Pre-employment testing is the modern way to help pick your next hire. It helps eliminate bias from the hiring process and streamline recruitment.
Pre-employment testing lets you take a skills-based approach to your next hiring campaign. This allows you to pick candidates based on their personality, skills, and abilities, as opposed to the quality of their resume.
Choosing the best online pre-employment testing tool can be tricky. With so many on the market, how can you be sure which is right for you?
This article compares two popular pre-employment testing platforms – TestGorilla and Cangrade.
With TestGorilla, you can create customized assessments that measure your candidates’ cognitive abilities, personality traits, and job-specific skills.
Customization is possible by selecting tests from the extensive test library or adding questions that meet your needs. There are more than 280 pre-employment tests available, each of which carries around 100 test questions.
This makes the likelihood of question overlap extremely low, which prevents cheating and collaboration.
TestGorilla’s pre-employment testing platform streamlines the hiring process by eliminating the need to sift through countless resumes, saving you valuable time and money.
You can send the assessment to multiple candidates simultaneously, and tests are accessible from any device.
In addition, TestGorilla’s customer support team is always on hand to provide candidates with the required help, making the pre-employment testing process simple and easy.
Cangrade operates The Success Model – a three-step pre-employment screening process.
The process begins with a 14-minute pre-assessment that measures 50 traits and can be completed from any device. It aims to test a candidate’s core strengths, such as consistency, multitasking, or ambition.
Based on the results, Cangrade will objectively outline who should make it to the next screening stage.
The second stage entails a remote video interview where candidates record responses to preset questions.
Your hiring teams can view, comment, and score candidates’ responses. The candidates that provide the best video answers will move on to the third stage of the process.
The third stage involves selecting the final candidates to move on to the interview. This last step combines the scores from steps one and two and highlights your High-Value Candidates.
In theory, these candidates are the most likely to succeed at your workplace and are the ones who should be invited to interview.
Test libraries contain the means by which to accurately assess candidates’ personalities and skills. Tests might include situational judgment tests, software tests, personality tests, or job-specific tests.
Look out for software that lets you customize your own unique pre-employment tests and enables you to tailor questions specifically to your needs.
TestGorilla provides more than 300 pre-employment screening tests to help you find the ideal candidate for your hiring needs, whether for customer service or coding proficiency. Each of these tests offers around 100 questions.
TestGorilla lets candidates answer preset test questions via multiple-choice, video responses, open-text answers, or by file upload. Tests take an average of 15 minutes and can be completed on any device.
Tests include Enneagram personality tests, language tests, job-specific testing, live coding tests, situational judgment tests, and more.
All tests undergo scientific validation by psychometricians and subject-matter experts before going live, increasing the relevance and validity of the results.
TestGorilla’s platform caters to global recruitment needs with localized websites in 11 different languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Japanese, enabling you to find the perfect candidate regardless of their location.
Cangrade’s pre-employment screening model involves testing for 50 different skills in 14 minutes. This includes aptitude tests, personality screening, technical skills, IT proficiency, College GPA, and qualities like emotional intelligence.
Cangrade will suggest what test you should use for each job role, such as assessing language abilities, programming skills, and software proficiency.
However, Cangrade doesn’t allow you to customize tests or create custom assessments. It also doesn’t offer motivation tests or culture-add tests.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
Cognitive ability tests | Yes | Yes |
Situational judgment tests | Yes | Yes |
Job-specific tests | Yes | Yes |
Software tests | Yes | Yes |
Programming tests (including coding challenges) | Yes | Yes |
Language tests | Yes | Yes |
Personality tests | Yes | Yes |
Culture-add test | Yes | No |
Motivation test | Yes | No (Other tests may help evaluate motivation) |
Your own custom tests | Yes | No |
Custom questions per assessment | Yes | No |
Test recommendations for each job role | Yes | Yes |
Multiple tests per assessment | Yes | No |
Assessing programming and software engineering skills is essential when hiring developers.
Pre-employment testing lets you measure programming skills, debugging skills, mobile- and web-development frameworks, cloud computing, and algorithmic-thinking challenges. These tests help you find the perfect candidate.
TestGorilla is the perfect tool to help you find your next IT or software developer. Our evaluations cover a wide range of coding languages, including JavaScript, Python, C, C#, C++, TypeScript, Scala, and more.
In addition, TestGorilla enables you to customize coding challenges to match real-world scenarios that candidates may encounter in your organization.
TestGorilla records candidates’ screens while they take coding assessments. This allows recruiters to follow candidates’ coding process and evaluate their speed.
Although Cangrade offers coding language tests, its website doesn’t specify which languages they include, nor does it indicate offering any features that match TestGorilla’s.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
Coding languages | JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, C, C#, C++, SQL, Kotlin, Ruby, TypeScript, Go, R, Scala, and Swift | Yes, but not specified |
Web-development frameworks | Yes | No information |
Mobile-development frameworks | Yes | No information |
Algorithmic-thinking challenges | Yes | No information |
Debugging challenges | Yes | No information |
Language-specific concept challenges | Yes | No information |
Your own custom coding challenges | Yes | No information |
Code-playback function | Yes | No information |
Automated scoring | Yes | No information |
Live peer coding | No | No information |
Video interviews can offer valuable insights into your candidates’ communication styles, thought processes, and personality traits. You can thoroughly understand each candidate by using one-way recordings and personalized questions.
Rather than scheduling back-to-back in-person interviews, one-way video assessments provide a more efficient and convenient hiring solution. Candidates can record their responses to predetermined questions, making the process more streamlined and effective.
TestGorilla offers a range of convenient video interview features to enhance your assessments. This includes the ability to create custom video questions and set time limits for responses, making it easier to tailor the assessment to your needs.
You can review saved video responses and evaluate candidates at a time that suits your schedule.
TestGorilla’s one-way interviews enable candidates to record themselves answering preset questions, and while they can record their responses multiple times, TestGorilla’s system logs the number of attempts made. This helps ensure fairness and transparency throughout the evaluation process.
Additionally, you can capture a candidate’s on-screen actions and responses. This is especially useful during coding challenges as it provides insight into their approach and pace.
TestGorilla simplifies the process for applicants by providing personalized questions and an easy-to-use video recording system. Time limits can range from 60 to 120 seconds, enabling you to conduct video interviews on a larger scale.
Cangrade offers personalized video questions and one-way video interviews as part of its prescreening process. You can set predetermined questions and have candidates answer them in their own time.
There’s no information on Cangrade’s website to suggest these video interviews restrict maximum answer length or allow recording or playback on any device.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
One-way video interview | Yes | Yes |
Custom video questions | Yes | Yes |
Recording of candidates’ attempts | Yes | No information |
Restrict maximum answer length | Yes | No information |
Recording and playback on any device | Yes | No information |
Rate and comment video answers | Yes | No information |
Creating a positive candidate experience is crucial to attracting and retaining top talent. The duration of tests, mobile-friendliness, and excellent customer support are all important factors that impact a test-taker’s experience.
Incorporating your company’s branding into the assessment process can provide candidates with a consistent and professional impression. This helps highlight your organization’s values and culture, further enhancing the appeal for potential hires.
TestGorilla makes adding your company’s branding to assessments simple. You can incorporate your logo, colors, and even a personalized introduction and closing video. This creates a cohesive look throughout the hiring process.
For a positive candidate experience, you can customize invitation and rejection emails. This adds a human touch to an otherwise digital recruitment process.
TestGorilla’s assessments load quickly and are easy to navigate, and there’s no need for a separate login when candidates are taking a test. The intuitive interface is easy to use and provides candidates with a hassle-free experience.
All tests are designed to be mobile-friendly, providing candidates with the flexibility to complete them on any device. However, it’s recommended that candidates use a desktop or laptop device for coding exercises.
There’s currently no information on Cangrade’s website to specify what company branding tools it offers or if there’s any customer support.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
Your company’s intro or outro video | Yes | No information |
Assessments branded with your company logo and colors | Yes | No information |
Customizable invitation and rejection emails | Yes | No information |
No login required for candidates | Yes | No information |
Mobile-friendly tests | Yes | No information |
Help and support for candidates | Yes | No information |
Typical assessment length | 30-60 minutes | No information |
Qualifying questions prior to assessment | Yes | No information |
Redirecting candidates to a URL of your choice after finishing an assessment | Yes | No information |
Regardless of the size of your organization, pre-employment testing is a game-changer.
For small businesses, it helps to reduce the time and money spent finding the perfect hire, and for established companies, pre-employment testing helps you hire effectively and at scale. Look out for software that can grow with your business.
A good testing platform should offer API access, seamless integration with your ATS, as well as GDPR compliance, among other essential features.
By tracking candidates from resume to hire, you can simplify your hiring process, stay compliant with regulations, and ultimately find the best fit for your team.
TestGorilla provides an all-in-one solution for organizations looking to streamline their hiring process.
You can easily integrate TestGorilla with your ATS, ensuring a smooth transition from candidate screening to hiring. Plus, our platform is fully GDPR compliant, giving you peace of mind when handling candidate data.
TestGorilla enables hiring teams to easily track candidates throughout the recruitment process, from application to hire. We also offer API access, enabling you to customize the platform to fit your needs. This customizability is a great feature for organizations of all sizes.
TestGorilla has you covered whether you’re a startup looking to scale your hiring process or a large organization seeking to improve your recruitment efforts. You can bulk-invite candidates, making it easier to manage large-scale hiring.
Check out how TreviPay scaled its recruitment process using TestGorilla.
Cangrade offers ATS integrations with popular hiring services. It’s GDPR compliant and provides full API access.
However, it’s uncertain whether Cangrade supports bulk hiring processes.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
ATS integrations | Yes | Yes |
Multiple users and role-based rights management | Yes | No information |
GDPR compliant | Yes | Yes |
Multiple candidate invitation options | Yes | No information |
Public link to invite candidates | Yes | No information |
Public links for each candidate source | Yes | No information |
Bulk invite candidates (CSV/XLSX upload) | Yes | No information |
Track candidate stages from invited to hired | Yes | No information |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Bulk actions to manage candidates | Yes | No information |
The accuracy of your candidates’ test results is solely reliant on the quality-control procedures in place.
This includes rigorous pre-launch checks, such as regularly refreshing test questions after they’ve been over-exposed, using algorithms to ensure high test quality, and implementing feedback from hiring teams and test-takers.
TestGorilla uses a comprehensive 28-step quality-assurance process before tests go live.
This includes partnering with a team of psychometricians, refreshing questions to avoid overexposure, and using proprietary algorithms that continuously improve the quality of each test.
TestGorilla values customer and test-taker feedback, using it to ensure that tests are fair, effective, and beneficial for everyone involved.
There’s currently no information on Cangrade’s website regarding its quality-control processes.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
Proprietary algorithms that continuously improve the quality of each test | Yes | No information available |
Extensive quality checks before tests go live | Yes | No information available |
Questions replaced after reaching an exposure limit | Yes | No information available |
Customer feedback used to improve tests | Yes | No information available |
Test-taker feedback used to improve tests | Yes | No information available |
Cheating during pre-employment tests undermines the accuracy and fairness of results and may give some candidates an unfair advantage. It’s important that test results honestly reflect a candidate’s skills, knowledge, and personality.
Anti-cheating measures ensure that pre-employment screening platforms provide fair and reliable results. Some common features include screen monitoring, preventing tab switching on browsers, disabling copy and paste, and IP address tracking.
TestGorilla creates a level playing field for all candidates, and robust anti-cheating measures are one way to achieve this goal.
TestGorilla offers timed tests and a large pool of randomized questions. Test questions are rotated regularly to minimize the chances of candidates finding leaked questions online. Plus, copy and paste are disabled to prevent sharing of questions and answers.
In addition, TestGorilla uses candidate monitoring settings that include taking webcam snapshots of candidates during assessments (with permission).
TestGorilla also employs IP address monitoring to flag attempts to access the same test link from different locations.
There’s currently no information available on Cangrade’s website to suggest they implement anti-cheating measures.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
IP address tracking (to prevent multiple attempts by the same candidate) | Yes | No information |
Tracking candidate location | Yes | No information |
Webcam snapshots (with the option to turn on/off) | Yes | No information |
Full-screen mode detection (to prevent research during the test) | Yes | No information |
Randomized questions | Yes | No information |
Large question pool for each test | Yes (100+) | No information |
Questions and answers not visible to employers to protect test integrity | Yes | No information |
Time limit on tests | Yes (typically 10 minutes) | No information |
Copy-paste disabled | Yes | No information |
Dissecting a candidate’s pre-employment test data gives you great insight into their abilities, skills, and overall suitability for the job.
The pre-employment testing software you chose must include analytics tools to help you identify potential challenges and forecast future hiring needs. Harnessing the power of this data will help you make intelligent hiring decisions and streamline your recruitment process.
TestGorilla enables you to easily access and share reports for candidates’ results in PDF, XLSX, and CSV formats. This is great for hiring at scale.
TestGorilla’s platform generates overviews and detailed reports to help your team make informed hiring decisions. You can add notes and ratings to the reports to provide context and streamline the evaluation process.
In addition, TestGorilla provides a comprehensive overview of all current and previous candidates. This gives you insights into the number of candidates engaged in the hiring process for a specific role and highlights any common or missing skills.
Cangrade automatically scores your applicants based on their answers to questions. You can then manually compare these scores against their counterparts. You can use this information to decide who will be invited to the next stage of the interview process.
Cangrade doesn’t provide PDF reports of assessments, nor can you export CSV or Excel files of candidate scores. This can create challenges when hiring at scale.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
PDF reports of assessments and individual candidates | Yes | No |
Excel and CSV reports of assessments and individual candidates | Yes | No |
Comprehensive overview for all current and past candidates | Yes | No |
Scoring benchmarks for candidates (including percentile rank scoring) | Yes | Yes |
The option to add your ratings and personal notes to reports | Yes | Yes |
It’s important to consider what support is offered when choosing a pre-employment testing platform. If you’re a startup or new to these tools, the level of support offered will be key.
Look for software that offers phone support, live chat, and free demos to help you get to grips with all the features.
TestGorilla understands the importance of getting support when you need it. You can contact our team via phone, webchat, or email, or check out the company and candidate guides in our help center.
In addition, TestGorilla offers a comprehensive introduction to our platform through a free 30-minute live demo, as well as a training and onboarding tour for new customers.
During this process, we’ll guide you through the basics of using the platform and answer your questions.
Cangrade offers phone and email support to candidates, but calls are required to be scheduled through its website.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | |
Live chat | Yes | No |
Help center | Yes | No |
Email support | Yes | Yes |
Training and onboarding tour | Yes | No |
Phone assistance | No | Yes |
Most pre-employment testing software is priced per user per month. However, some platforms offer more flexible options, including annual pricing, pay-as-you-go models, scalable subscription plans, and even free plans or trials.
TestGorilla offers three different pricing plans, all at a fixed price, to support the needs of businesses of all sizes:
Free forever at $0: Full access to 10 free tests, including all personality tests.
Depending on the size of your company, paid plans begin with:
Starter from $75 USD per month ($900 per year paid upfront) - start with skills-based hiring for all roles. There is also the option to pay monthly, starting from $85 USD per month.
Pro from $115 USD per month ($1,380 per year paid upfront) - maximize your hiring with advanced features. There is also the option to pay monthly, starting from $130 USD per month.
There’s no pricing information on Cangrade’s website. You will need to contact the sales team to get a quote.
TestGorilla | Cangrade | ||
Plan | Price (billed yearly or with the monthly plan option) | Plan | Price |
Free | $0 | No information | No information |
Starter | From $75 USD per month ($900 per year paid upfront) The monthly plan starts from $85 USD per month | ||
Pro | From $115 USD per month ($1,380 per year paid upfront) The monthly plan starts from $130 USD per month |
When selecting a pre-employment screening platform, it’s important to prioritize the candidate’s experience as well as the convenience of your hiring team.
Look for a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate platform with clear and concise instructions. This will help put candidates at ease and simplify the review process for your team, creating a positive experience for everyone involved.
TestGorilla has a user-friendly interface that is simple to navigate. Thanks to its intuitive design, you can start creating pre-employment tests within minutes. Reports are visually appealing, with information organized hierarchically for easy reading.
Pre-employment tests are designed to be completed quickly, with most taking just 15 minutes. This prevents test abandonment and keeps completion rates high.
To keep candidates informed about their progress throughout the recruitment process, TestGorilla also provides the option to send progress updates via email, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
The mobile-first approach, intuitive user interface, and ATS integrations all work together to make the testing process a comfortable and stress-free experience for your applicants.
Cangrade offers a range of features that make it easy to use. This includes a streamlined user interface and mobile-friendly software.
In addition, Cangrade offers pre-employment tests tailored to the candidate’s job role, as well as a streamlined video interview process. This supports a digital hiring process which increases efficiency.
Unfortunately, Cangrade’s website doesn’t offer much information regarding the other tools they offer to simplify the user journey.
TestGorilla and Cangrade both offer a range of assessment tools to help you select the best candidate for your role.
However, TestGorilla’s extra features give it the edge over Cangrade. TestGorilla offers many more tests and far more customizations.
Cangrade’s website doesn’t highlight its key features, and the lack of pricing information may not make it a good option for small businesses with a tight budget.
TestGorilla also offers a more comprehensive support package and more options for reporting and analytics. Its free plan is a game changer, enabling small businesses to access high-quality pre-employment tests for free and find their perfect candidates.
Pre-employment testing can be incredibly helpful in the recruitment process, offering numerous benefits such as removing bias, saving time, and providing accurate insights into a candidate’s skills, abilities, and personality.
If you’re ready to take your hiring process to the next level, try TestGorilla’s free plan. You’ll see for yourself how pre-employment testing can revolutionize the way you hire, providing you with valuable insights that can help you make informed decisions.
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