Online hiring tests have become widely adopted in recruitment because they help teams screen candidates faster, more objectively, and with far fewer resources. They ensure fair, standardized evaluation for every applicant and provide deeper insight into specific skills and competencies. Because these tests run on digital platforms, they also generate valuable data to improve future hiring decisions.
Research consistently shows their impact: companies using pre-employment tests see a 39% improvement in employee retention (Aberdeen Group), a 27% reduction in attrition and 20% productivity increase (U.S. Department of Labor), and strong correlations between test results and job performance, especially cognitive ability tests (r = .51).
Today, most organizations use hiring tests, and an increasing number are moving toward custom-built assessments because they provide higher relevance and better predictive accuracy than standard off-the-shelf tests.
In TestInvite, you can customize the test content, question types, scoring rules, difficulty levels, timing, test flow, and security settings to match the specific competencies and requirements of the role.
Organizations can fully customize the structure and flow of their pre-employment tests. You can configure:
This flexibility ensures the test format aligns perfectly with the skills and behaviors required for the role.
You can choose from a wide range of customizable question types for pre-employment assessments:
Questions and answer options can be customized with images, videos, audios, hints, and feedback, and you can also adjust the layout (right–left placement) or enable a virtual keyboard when needed.
Dimensions allow you to structure your assessment around the competencies you want to measure.
With TestInvite, you can:
This ensures the test measures not just correct answers, but the specific competencies relevant to the job.
Scoring in TestInvite is fully configurable:
This flexibility allows you to create scoring logic that aligns with your hiring standards and evaluation framework.
You can deliver a professional, branded testing experience:
Candidates receive a consistent, high-quality experience that reflects your organization’s identity.
Pre-employment assessments require strict security, and TestInvite provides multiple customizable layers:
You choose the security level that matches the sensitivity of your assessment.
TestInvite’s reporting system can be tailored to your evaluation needs:
This helps hiring teams quickly identify the most suitable candidates with data-driven clarity.
A custom hiring test can be developed through a simple series of steps:
Step 1: Identify the critical factors that predict success in the new hire.
Step 2: Develop test items that align with the measurement objectives identified in the previous step.
Step 3: Assemble the test questions into a coherent test format, ensuring a balance in terms of scoring, time, and number of questions required to measure the relevant objectives. It is important to apply multiple time limits to ensure that the candidate spends the appropriate amount of time on each objective, resulting in reliable test results for each objective
Step 4: Develop alternative test questions for each test item and configure the test so that all candidates receive an equal number of questions for each measurement objective and difficulty level. Randomize the test questions for each candidate to ensure that each candidate faces different questions while still measuring each test item. By randomizing the test questions for each candidate, you can utilize the test for a larger pool of candidates while also preventing cheating since the questions cannot be anticipated in advance.
Step 5: Conduct the test utilizing a secure online assessment software. The software should have security measures such as webcam recording, screen recording, and lockdown browser to prevent cheating and ensure the integrity of the test results.
Step 6: Analyze the test results and evaluate the performance and difficulty of each test item. Over time, improve the quality of the test questions to increase the accuracy of the measurements.
Step 7: Once the hiring is completed, it is essential to track the performance of the newly hired candidates and make necessary improvements to the hiring test by adding or modifying the measurement objectives within the test. This ongoing evaluation process can help refine the hiring process and ensure that it continues to produce reliable and valid results.
Organizations create custom employment tests to ensure that their hiring decisions are based on reliable, role-specific, and fair measurements of candidate ability. Unlike generic or off-the-shelf tests, custom assessments allow companies to evaluate exactly what matters for a given position.
Using standard hiring tests offered by providers can be a convenient and cost-effective option for companies. These tests have already been developed and are readily available, saving companies the time and resources required to create their own assessments. However, these tests may not always be specific to the company's industry or requirements, and may not accurately measure the skills and competencies needed for the job.
On the other hand, creating a custom hiring test tailored to the company's industry and requirements can yield better results in terms of accurately measuring a candidate's skills and potential job performance. While creating a custom hiring test may require more time and resources upfront, it can ultimately lead to a more efficient and effective hiring process by reducing mismatches between the company and potential hires.
Companies usually opt for a custom hiring test when they find it valuable enough to invest resources and effort in creating a test that produces reliable results. This is because creating such a test requires advanced test authoring and administration tools, as well as a significant amount of effort.
A company typically considers creating a custom hiring test when they have a position that requires constant hiring. These ongoing hiring processes have significant potential for improvement, and even a minor improvement in the process can yield substantial returns, positively impacting the growth and bottom line of a company.
Some examples of when a company may benefit from creating a custom hiring test are:
The examples provided are just a few, and there are many more that could be added to the list.
Another reason for a company to develop its own hiring test is to identify the personality traits and shared values that lead to success in a particular job role. This allows the company to assess best-fit personality and cultural values and ensure that the candidates align with the company's values and work culture.
This three-step process involves:
Employer branding is a crucial aspect of recruitment and retention. A custom-made hiring test can contribute to building a strong employer brand by utilizing test content that is directly related to the company's brand and industry.
Here are some example test questions that can improve employer branding:
Company XYZ's products are made from high-quality materials and have received numerous awards for their durability and performance. Based on this information, which of the following conclusions is most likely to be true?
A) Company XYZ's products are more expensive than their competitors'
B) Company XYZ's products are made from recycled materials
C) Company XYZ's products have poor quality and low durability
D) Company XYZ's products have a strong reputation in the market
Suppose the Coffee Company XYZ needs to order coffee beans for the next three months. In the first month, they need 500 pounds of coffee beans. In the second month, they need to order twice as many pounds of coffee beans as the first month. In the third month, they need to order 1500 pounds of coffee beans. How many pounds of coffee beans does Coffee Company XYZ need to order in total for the next three months?"
A) 2,000 pounds
B) 2,500 pounds
C) 3,000 pounds
D) 3,500 pounds
If you need a faster setup, browse our ready-made test library. It includes validated cognitive, language, and role-based assessments you can use immediately without creating your own test. You can also combine multiple assessments to create a tailored solution for your hiring needs.
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