Software & Online Companies Tests

Tests for the software industry helps evaluate the skills and characteristics of applicants in order for them to be successful.

  • What are software & online companies skills tests?

    Software & online companies industry tests assess candidates on their ability to perform many of the core skills needed to perform well within such an organisation.

    Working at a software company requires several traits that recruiters should test their applicants for. Technical skills, software skills, problem-solving, time management and teamwork are competencies often highly sought-after. The real challenge is identifying these skills early on in the recruitment process, and that’s where industry tests for software and online companies come in.

    The tests typically cover topics such as personality, cultural fit and a range of reasoning skills.

    The tests are sent once a candidate has submitted an application form for their chosen role. Candidates are typically given two or three days to complete the online tests, usually under timed conditions with multiple-choice answers.

    The response options aside from the correct answer, called distractors, are mostly common mistakes or misconceptions, which enhances the question's ability to accurately measure a candidate's proficiency.

About the Software & Online Companies Tests

Software industry tests assess competencies needed to be successful in software or online company (such as an eCommerce or a SAAS website). The tests provide insights into candidate skills that are essential to be successful in the industry.

Hiring the wrong people can have a negative effect on a company. It is, therefore, an essential aspect of any recruitment process to test candidates before hiring new employees.

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  • Why use pre-employment testing for your software position?

    Hiring competent and talented individuals in the software industry can be challenging. It is difficult to judge a candidate's abilities just by looking at a CV or application, particularly when candidates have seemingly similar levels of experience.

    Industry software tests solve this problem by providing easily administered assessments that give further insight into candidates’ abilities, making your shortlisting decisions data-driven and bias-free.

    Results from the tests will help you rank your top-performing applicants based on their tests results, helping to make your recruitment process more efficient and improving the quality of your hires.

    Low-performing applicants can be removed from your talent pool, allowing you to invest more time in screening top-quality candidates.

    Jobs that might be useful for software industry tests include:

Picked Sample Report

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Results for the Software & Online Companies Tests along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.

Which specific tests should you use?

At the core of online and software companies the following tests are useful in measuring the quality of your hires:

  • Personality test
  • Verbal reasoning test
  • Abstract reasoning test
  • Time management test

Personality test

Cultural fit can be an important factor for working in an online or software company. A personality test can be an essential part of ensuring a person will fit in well with the teams and cultures within an office.

The traits you are tested on relate to qualities you might expect for team-oriented and software-driven roles such as a software developer.

Verbal reasoning test

A verbal reasoning test is a useful assessment to test communication and reading comprehension skills.

The challenge for the assessment is related to the test-takers ability to identify what the text passage is inferring - whether it's a fact, implied or not true.

In the software industry, it’s important that candidates are able to use their verbal reasoning skills to draw logical conclusions. Someone who can comprehend lots of information and then effectively communicate it should do well on this type of test.

Abstract reasoning test

For companies looking to hire candidates who are good at problem-solving, the abstract reasoning test is an effective way to assess the ability to solve problems - particularly under pressure as they are timed assessments. Efficiency and accuracy are required to score well on the test.

Candidates will be given a series of patterns, images or shapes and must identify the relationship and use this to determine the correct answer. For example, you might have to guess what the next shape in the series will be.

Time management test

Working for a software or online company often means working under pressure and meeting deadlines. Effective time management is, therefore, an essential skill in the software & online companies industry. Managing time efficiently allows employees to focus on what’s most important and ensure tasks are completed.

The time management test is an assessment of a candidate’s ability to organise their time effectively to perform tasks optimally.

Validated

Predictor of job success

Picked provides evidence-based recommendations for tests to use for over 750 jobs. Our recommendation engine leverages data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

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    Simple, easy-to-use candidate comparison reports mean you don’t need to be a psychologist to interpret them.

“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Software & Online Companies Tests expert

Written by a Software & Online Companies Tests expert

Our team of assessment experts is made up of I/O psychologists and psychometricians who are dedicated to making all of our tests as reliable, valid and fair as possible. They strictly adhere to best practices in the industry and stay on top of the latest innovations to ensure job candidates’ unique profiles of characteristics, abilities and knowledge are being measured accurately while minimising bias. They leverage decades of research and advanced predictive analytics to build assessments that link to outcomes that matter, such as job performance, turnover, engagement, culture fit and more.

“Personality profiling allowed us to perform lookalike modelling of our most successful employees and use this as a blueprint for new hires.”
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain

Software & Online Companies Tests FAQs

What is the typical recruitment process in a software company?

Software and online companies typically use this structure to hire candidates:

  • Online application
  • Pre-employment assessments
  • Virtual interview
  • Assessment day
  • Job offer
What skills does a candidate in software typically need?

A candidate who works in the software industry might typically have skills in the following areas:

  • Strong communication
  • Ability to work well in a team
  • Coding and technical literacy
  • Problem-solving
  • Attention to detail
What is the cost for Picked's software test?

We believe in simple, transparent pricing. We operate monthly and annual subscriptions so you can pick the perfect plan for you. Don't worry if you're not sure: you can always upgrade or downgrade later, or speak to us to discuss the option of a custom made plan to fit your needs. This is all you ever pay – no set-up or hidden fees.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, sign up (no credit card required) and we'll give you a 7-day trial completely free. You'll get unlimited access to create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you like. You can cancel any time and you won't be charged anything.

“Focusing on data reduced the subjective decision making from our hiring process and allowed us to reduce bias and make better hiring decisions.”
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden

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