TestGorilla vs. HackerRank

Pre-employment screening helps you make bias-free, data-driven hiring decisions. It lets you accurately evaluate a candidate’s true abilities and significantly reduces mis-hires compared to resume screening. 

By utilizing pre-employment screening services, you can evaluate job-specific skills, cognitive ability, culture add, and more. This way, you’re always hiring the perfect candidate for your open roles – with less time and money spent during the recruitment process.

With many pre-employment screening services available today, it may be hard to pick the right one to use. To give you a hand, we compare TestGorilla and HackerRank to determine which is best for you.

How does TestGorilla work?

TestGorilla is a pre-employment testing platform that has helped more than 9,000 companies with their hiring needs. We have a library of more than 300 tests to measure personality, language proficiency, programming skills, cognitive ability, and so much more.

To create a bespoke assessment, you can combine up to five tests and add your own questions. Or, create a custom test specific to the needs of your organization. Filtered through a 28-step quality control process, our tests are reliable and accurately evaluate candidates’ abilities and individual qualities. 

After you create an assessment, invite candidates to complete it using a customizable invitation email. You’re also able to customize assessments with your company’s branding colors and logo. Test-takers can be updated via email throughout the entire assessment process, too.

Results are available instantly, and you can easily compare applicants based on their overall assessment and individual test scores.

How does HackerRank work?

HackerRank is a pre-employment screening service focused on hiring developers. It advocates skills-based hiring with its pre-designed coding assessments. 

Hiring teams can choose from tests in HackerRank’s test library or create custom tests and coding challenges. The platform also enables live interviews with features such as a whiteboard, peer coding challenges, screen sharing, and more.  

Results are provided in PDF, Excel, and CSV formats and include candidate feedback, a breakdown of completion time, and scores for each question. 

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Test libraries

TestGorilla’s library contains tests for many different job types, including software development, customer service, marketing, and others. TestGorilla also has tests for soft skills like motivation and attention to detail.

On the other hand, HackerRank’s library is focused on programming and tech-related tests. There are no dedicated tests for soft skills, but hiring teams and recruiters can assess candidates’ soft skills during live coding interviews. 

TestGorilla’s test library

TestGorilla’s library has more than 300 tests that can measure:

• Cognitive ability 

• Language proficiency

• Personality 

• Culture fit

• Programming skills

• Role-specific skills

• Situational judgment 

Choose from various different answer formats, including video answers, file upload, multiple-choice, and essay. 

TestGorilla also offers custom coding challenges that you can replay to closely examine the candidate’s performance. 

You can use a maximum of five tests in an assessment. Mix and match as you like to get a full picture of how well a candidate will fit into your open positions.

In addition, our library is localized in over 11 languages – perfect for global hiring needs. 

HackerRank’s test library

HackerRank’s library has tests that assess skills in programming languages, algorithms, data structures, front– and back–end development, and mobile frameworks. They also include custom coding challenges.

Hiring teams can use pre-designed challenges and tests to evaluate candidates, or they can create custom tests. The tests support different answer formats such as multiple-choice, essay, or coding. 

As HackerRank focuses on technical assessments, there are no personality, cognitive ability, or motivational tests. However, hiring teams may choose to add custom questions that judge these general skills. 

Test libraries: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Functionalities for hiring developers

Developers are responsible for complex and time-critical tasks such as developing, testing, and upgrading software and creating software design. 

With job-specific tests, you can assess developers’ proficiency in coding languages, familiarity with web and mobile development frameworks, and other technical skills like deployment and debugging. 

Hiring developers with TestGorilla

TestGorilla’s library includes more than 85 tests to assess developers’ skills. These include tests for programming languages, web and mobile development frameworks, database management, and other technical skills. 

We test for proficiency in a number of coding languages, including JavaScript, Python, PHP, Kotlin, and web–development frameworks such as React JS and Django. 

Our tests also measure competence with data structures, syntax, and quality assurance technologies such as performance testing.  

You can design custom coding challenges to assess candidates’ ability to handle complex scenarios. You can play back the challenges whenever needed and add notes for each candidate.

Hiring developers with HackerRank

HackerRank provides pre-designed assessments that test candidates’ coding language proficiency, ability to handle web and mobile development frameworks, algorithm-thinking, shell scripting, and other technical abilities. 

Hiring teams can also create custom assessments and custom coding challenges that can be replayed later. 

HackerRank offers live peer coding as well. Through video interviews and screen sharing, candidates and hiring teams can solve coding challenges together.

However, HackerRank doesn’t offer dedicated personality, culture add, or critical thinking tests that can be combined with coding assessments for a more thorough review of candidates. 

Functionalities for hiring developers: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Video interviews

Video interviews enable hiring teams to assess a candidate’s confidence, attitude, and personality. In addition, they help candidates better showcase their abilities.

For a more collaborative and transparent recruitment process, look for pre-employment testing platforms with live and one-way video interviews and custom video questions. 

TestGorilla’s video interviews

TestGorilla offers one-way video interviews in which test-takers record answers to pre-set questions. You can then view responses at your discretion and add notes to each candidate’s profile. 

We also offer video as an answer format. You can add up to 20 video questions and set time limits for responses, ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes.

Plus, TestGorilla saves you time by automatically ranking candidates based on performance so you can watch just the top-ranked videos. This enables a smoother, more rapid hiring process.

HackerRank’s video interviews

HackerRank provides video interview features that enable live collaboration between the interviewer and the candidate. Candidates can use the whiteboard, share their screens, and have a live coding session. 

However, video questions aren’t a major part of HackerRank’s assessments. That said, HackerRank has a “Sprint” assessment that supports video as an answer format. 

Video interviews: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Candidate experience and company branding

A great candidate experience is an important part of the pre-employment assessment process. 

Candidates should be able to complete assessments quickly and easily and get support when needed. Company branding can also help applicants feel connected to the organization they’re testing for. 

The candidate experience with TestGorilla

TestGorilla focuses on accessibility, engagement, and user-friendliness in its candidate experience. Most of our assessments take 10-50 minutes to complete and can be taken using any device – no account required.

We have an intuitive user interface, and we allow test-takers to customize fonts and font sizes. On your end, you can customize assessments with your company’s logo and brand colors, include custom intro and outro videos, and customize invitation and rejection emails. 

Applicants receive thorough instructions when they’re invited to an assessment. After they complete an assessment, candidates receive detailed results highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. They can access support before, during, and after assessments through our dedicated candidate support area. 

The candidate experience with HackerRank

HackerRank’s candidate experience is designed to be engaging, motivational, and user-friendly. Candidates receive thorough instructions throughout the process. 

HackerRank has a candidate support team and a knowledge base. It also provides font and color adjustments.

However, candidates are required to create an account and log in, which prolongs the testing process. 

In terms of branding options, HackerRank enables employers to add a logo and brand colors and customize email templates with specific brand messaging. 

Candidate experience and company branding: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Enterprise and startup friendliness

Pre-employment screening services should be suitable for all types of hiring needs and should accommodate both large and small businesses. 

Let’s see which features TestGorilla and HackerRank offer for different-sized companies. 

TestGorilla’s enterprise and startup friendliness

TestGorilla has four pricing plans that are suitable for different hiring needs and companies of all sizes. The free-forever package, providing 10 free tests, is great for startups. Other plans, such as the Pay-as-you-go plan, are perfect for lower-volume hiring and can easily scale as needed. 

The Scale plan includes features such as white labeling, ATS integration, advanced role-based rights, and bulk candidate invites for growing hiring needs. The Business plan also includes API access and phone assistance. Plus, we offer custom plans for enterprises with unique hiring needs.

TestGorilla is fully GDPR compliant, so you never have to stress about data protection – no matter how big or small your business is. 

HackerRank’s enterprise and startup friendliness

HackerRank offers monthly subscription-based plans with limited features that customers can use within one month. 

For example, HackerRank’s Starter plan costs $100 per month and enables hiring teams to test 10 candidates. However, if they don’t test 10 candidates within the month, the credits expire and the subscription must be renewed. 

This can be beneficial for startups that need to fill a position quickly and want to use the platform for a short period of time. However, it can be inconvenient for businesses that want a more flexible plan and additional time to hire.

HackerRank provides ATS integrations, GDPR compliance, and scalability for larger organizations. However, it doesn’t provide low-cost plans or a free-forever plan to accommodate startups. 

Enterprise and startup friendliness: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Quality control

Quality-control measures are essential to ensure assessments are fair and results are consistent and valid. These processes can include multi-step quality checks, algorithms that improve test quality, incorporation of test-taker and customer feedback, and regular test updates.

TestGorilla’s quality-control processes

TestGorilla has a 28-step quality-control process that ensures test validity, reliability, and consistency in results. 

The psychometric team first designs the test structure, and then subject matter experts create the questions. The tests are assessed for scientific validation and accuracy through statistical analysis. TestGorilla works with peer reviewers, copywriters, and more throughout the process.

After the tests are created, they’re tested on a sample group. We maintain a stringent and ongoing monitoring process to consistently improve test quality. This process helps ensure the tests are fair, bias-free, and produce accurate results every time. 

We also actively seek and incorporate feedback from customers and candidates to improve our test library and create an even better user experience.

HackerRank’s quality-control processes

HackerRank has a quality-control process to ensure results are accurate, fair, and consistently reliable. 

Its internal content team, consisting of subject matter experts, creates the content for questions. The content then goes through several stages of review, including external expert review and statistical analysis. 

HackerRank also uses candidate and customer feedback to improve test quality. 

To ensure fairness and consistency in results, the tests are standardized, following the same pattern and style. 

Additionally, HackerRank’s automatic algorithms work to spot patterns in candidate performance and then suggest areas for improvement in test design. HackerRank also conducts adverse-impact studies and sensitivity reviews to find any issues with the subject matter. 

Quality control: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Anti-cheating measures

Online testing is convenient but also poses a risk of candidates getting an unfair advantage through cheating. In order to maintain the integrity of assessments, pre-employment testing services should have anti-cheating measures in place. 

TestGorilla’s anti-cheating measures

TestGorilla implements a number of anti-cheating measures, including:

• Randomizing questions 

• Replacing questions after 10,000 uses

• Taking webcam snapshots during assessments (with candidate’s permission)

• Imposing time limits on answers

• Disabling copy-paste

• Enabling browser lockdown and full-screen mode 

• IP address tracking

• Preventing employers from seeing questions and answers to maintain impartiality 

HackerRank’s anti-cheating measures

HackerRank also has several anti-cheating features. These include: 

• Plagiarism detection

• Webcam proctoring (with candidate’s permission)

• Screen recording 

• Randomized questions 

• Browser guard to prevent candidates from opening other tabs

• IP address tracking

• Preventing employer access to questions and answers  

Anti-cheating measures: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Reporting and analytics

Reports and analytics provide ​​valuable insights into each candidate’s performance and make it easy to identify the strongest applicants. 

They also have features to easily compare applicants and leave notes on each candidate’s profile – making the hiring process smoother and more collaborative.

TestGorilla’s reporting and analytics features

TestGorilla provides a detailed report for each candidate at the end of an assessment, as well as real-time information about candidates’ assessment progress. Reports are available in PDF, CSV, and Excel formats.

You can view an overall report of candidates who took an assessment, plus scores for individual candidates. You’re also able to see how much time a candidate took on each test in an assessment.

Reporting goes deeper with question analysis. This shows each candidate’s answers to questions and compares them to other test-takers’ responses. 

You can also include notes on applicants’ profiles for your hiring team to review. 

HackerRank’s reporting and analytics features

HackerRank provides a number of reporting and analytics features. These include a dashboard that shows a snapshot of how many candidates took a test, where they are in the process, and their average scores. 

Reports include a breakdown of the questions, time taken, and candidate feedback. They’re available in PDF, CSV, and Excel formats.

Reporting and analytics: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Customer support

Customer support can make or break the user experience. Look for a pre-employment testing platform with a responsive support team, multiple support channels, and an extensive knowledge base. 

TestGorilla’s customer support

TestGorilla provides customer support through live chat and email. Business plan customers get access to phone support and a dedicated Customer Success manager.  

All customers have access to the digital help center, which explains common problems and solutions and offers helpful tutorials on how to use our features. 

Customers also get a free 30-minute training and onboarding tour when they sign up for TestGorilla.

HackerRank’s customer support

HackerRank offers support via web tickets, which customers can use to submit queries. It also has a knowledge base and FAQ section on its website.

Premium plan customers are eligible for phone support. 

HackerRank doesn’t offer live chat support to visitors on its website. It’s reserved for customers only.

Customer support: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Pricing

Most pre-employment testing platforms offer flexible plans that suit various hiring needs. While some offer monthly subscriptions, others bill plans annually. Some providers have free trials and even free plans.

TestGorilla’s pricing

TestGorilla has three pricing plans that are billed annually or monthly, and have no hidden costs.

• 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.

HackerRank’s pricing

HackerRank offers three plans that are billed monthly.

• Starter, at $100 per month, offers one user license, tests for 10 candidates, and access to 1,000+ questions.

• Pro, at $250 per month, offers five user licenses, tests for 25 candidates, and access to 2,000+ questions.

• Custom is designed specifically for the client. It includes integrations and a Customer Success manager.

Customers have only one month to test the number of candidates specified in each package. These are like candidate “credits” that expire if they aren’t used during the month. For example, if a Starter plan customer tests only four customers in one month, the remaining six “credits” don’t roll over to the next month.

Additional features can be purchased as needed.

Pricing: Comparison chart at a glance

TestGorilla vs. HackerRank: Ease of use

When a pre-employment screening service is easy to use, it saves users a ton of time and effort and makes for a more enjoyable experience.

An intuitive user interface, sleek design, and features like a knowledge base help boost ease of use.

TestGorilla’s ease of use

TestGorilla has a great UX design and easy-to-understand tests to make administering and taking tests a breeze. You’re able to create assessments in minutes, send assessment invites in bulk, and compare assessment results with ease. 

Plus, both customers and test-takers can access our knowledge base at any time to get answers to any questions they may have. There are a number of accessibility features available as well.

TestGorilla reviews praise our clean design, exceptional customer service, and overall ease of use. 

HackerRank’s ease of use

HackerRank has a simple process to invite and assess candidates. It offers features like automated scoring and detailed reporting, making it convenient to use. 

HackerRank has a 4.5/5 star rating on Capterra for ease of use. 

Conclusion: TestGorilla vs. HackerRank

TestGorilla and HackerRank are both popular pre-employment screening platforms. But when comparing the two, TestGorilla stands out as the clear best choice. 

With TestGorilla, you can assess candidates for many different job roles, whereas HackerRank focuses specifically on technical recruitment. HackerRank’s test library also isn’t as vast as TestGorilla’s. 

Another important difference is in pricing. HackerRank’s monthly subscription is more expensive and offers fewer features than TestGorilla’s plans. There’s also no free-forever plan like there is with TestGorilla.

After a careful comparison of TestGorilla and HackerRank, it’s evident that TestGorilla scores higher thanks to its robust test library, great user experience, and affordable pricing. 

Streamline your hiring process with pre-employment testing 

Skills-based hiring is the most efficient way to find top talent. Not only does it help companies reliably identify top candidates without bias, but it also reduces hiring time and recruitment costs. 

Want to find the most talented candidates for your open positions? Schedule a free 30-minute live demo with TestGorilla to get started today.