paying whatever it would cost to hire someone like you. "We're not paying that, get a new grad" is not an uncommon refrain in some circles. If it helps, places that like are usually not nice places to work.

[liquidcool]

Agree, it's unlikely they used you as a benchmark, because most companies simply don't believe they need to. Though they should at least test with their own employees.

Also, on multiple occasions I've been told, "don't worry about salary, focus on getting us the right candidate." When I do so: "Oh, we can't afford more than $X." I now try to test the waters with, "Developers with that experience often make north of $150K, is that still in range?"