We're not expecting all applicants to be the best modders in the community; We are looking in large part for the passion to making mods and a willingness to learn - however, that's probably not going to be the case if somebody applies without any modding experience.
Either way, modding ability is a factor in deciding whether you'll be accepted. If we're unsure about an applicant, we'll probably give them a test to see where they're at. If how you do on the test is unimpressive, obviously your chances of being further considered are greatly reduced.