You’ve submitted your application, spoken with a recruiter, and received an invitation to take an assessment. Now you’re wondering what to review: Will you need to solve math problems, record spoken answers, or finish a typing test before the timer runs out?
For Filipino jobseekers, especially fresh graduates and applicants entering the BPO industry, pre-employment assessments can feel unfamiliar. Preparation becomes easier once you understand what the test measures and how it relates to the job. The goal is to give yourself a fair opportunity to show your skills. Here’s how to get ready.
What Are Pre-Employment Assessments?
Pre-employment assessments are tests or exercises employers use during recruitment to evaluate skills, abilities, or work preferences relevant to a position. An interview lets you explain your experience; an assessment gives you an opportunity to demonstrate what you can do.
Assessment provider SHL explains that employers use ability tests and personality questionnaires to evaluate qualities relevant to job performance, including problem-solving and communication.
The assessment you receive depends on the employer and role. A customer support applicant might complete a communication exercise, while a data entry applicant might be asked to work accurately with written information.
What Tests Might You Encounter?
Your invitation should be your starting point. The following examples can help you understand possible formats, but you won’t necessarily encounter every assessment.
| Assessment type | What it may evaluate | How to prepare |
| English or communication test | Speaking, listening, reading, or writing | Practice explaining ideas clearly and summarizing what you hear or read. |
| Typing or data entry test | Speed, accuracy, and attention to detail | Type short passages, then check for missing words and errors. |
| Reasoning or aptitude test | Working with numbers, written information, or patterns | Answer sample questions and review your mistakes. |
| Situational judgment test | Decisions in workplace scenarios | Read the situation carefully and consider the responsibilities of the role. |
| Personality questionnaire | Work preferences and behavioral tendencies | Reflect honestly on how you usually approach tasks and relationships. |
| Practical skills test | Ability to perform a relevant task | Review the tools and skills named in the job description. |
Start With the Invitation and Job Description
Before searching for practice questions, read the assessment email carefully. Check the deadline, expected duration, required device, and whether you need a microphone, webcam, or specific browser. Clarify anything that could affect your preparation:
- Is the assessment online or onsite?
- Must all sections be completed in one sitting?
- Are calculators, notes, or other tools allowed?
- Is there a practice section before the scored test?
- Who should you contact if a technical problem occurs?
If you need an accessibility adjustment, raise it with the recruiter before starting so the available arrangements can be discussed.
Next, reread the job description. Written customer support work calls for clear replies and careful reading. A technical role may require troubleshooting knowledge. Use the role’s requirements to decide where to focus your practice.
Keep your interview preparation moving, too. Our guide on how to prepare for your first interview can help you explain the strengths you demonstrate during an assessment.
Practice the Skills the Role Requires
A useful practice session has three parts: complete a task, review the result, and identify one thing to improve.
For English and communication tests
Read a short article and summarize its main point aloud. Record your answer, then listen for unclear words, long pauses, or ideas that don’t connect. For writing practice, draft a brief customer email with a clear explanation and next step.
Aim for understandable, organized communication. Use words you’re comfortable with instead of forcing complicated vocabulary or an unfamiliar accent.
If your recruiter confirms that you’ll take Versant, consult Pearson’s official test preparation resources. Pearson provides guides for different test versions, along with a demo and practice options.
For typing and reasoning tests
For typing practice, check accuracy alongside speed. Notice whether you regularly miss punctuation, transpose letters, or skip words. Work on those errors before pushing yourself to type faster.
For reasoning practice, focus on understanding the question. Identify what information you’ve been given and what the answer must establish. Review why an answer was wrong rather than immediately starting another test.
SHL’s practice assessments can help you become familiar with its question formats. Use them to understand the experience; your employer’s assessment may differ.
For personality questionnaires
Answer based on your usual behavior. SHL describes personality questionnaires as measures of behavioral preferences, with no right or wrong answers.
Trying to present an imagined “perfect employee” can make the questions harder to answer honestly. Think about how you normally organize work, handle problems, and interact with others.
Try a Simple Customer Support Exercise
For a role involving written support, practice with this fictional scenario: A customer says their order hasn’t arrived and asks for an immediate refund. You haven’t checked the delivery status or refund policy yet. Write a short reply.
A useful response should acknowledge the concern, explain what you need to check, and provide a next step without promising an outcome you haven’t verified. After writing, ask yourself: Is the reply easy to understand? Did I address the concern? Did I make any unsupported promises?
The exercise is for practice. Follow the actual assessment’s instructions and any policy information it provides.
Get Your Setup Ready Before Test Day
For an online assessment, test your equipment before opening the scored section. Check your internet connection, audio, microphone, and any required browser permissions. Charge your device and choose a place where you can concentrate.
Pearson’s test-day guidance recommends a quiet room, a headset, and reviewing the technical requirements in the invitation. Your own assessment instructions should determine the setup you use.
For an onsite assessment, confirm the address, arrival time, and anything you need to bring. Leave enough travel time to settle in before starting.
During the Assessment, Follow Each Section’s Rules
Read the instructions even when a question format looks familiar. Sections may have different time limits or rules about reviewing answers.
Keep a steady pace. If skipping and returning are allowed, move past a difficult question and revisit it later. If the test requires an answer before continuing, make your best decision from the available information.
Complete the assessment independently. Use AI, search engines, notes, or outside assistance only when the instructions explicitly permit them. If a technical issue occurs, note the time and error message, then contact the recruiter or designated support channel. Avoid repeatedly restarting unless instructed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the passing score for pre-employment assessments?
The passing score for pre-employment assessments depends on the employer, role, and test. Ask your recruiter whether a required benchmark applies rather than relying on scores shared for another company or account.
Can I retake a pre-employment assessment?
Retaking a pre-employment assessment depends on the employer’s policy and assessment platform. Contact your recruiter to ask whether another attempt is available and whether a waiting period applies.
Does passing an assessment mean I’m hired?
Passing an assessment doesn’t automatically mean you’re hired. Ask which recruitment stages remain. If a client conversation is next, review our guide on things to know about client interviews.
Take the Next Step With Preparation
You don’t need to predict every question to prepare well. Understand the role, practice relevant skills, check your equipment, and give yourself time to read the instructions carefully.
Ready to put your preparation into practice? Explore career opportunities at Reliasourcing and apply for a role that matches your strengths and career goals to become part of #LifeAtReliasourcing.
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