Assessments3 min read
Skills tests that candidates don’t resent
A good test is short, clearly about the job, and honest about what it measures. A bad one is unpaid work with a timer on it. Candidates can tell the difference immediately.
Assessments3 min read
A good test is short, clearly about the job, and honest about what it measures. A bad one is unpaid work with a timer on it. Candidates can tell the difference immediately.
Put this into practice on your next role.
Free for your first role. No card.
Never ask for real work you intend to use. That is not a test.
Skills tests have a mixed reputation among candidates, and it is mostly earned. Many people have spent a weekend on a “take-home” that turned out to be a real piece of the company’s backlog, then never heard back.
A well-made test is different. It is short, it is obviously about the job, and it treats the candidate’s time as worth something. Most candidates prefer a fair test to a vague interview, because it gives them a chance to show rather than tell.
Every question should map to one of the must-haves in the job description. If you cannot say which must-have a question tests, it is testing something else, often general knowledge or test-taking speed, and it will make your results noisier.
This also keeps the test short. Five must-haves, tested properly, is a forty-minute paper. Twenty loosely related questions is a two-hour one that tells you less.
| Format | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | Knowledge that has a right answer | Guessing; keep options plausible |
| Short written answer | Reasoning and explanation | Needs a clear marking guide |
| Coding exercise | Writing working code | Must run against tests, not be eyeballed |
| Work sample | The closest thing to the real job | Keep it small and clearly fictional |
Mixing formats usually works better than choosing one. A few quick multiple-choice questions establish the basics; one or two longer tasks show how the person actually works.
Tests people abandon
Tests people finish
?Quick check
A take-home asks candidates to rebuild your real pricing page, which you plan to ship. What is it?
Before a candidate starts, tell them: how many questions, roughly how long, which skills it covers, whether it is recorded, and who will see the results. Surprises in a test feel like traps, and a candidate who feels trapped performs worse than they would at work, which makes your results less accurate as well as less kind.
Afterwards, say something. Even when you cannot share a score, you can confirm the test was received and when they will hear. Silence after a test is the thing candidates complain about most.
A test score is evidence for specific must-haves, not a ranking of people. Look at which sections someone did well in, not only the total. A candidate who aced the part your role depends on and struggled with a nice-to-have may be exactly the person you want.
And set your pass mark before anyone sits the test. A bar chosen after you have seen the scores tends to land just below the candidate you already liked.
Hiring on evidence: 0 of 5 read
Up next · Part 5
The structured interview, the least glamorous way to hire well
The same questions for everyone, answers marked against notes you wrote in advance. It feels stiff, and it is one of the best-evidenced things you can do in hiring.
Read next · 4 minWas this useful?
One tap. It decides what we write next.
Get the next one by email
One short email when something new is worth reading.
The same questions for everyone, answers marked against notes you wrote in advance. It feels stiff, and it is one of the best-evidenced things you can do in hiring.