Pre-employment testing is an invaluable tool for providing objective data on a candidate’s suitability for a role.
Choosing the right pre-employment testing platform helps you make better, bias-free hiring decisions. It also reduces costly mis-hires and employee turnover.
Two available platforms on the market are TestGorilla and AssessFirst. Both help you assess and understand candidates’ motivations, personalities, and cognitive abilities. But which option is better? This article takes a deep look at both platforms – so you can see how they stack up.
TestGorilla offers a range of aptitude, skills, and personality tests to make your hiring process more accurate, reliable, and fair. Our platform enables you to build an assessment relevant to the role you’re hiring for by choosing from more than 400+ scientifically validated tests.
Assessments are quick and easy to create and send out to applicants. They can save you a great deal of time compared with traditional resume screening. Our tests and assessments are user-friendly and can be attempted on any device, making applicants more likely to complete them.
TestGorilla is a highly customizable pre-employment testing platform. With features like custom video questions and coding challenges, you can make the assessment unique to the role you’re recruiting for.
TestGorilla’s reports present candidate results in an easy-to-understand and insightful way. These evaluations help you make better hiring decisions based on accurate and objective information.
Better hires mean reduced employee turnover. This saves you the expense of running multiple recruitment processes for the same role and continually replacing employees. These cost savings can quickly add up since, according to Zippia, a bad hire costs an average of30% of the employee’s annual salary.
AssessFirst uses behavioral science and AI to conduct pre-employment testing that supports fairer hiring practices.
It offers three tests to help you identify the candidates most likely to succeed in a role. These assess candidates’ soft skills, including their cognitive abilities, personality, and motivation.
Candidates’ test results help you predict their performance better than a resume by showing you both their strengths and areas for improvement.
AssessFirst’s platform includes an AI-powered predictive hiring feature. This assesses your current workforce to determine the necessary criteria for the new role you’re hiring for.
The test results can also help you manage and offer professional development to candidates in existing roles.
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The larger the test library, the more you can tailor an assessment to your open role. It also gives you a more comprehensive picture of a candidate by testing a wider range of skills, attitudes, and knowledge.
See how TestGorilla leads the way in skills assessments. Sign up for our free live demo and discover a better way to evaluate candidates.
TestGorilla offers an extensive test library with 400+ scientifically validated tests. These include tests for:
Situational judgment
Motivation
Software and programming
Languages
You can choose a combination of these to assess a candidate for the skills, personality traits, and general abilities relevant to a particular role. Tests include multiple question types, such as multiple choice, essay, and video response questions.
TestGorilla also offers a range of tests designed for job-specific roles, such as merchandise planners, account executives (B2B sales), and purchase managers. We also continuously update our test library to reflect the latest skills candidates need. For example, we now offer a Working with Generative AI test. You can use our test library’s search feature to find recommended tests for specific roles. What’s more, you can preview tests.
We also support our customers and candidates around the world with localized websites in 12 different languages.
AssessFirst provides three tests to assess candidates’ soft skills and suitability for a role.
The SWIPE personality test looks at 20 personality traits. It predicts candidates’ workplace behaviors and the likelihood of succeeding in a role.
The DRIVE motivation test provides insights into candidates’ motivation across 20 key factors. It also gives you information about candidates’ leadership styles and cultural fit.
The BRAIN cognitive ability test predicts candidates’ work performance and ability to learn and adapt in the workplace. It also assesses candidates’ learning styles.
AssessFirst’s tests are available in 15 languages.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
Cognitive ability tests | Yes | Yes |
Situational judgment tests | Yes | No |
Job-specific tests | Yes | No |
Software tests | Yes | No |
Programming tests (including coding challenges) | Yes | No |
Language tests | Yes | No |
Personality tests | Yes | Yes |
Culture-add test | Yes | Yes |
Your own custom tests | No | |
Custom questions within an assessment | Yes | No |
Test recommendations for each job role | Yes | Yes |
Multiple tests within an assessment | Yes | Yes |
Competition among companies to hire developers is fierce. So how can you quickly find the most qualified talent before they take a role at a different business?
Developer skills tests give you insights into candidates’ technical abilities and familiarity with common coding languages and platforms.
Look out for features such as coding and debugging challenges and coding language-specific tests.
TestGorilla’s test library includes a range of tests specifically designed for hiring developers. These include:
Coding and debugging challenges
Language-specific coding tests for Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby and many other popular programming languages
A language-agnostic coding test that lets candidates solve challenges in whatever language they’re most comfortable with
Tests that assess skills in web-development frameworks like Django and React Native
Custom coding questions to create real-life problems for candidates to solve
Custom coding challenges can be recorded and played back using our coding timeline feature in our coding test report. This enables you to review a candidate’s process and speed.
AssessFirst doesn’t offer any specific tests for developer-related skills.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
Coding languages | JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, C, C#, C++, SQL, Kotlin, Ruby, TypeScript, Go, R, Scala, Swift, Julia, Elixir, Dart, Perl, Rust, and Erlang | No |
Web-development frameworks | Yes | Not applicable |
Mobile-development frameworks | Yes | Not applicable |
Algorithmic-thinking challenges | Yes | Not applicable |
Debugging challenges | Yes | Not applicable |
Language-specific concept challenges | Yes | Not applicable |
Your own custom coding challenges | Yes | Not applicable |
Code-playback function | Yes | Not applicable |
Automated scoring | Yes | Not applicable |
A recent survey from The Harris Poll showed that around 44% of employers have conducted remote video interviews, and it’s no wonder why. Video interview features are a great way to gain a deeper understanding of your candidates and help compare them. They add value to your hiring process by giving you insights into candidates’ communication skills.
Some platforms offer video features, including one-way interviews and custom video questions.
TestGorilla lets you create custom video questions within tests. Not only does this provide you with more insights into your candidates, but it also gives candidates a different way to engage with the process.
In addition to custom video questions, TestGorilla supports one-way video interviews. These are useful pre-screening tools for identifying candidates to invite toface-to-face interviews. Like many of TestGorilla’s features, these video interviews are customizable. You can set the maximum answer length (to 30, 60, or 120 seconds). You can also add comments to a candidate’s video response, which makes it easier to collaborate with your hiring team. Finally, you can play back candidates’ videos at your preferred speed.
AssessFirst doesn’t offer any video interview features.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
One-way video interview | Yes | No |
Custom video questions | Yes | Not applicable |
Record the number of candidate attempts | Yes | Not applicable |
Restrict maximum answer length | Yes | Not applicable |
Recording and playback on any device | Yes | Not applicable |
Rate and comment on video answers | Yes | Not applicable |
Playback speed control | Yes | Not applicable |
According to a survey by CareerArc, 60% of job seekers report having a poor candidate experience. Furthermore, 72% of those applicants shared their negative experience, either online or directly.
That’s why a pre-employment testing platform should prioritize candidate experience. Reasonable test lengths, mobile-friendliness, and access to customer support encourage candidates to complete the test. Also, check for company branding options when considering pre-employment testing platforms. According to Gallup's State of the American Workplace report, around 36% of job seekers consider an organization’s brand to be very important when deciding whether to take a position there. The ability to add your company logo and colors, for example, creates a memorable experience for test-takers.
TestGorilla includes several features that make assessments easy for candidates to complete.
For example, candidates don’t need to create a TestGorilla account to complete an assessment. They can also preview test questions before taking a test, which can help them prepare. And candidates who take an English-language assessment have the option to create a TestGorilla account to view their results.
Tests take around 10 minutes, and most assessments take less than one hour to complete. So, candidates don’t feel overwhelmed. TestGorilla also offers extensive help and support so that candidates can complete the tests to the best of their ability.
You can add your company logo, colors, and an intro or outro video to the assessments, leaving a powerful impression on test-takers.
In addition, you can enable candidates around the world to take assessments in their preferred language. TestGorilla offers tests in 12 different languages.
AssessFirst requires candidates to create an account to complete an assessment. The SWIPE personality test takes five minutes to complete, while the DRIVE and BRAIN tests each take 10 minutes to complete.
An online knowledge center is available to assist candidates. All candidates receive automated feedback from their tests with personalized insights and career advice.
In addition to these features, you can customize tests with your company’s logo and brand colors.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
Your company’s intro or outro video | Yes | No |
Assessments branded with your company logo and colors | Yes | Yes |
Customizable invitation and rejection emails | Yes | Yes |
No login required for candidates | Yes | No |
Mobile- accessible | Yes | Yes |
Help and support for your candidates | Yes | Yes |
Typical assessment length | 30-60 minutes | 10 minutes |
Qualifying questions before the assessment | Yes | No |
Make sure your pre-employment testing platform can grow with your organization. This enables you to fully integrate it into your hiring process, no matter the size of your operation.
Look for features that support scaling and enterprise-level recruitment, including ATS integrations, GDPR compliance, and API access.
TestGorilla supports the pre-employment testing needs of businesses of all sizes. We offer a free forever plan for startups and scalable paid plans for growing small businesses and enterprise companies.
TestGorilla also includes a range of features that make large, enterprise-level recruitment a breeze. These include ATS integrations, easy file-sharing options, bulk invitations to candidates, and multiple user controls.
TestGorilla is also GDPR compliant, so you can trust that your organization’s and applicants’ personal data is handled properly.
You can also collaborate on candidate reviews. TestGorilla offers customizable permissions – so anyone on your hiring team can view candidate reports and leave comments.
Both startups and enterprise-level businesses can use AssessFirst for their pre-employment testing. There are multiple plans with pricing scaled according to your hiring needs.
If you work for an enterprise, AssessFirst lets you add multiple users to the network so that your entire hiring team can directly access results. The platform also includes bulk actions – like sending follow-up emails – to manage large numbers of candidates.
AssessFirst is GDPR-compliant and integrates with most major ATS platforms.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
ATS integrations | Yes | Yes |
Multiple users and role-based rights management | Yes | Yes |
GDPR compliant | Yes | Yes |
Multiple candidate invitation options | Yes | Yes |
Public link to invite candidates | Yes | Yes |
Public links for each candidate source | Yes | No |
Bulk invite candidates (CSV/XLSX upload) | Yes | No |
Track candidate stages from invited to hired | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Stringent quality control measures ensure tests are both reliable and valid, with minimal errors and bias. This means candidates’ results are accurate.
Science-backed tests, extensive quality checks, and frequently replaced questions are some hallmarks of high-quality pre-employment testing.
Before a TestGorilla test goes live, it goes through a science-backed 28-step quality-control process. This includes being subject to peer review and review by a psychometric expert.
TestGorilla also uses proprietary algorithms to continuously improve each test. It has built-in quality-control features, such as the automatic replacement of questions after a certain number of uses. TestGorilla is also highly responsive to customer and candidate feedback and uses this feedback to improve the testing platform and assessment experience.
AssessFirst’s tests are based on scientific research and developed by psychologists. They have undergone validity, reliability, internal consistency, and sensitivity testing during the development stage. The company also continues to review and improve its tests, updating them on an annual basis.
Although AssessFirst doesn’t appear to automatically replace questions, it does use other quality-control measures.
For example, AssessFirst flags if a candidate took longer than 15 minutes to complete the personality test. It also uses algorithms to measure the spontaneity of candidates’ responses.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
Proprietary algorithms that continuously improve the quality of each test | Yes | Yes |
Extensive quality check before tests go live | Yes | Yes |
Questions replaced after reaching exposure limit | Yes | No |
Customer feedback used to improve tests | Yes | No |
Test-taker feedback used to improve tests | Yes | No |
According to the 2021 Exam Conduct and Integrity Report by ProctorU, cheating on online tests increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anti-cheating measures ensure your pre-employment testing remains fair for all candidates. If test-takers research or share questions, this affects the reliability of their results and gives them an unfair advantage over others.
Look out for features such as test time limits, full-screen detection, and screen monitoring.
TestGorilla’s anti-cheating measures include features such as the ability to disable copy/paste and full-screen tracking that flags if a candidate leaves the testing window.
Tests also have a time limit, reducing candidates’ opportunities to copy or share questions or conduct research.
TestGorilla uses several candidate monitoring features, including IP address logging and webcam snapshots (with the candidate’s permission). This helps ensure that only the intended candidate completes the assessment.
AssessFirst’s tests are designed to be fair. They don’t take into account any detailed personal information, and candidates’ individual results are contextualized.
AssessFirst generally prevents candidates from retaking a test once it’s been validated, but they can retake them in special circumstances, such as if they completed the test in a different language from their native tongue or under poor conditions.
However, candidates can only do this once and cannot access the questions or their answers from the previous test.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
IP address logging (to avoid multiple attempts by the same candidate) | Yes | No |
Logging of candidates’ location | Yes | No |
Webcam snapshots (with the option to turn on/off) | Yes | No |
Full-screen mode detection (to prevent research during the test) | Yes | Yes |
Randomized questions within the test | Yes | Yes (some tests) |
Large question pool for each test | Yes (100+) | Yes |
Questions and answers not visible to employers to protect test integrity | Yes | Yes |
Time limit on tests | Yes (typically 10 minutes) | No |
Copy-paste disabled | Yes | No |
Reporting and analytics synthesize candidates’ test results into useful insights for your hiring process. They summarize candidates’ responses for quick interpretation and help you rank them in terms of suitability for the role.
After candidates complete their assessments, you can access a range of analytics and reports via TestGorilla’s platform. It presents a summary and detailed analysis of each candidate’s performance. Our Candidate PDF Reports provide detailed test results using visual elements like bar graphs, enabling you to see how candidates performed in specific tests and skill areas.
You can weight individual tests within an assessment to calculate an overall score that better reflects the most important skills for a role.
Features such as scoring benchmarks make it easy to compare and rank candidates. Advanced filters enable you to compare them based on unique factors like responses to custom questions and multiple-choice questions. You can also add your own notes to reports to record your thoughts in real time and share them with your hiring team later. These reports are downloadable in PDF, CSV, and XLSX formats, so you can easily send them to members of your hiring team.
AssessFirst provides a results summary, detailed report, competency framework, and prediction of success for each candidate. You can view these on the platform or download them as PDFs.
These reports include graphical syntheses to help you quickly understand results. You can also add comments to candidates’ online pages and use predictive models to rank candidates based on their suitability for a role.
AssessFirst provides online guides to help with reading and understanding reports.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
PDF reports of assessments and individual candidates | Yes | Yes |
Excel and CSV reports of assessments and individual candidates | Yes | No |
Comprehensive overview of all current and past candidates | Yes | Yes |
Scoring benchmarks for candidates (including percentile rank scoring) | Yes | Yes |
Option to add your ratings and personal notes for candidates | Yes | Yes |
Good customer support should help customers access all the features on offer when first creating an assessment and any necessary troubleshooting down the track.
In addition, pre-employment testing platforms should extend support to the test-taker if they have difficulty completing a test or assessment.
Many platforms offer one or more ways to access customer support, including via live chat, phone, or email.
TestGorilla offers extensive customer support options to aid both customers and candidates throughout the pre-employment testing process.
We provide live chat and email support, and there is an online help center with guides for both customers and candidates and answers to FAQs.
New customers also receive a detailed onboarding tour to ensure they understand how to use all of TestGorilla’s helpful features.
AssessFirst offers customer support by phone and email. It also has an online help center with various articles describing how to use certain features.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | |
Live chat | Yes | No |
Help center | Yes | Yes |
Email support | Yes | Yes |
Training and onboarding tour | Yes | No |
Phone assistance | No | Yes |
Most pre-employment testing platforms offer monthly subscriptions that give you access to certain features.
Pay close attention to the pricing structure when choosing a platform. Some limit the number of users or candidates under a monthly subscription, whereas others offer free versions or trials.
TestGorilla offers affordable, scalable pricing options, regardless of the size of your organization.
For businesses with greater testing needs, TestGorilla offers two paid plans (billed annually or monthly):
Free forever at $0: Full access to five free tests with up to five custom questions
Starter from $75 per month: Access to all tests and unlimited simultaneous assessments
Pro from $115 per month: Includes everything in the Starter plan as well as ATS integrations, video questions, and custom branding on your assessments
All plans enable you to assess an unlimited number of candidates.
The cost of the Starter and Pro plans is scaled based on how many full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in your organization. One full-time employee is one FTE, while two part-time employees each working 20 hours per week are also equivalent to one FTE.
The Starter plan costs $75 per month for companies with up to 15 FTEs. As an example of how pricing scales, a company with 50 FTEs will pay $208 per month. The Pro plan costs $115 per month for a company with up to 15 FTEs and $310 per month for a company with 50 FTEs.
Companies with 15 FTEs or fewer must purchase an annual plan. Larger companies can choose to subscribe monthly or annually.
AssessFirst offers three plans:
Lite: Includes all tests, candidate success predictions, and custom branding
Pro: Includes everything in the Lite plan plus AI predictive models, manager accounts for recruiters, and the ability to assess your current employees’ soft skills
Max: Includes everything in the Pro plan along with access to AssessFirst’s database of 350,000 candidate profiles
All plans are priced by quote only and require an annual subscription.
TestGorilla | AssessFirst | ||
Plan | Price | Plan | Price |
Free | $0 | Lite | By quote only |
Starter | From $75 USD per month ($900 per year, paid upfront, for teams of 1-15 FTEs) | Pro | By quote only |
Pro | From $115 USD per month ($1,380 per year, paid upfront, for teams of 1-15 FTEs) | Max | By quote only |
When a pre-employment testing platform is easy to use, your hiring team and candidates are more likely to support it. Look out for features such as easy navigation, an intuitive interface, and clear setup instructions.
Customers and candidates alike find TestGorilla an accessible, user-friendly pre-employment testing platform.
Customers describe TestGorilla’s interface as intuitive, as it's easy to create and send out your first assessment within minutes. They also appreciate how simple it is to track applicants through the hiring process. Plus, the option to set test deadlines ensures timely test completion, making the whole assessment process much smoother.
Candidates likewise find TestGorilla’s tests and assessments seamless and enjoyable. With clear instructions, one-click access, and extensive support, its assessments are straightforward to complete.
Find out what sets TestGorilla apart in hiring. Sign up for our free plan and access comprehensive tools for effective candidate screening.
AssessFirst was designed to be user-friendly for both customers and candidates. Its interface was recently redesigned with the aim of providing the best possible experience. It’s easy to navigate, add contacts, send out tests, and see candidate results.
Both TestGorilla and AssessFirst offer online science-backed personality, motivation, and cognitive ability tests to help you find the right candidate for the job.
However, AssessFirst doesn’t offer a high level of customization, developer-related skills tests, or video features.
For these reasons, TestGorilla is the clear winner when it comes to highly customizable pre-employment testing. You can create assessments specifically for the role you’re hiring for that also reflect your company branding.
TestGorilla offers skills tests designed for hiring developers and video features that elevate insights to the next level. These features make TestGorilla stand out in comparison with other available options.
Incorporating pre-employment testing into your hiring process is an obvious choice. It lets you take a skills-based approach to hiring and removes unconscious bias. What’s more, it helps you save time and money by avoiding costly mis-hires.
Pre-employment testing has consistently been shown to be a more accurate predictor of job success than resumes.
Interested in improving your hiring practices with pre-employment testing? Check out TestGorilla’s pricing plans to find the one that best suits your organization’s needs. Or, book a live demo. If you’d like to try out our platform right away, simply create a free account to get started.
Why not try TestGorilla for free, and see what happens when you put skills first.