ExamopotamiaWhy test before you interview?
CVs show where someone has been, not what they can do. A short test, taken by every applicant, gives you a fair comparison and lets you spend interview time on the people most likely to succeed. It also helps applicants whose CVs undersell them.
What to test
Test the skills the job really uses in its first months: Excel for an admin role, written English and empathy for customer service, safety rules for site work, JavaScript basics for a junior developer. See our free test templates for ready-made examples.
Keep it short
Ten to fifteen questions in 10–15 minutes is enough for screening. Long tests at the first stage cause good applicants, especially those already in work, to drop out.
Set a fair pass mark
Start with 60–70% and adjust once you've seen a group of results. Use the score as one input, not the only one: an applicant just under the bar with great experience may still deserve a call.
Be consistent and fair
- Give every applicant for the same role the same test and time limit.
- Test only skills the job needs.
- Tell applicants in advance roughly what the test covers and how long it takes.
- Offer adjustments, such as extra time, when someone asks for them.
Combine test and interview
Use the results to shape the interview: ask about the topics where someone scored lower. That turns the interview into a real conversation about the job.
Examopotamia's hiring tools combine job pages, application forms, skills tests and a candidate pipeline, free to start.