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Skills and knowledge tests

Test the skills a role needs from day one directly, instead of reading them from a CV. Skills tests show what someone can do now, for example in spreadsheets, business writing or sales.

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Time
10–25 minutes, depending on the test
Format
Online; the format depends on the skill
Evidence for
Selection
Languages
Interface in 5 languages; each test lists its validated language versions

What the tests measure

Software skills

Working with tools such as spreadsheets: formulas, sorting and filtering, and reading data.

Writing and language

Clear business writing, spelling and grammar, for example in emails to customers.

Job knowledge

What a role needs you to know from the start, such as the basics of sales or customer service.

How organisations use them

  • Checking must-have skills

    See early in the process whether candidates have the skills the role cannot do without. A person reviews the results.

  • Making CV claims concrete

    ‘Advanced Excel’ means something different on every CV. A short test shows what someone can actually do.

Reading the scores

Skills tests usually report the share of questions answered correctly, overall and per topic, sometimes compared with a norm group. Unlike personality, a higher score is better here. Decide in advance which level the role needs, and look at the topics: someone who misses only the advanced functions needs something different from someone who misses the basics.

The evidence behind each test

Every skills test on Match.hr gets a psychometric label that shows:

  • the intended use, such as selection
  • reliability, such as internal consistency
  • the size of the norm group, per country and language
  • whether a fairness analysis has been done
  • the date of the last analysis

Our review criteria follow the structure of the COTAN and EFPA test review models. Match.hr is not affiliated with or endorsed by either organisation.

Explore the Lab

Numerical reasoning

Example
Intended use
Selection, development
Reliability (ω)
0.89
Norm sample
12,482
Languages validated
EN, NL, DE
Fairness analysis
Completed
Last analysis
October 2026

Example questions

These questions show the format. They are not taken from a live test.

  • Spreadsheets Example

    Cells B2 to B6 contain the sales for five months. Which formula gives the average per month?

    • =SUM(B2:B6)
    • =AVERAGE(B2:B6)
    • =COUNT(B2:B6)/5
    • =B2+B6/2
    Show answer

    Answer: =AVERAGE(B2:B6). AVERAGE adds up the five values and divides by five. COUNT only counts the cells, and B2+B6/2 divides B6 by two before adding B2.

  • Business writing Example

    Which sentence tells a customer most clearly that their order is late?

    • Due to circumstances beyond our control, the delivery of your order has unfortunately been subject to a delay.
    • Your order will arrive on Thursday, two days later than planned. We are sorry for the delay.
    • There is a delay with your order, but we are working on it.
    • Your order is delayed. Please contact us for more information.
    Show answer

    Answer: Your order will arrive on Thursday, two days later than planned. We are sorry for the delay.. It says what changed and when the order will arrive, and it apologises, in plain words. The first sentence is vague and formal; the other two leave the customer without a delivery day.

  • Sales Example

    Which of these is an open question for a first conversation with a potential customer?

    • Are you happy with your current supplier?
    • Do you have a budget for this?
    • What would you like to improve in how you handle orders now?
    • Shall I send you a quote?
    Show answer

    Answer: What would you like to improve in how you handle orders now?. An open question cannot be answered with yes or no, so the customer tells you about their situation and needs. The other three are closed questions.

Good to know

  • A skills test shows what someone can do now, not how quickly they learn. For roles where people learn a lot on the job, a cognitive ability test tells you more.
  • Test the level the role really needs. Testing advanced functions for a role that uses the basics screens out suitable people.
  • Practice tests on Assessment-Training.com help candidates prepare. They are never used as selection tests.
  • A score below the level you set is a reason to look closer, not an automatic rejection. A person makes the decision.

Frequently asked questions

Which skills can you test?

The library includes tests for common job skills, such as spreadsheets, business writing or sales. Each test page shows the topics and the level it covers. If the skill you need is not in the library, you can build your own test with the test builder, or ask the Lab to develop one with you.

Can candidates look things up during the test?

An unsupervised online test cannot fully prevent it. For skills that people also look up in their daily work, that matters less. When a skill is decisive, check it again in a short supervised task or in the interview.

Does a skills test need a norm group?

Not always. For many skills, a fixed standard is more meaningful: can someone do what the role requires? A norm group helps when you want to know how a candidate compares with others. Each test states which of the two it uses.

How long does a result stay valid?

Skills change faster than personality or reasoning ability: software changes, and skills that are not used fade. We advise testing again when a result is more than about a year old, or when the role asks for a different level.

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