The 7 best platforms for online skills testing (+ free alternatives)
The digitization of skills testing is much more than just a strategy aimed at millennials: shorter recruitment times, enhanced corporate image and an improved candidate experience, who can apply from home and at any time of day.
With the explosion of digital recruitment, automated processes thanks to various recruitment tools, and algorithmic matching, online skills tests are helping to transform the recruiter's approach. Feeling and a good handshake are no longer enough to convince most employers. Today, they expect concrete results, reliable skills and measurable talent.
That leaves us with a few questions. How can we ensure that our test results are relevant to the decision-making process? How can we avoid a "homework" atmosphere and preserve the candidate experience? How much of the recruitment budget should be allocated to online tests, and what return on investment can be expected?
To help you assess skills, test software needs to be easy for everyone to use. The aim is to enable you to make an initial selection of candidates. Below, we present our selection of the 7 best solutions for setting up your online skills tests. And as a bonus, a few free alternatives. Let's get started!
Which recruitment testing platform should you choose? Comparison table
1 of 5
 Evalbox |  Examity |  Honorlock |  Mereos |  PrepMyFuture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Evalbox | Learn more about Examity | Learn more about Honorlock | Learn more about Mereos | Learn more about PrepMyFuture |
Evalbox, the simplicity of online MCQs
With its platform dedicated to online MCQs, Evalbox is aimed at both teachers and recruiters wishing to assess the knowledge of their students/candidates. Evalbox also assists evaluators in the creation and organization of their tests.
Unlike the three previous solutions, this MCQ platform does not offer remote monitoring.
Evalbox features include
- simplicity: tests in MCQ format with automatic correction
- accessibility: tests can be taken on phone, tablet or computer
- dematerialization: handling of "paper" copies
Evalbox
Examity, proctoring to the extreme
Founded in 2013, Examity is a pioneer in live test proctoring in the USA - a process where a proctor supervises candidates via webcam. It has been securing online tests for institutions and companies for almost ten years.
Examity features include
- live proctoring: candidates can be supervised live.
- rigor: proctors are trained by Examity over several months
- availability: 24/7 English-speaking support
Examity
Honorlock, the new entrant
Founded in 2017, Honorlock leverages its experience in the online proctoring of educational institution exams to offer secure tests to companies and training centers. Indeed, the latter use online tests to verify learners' prior learning and, eventually, issue them with certification.
Honorlock features include
- anti-plagiarism: prevents test questions or subjects from being leaked onto the Internet
- speed: automatic verification of candidates' identity in 60 seconds
- hybrid monitoring: automated or human monitoring
- availability: 24/7 English-speaking support
Honorlock
Isograd Testing Services, the innovative software
Isograd Testing Services presents itself as a technical skills testing platform, equally suited to the assessment of candidates during a recruitment campaign, as to that of employees or learners. It is designed for companies, government agencies and educational establishments alike.
The comprehensive Isograd Testing Services software combines AI and cutting-edge technology to provide you with a powerful solution tailored to all your needs.
Some of the features of Isograd Testing Services :
- customization: take advantage of a catalog of over 200 tests, or create your own customized assessments
- generative AI: to create relevant customized tests or assessment reports
- advanced scenarios and practical exercises
- adaptive testing: difficulty level adjusts according to user responses
Mereos, the French leader in flexibility
Founded in 2016, Mereos is the only French company offering a holistic assessment solution. Simply put, it handles the organization of online tests, their remote monitoring, technical support, advanced results analysis and even offers to create skills tests with a network of experts.
Mereos works with over 200 companies to recruit their future employees, and with nearly 60 higher education establishments to set their exams or admission tests.
Mereos features include
- candidate-friendly: the Mereos platform requires no downloads
- hyper-flexibility: a choice of 31 proctoring functions
- adaptability: can be integrated with any LMS
- scalability: serverless solution, up to 50,000 candidates simultaneously
Mereos
People In, the tailor-made skills testing tool
Save considerable time in your recruitment process with People In. This comprehensive, innovative recruitment testing tool has all the features you need to assess a candidate's key skills.
It couldn't be simpler: use the customized test, distribute it, evaluate and respond to candidates in just a few clicks.
Thanks to these situational tests, you'll be able to detect the rare pearl and never miss out on hidden talent again!
Some of People In's features :
- different test formats: open-ended questions, quizzes, case studies, videos, etc.
- customization: 100% personalized tests tailored to your specific needs
- flexibility: automatic or manual test analysis and evaluation
- inclusion: tests are totally anonymous until the candidate is evaluated, to promote equal treatment
PrepMyFuture, the training platform
Mostly used by teachers as an additional teaching aid for their students, the PrepMyFuture platform can also be used to set up online skills tests.
Like Evalbox, the PrepMyFuture platform has no monitoring options.
Some PrepMyFuture features:
- training: test practice under real-life conditions
- accessibility: tests can be taken on the phone, tablet or computer
- data analysis: identification of candidates' weaknesses using analysis tools
PrepMyFuture
Completely free assessment testing tools
It's possible to recruit the best candidate for your job without blowing your budget on tests and analyses!
Why should you be interested in free solutions?
When it comes to testing candidates at no cost, free tools are the way to go. When every euro counts, a subscription to the services of a platform is not the priority. Startups, SMEs and companies on a tight budget can therefore also improve their recruitment with innovative methods without paying for very occasional use.
Examples of free platforms
Free sites that offer interesting possibilities for quick exercises:
-
Google Forms + Auto-Correction: not specifically HR software, but very practical for testing a profile with a basic MCQ. By activating the auto-correction function, the employer immediately obtains the result.
-
QCM Cam: 100% free, open source tool for creating online MCQs. No hidden costs, but fairly limited use.
Try out the free versions of some of our paid-for software too:
-
TestGorilla: the free version offers a number of pre-designed tests. Of course, to take advantage of all the platform's features and resources, you'll need to upgrade to a paid version.
-
Pymetrics: this neuroscience-based software offers free access to certain assessments. Clever mini-games designed to analyze candidates' soft skills.
-
ClassMarker: an online service for creating tests and automatically obtaining a score. Note that free use limits the number of tests per month.
The limitations of free solutions
The various software packages you can use free of charge inevitably offer fewer functions than the paid versions. And no! You won't always be able to adapt the test to your workstation's needs. You'll have to make do with what's already there.
When it comes to security, you can't be sure of getting a reliable result either, as these platforms don't offer anti-cheat monitoring. All you need is a cell phone and a web search.
Finally, they generally don 't integrate with your application management software, which complicates your follow-up and wastes your time.
How to choose your recruitment test software? Criteria to evaluate
Your test software will be your compass. You'll be relying on it to recruit your staff. Once you've got the hang of it, it needs to be reliable, predictable and free of nasty surprises. So, how do you choose the most suitable software for your recruitment? Take stock of :
-
alignment with business needs: what types of positions do you need to fill? And what are the associated skills? Should technical skills be tested? Soft skills? What is the volume of applications to be studied?
-
Usage costs and ROI: depending on your needs, determine whether it's better to take out a monthly subscription or pay per use. By the way, how much time does your testing software save you compared with before?
-
reliability and scientific validity: skills tests validated by HR specialists or personality tests conducted by psychologists. The results must be reliable to predict the performance of the candidate being assessed for his/her future position.
-
anti-cheating monitoring: to check that candidates are playing fair. Some software packages incorporate an automated monitoring system using video images taken by the webcam and sound from the microphone to detect suspicious behavior.
What are the typical recruitment tests to use?
The multitude of professional tests available on the market enables you to create professional assessments that are truly tailored to the position to be filled. Depending on your needs, you can direct candidates towards :
-
technical proficiency tests (to test programming language, office automation or analytical skills, for example).
-
psychometric and soft skills tests (to assess personality traits, motivations and behaviors).
-
cognitive tests (to observe logical reasoning, memory, decision-making, etc.).
-
language skills tests.
💡 Please note: to successfully hire your future employee, it's essential to ensure the validity and reliability of the tests you give them. Imagine if you found out later that the new employee was in fact not at all suited to the job? An assessment test is all well and good, but it mustn't be based on hot air. It's one of the key elements you can rely on to maintain a high success rate when recruiting, and avoid frequent turnover.
What's the outlook for skills testing in 2025 and beyond?
Online skills testing is evolving rapidly, and it's not going to stop. Certain trends are clearly likely to continue to shake up the habits of recruiters and candidates alike.
Artificial intelligence, in particular, with its performance predictions, is increasingly being used to facilitate screening and identify the best candidates before the interview. Gamification and adaptive testing are also changing what we know about traditional tests, with a playful side or questions that evolve according to answers. These two aspects enable us to better assess the candidate's real level of expertise.
So, is everything perfect? Not quite! These advances also raise essential questions. How can we ensure that algorithms do not produce discriminatory biases? Who will be able to use the personal data generated by the tests? And above all, how far can we let AI take part in hiring a candidate before we lose the human value of recruitment?
It will surely be necessary to strike a balance between technology and the human element, in order to preserve the expert analysis of recruiters. If tomorrow, an AI decided on the best candidate for you, would that really be good news?
Article translated from French