Pre-Employment Spelling Test

Find out whether your candidates have the spelling skills needed for the job.

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The rise of spell-checking software has revolutionized how people write, from elementary school students all the way up through the workforce. Yet such programs are far from perfect, and their availability may be limited in work situations. Ultimately, there’s no substitute for competent spelling. Aside from reinforcing a professional, capable image (and avoiding costly miscommunication and embarrassment), good spelling reflects on an individual’s attention to detail and education. That’s why hiring managers may want to consider using a pre-employment spelling test as part of their screening process for job candidates.

What is a pre-employment spelling test?

A pre-employment spelling test is an exam given to job candidates to determine their ability to spell English words. When used as part of the hiring process, this test can save you time by helping you quickly and objectively narrow down your pool of candidates.

The benefits of testing your job applicants

By requiring a pre-employment spelling test, you can ensure that everyone you bring in for an interview has the basic spelling skills needed for a designated role at your company. You can also create custom aptitude and skills tests that include questions tailored to the job you’re hiring for.

Occupational roles that might benefit from this assessment:

  • Writers/editors
  • Administrative assistants
  • Communications associates
  • Public relations specialists
  • Sales representatives
  • Legal secretaries
  • Paralegals
  • Marketing assistants
  • Receptionists
  • And many others
Hire Success pre-employment spelling test

What does the Hire Success® Spelling Test include?

The Hire Success® Spelling Test consists of 30 multiple-choice spelling questions. For each question, the applicant can click on a button to hear a recording of the word and then choose which of four spellings is correct. An overall score is provided as well as scores by academic grade range (fourth grade to college level). The majority of questions are at the middle school or high school level.

Number of questions

30

Test type

Skills test

Time limit

Not timed

You will receive up to 3 separate reports:

Hire Success accounting test summary report screenshot

Spelling Skills Summary Report

The Hire Success® Summary Report is broken down into sections.

  • High-level summary - Get information specific to the test taker, such as overall score, weighted score, and number of questions correct.
  • Summary of statistics by cohort - Incorporating campaign, position, location, and account, this section shows you how the applicant compares to other cohorts.
  • Distribution of people - A graph shows you the distribution of people within the applicant’s campaign.
  • Scores by category - Examine summary scores by category.
Detail report for academic test

Spelling Skills Detail Report

The Detail Report for the Hire Success® Spelling Test shows a breakdown of how the candidate answered questions on the test:

  • Section 1 — incorrectly answered questions
  • Section 2 — correctly answered questions

Grouping the candidate's test answers in this way not only provides you with an easy way to gauge where the candidate made mistakes but also helps you get an idea of the candidate’s areas of strength or weakness. You may want to follow up on some concepts in an interview if the candidate is selected for the next step in the hiring process.

Hire Success accounting test audit report

Candidate Audit Report

If the cheating mitigation feature is turned on for your spelling test, you’ll receive a Hire Success® Audit Report showing you a timeline that reveals:

  1. When the test taker selects answers within a question.
  2. When the test taker moves to the next question.
  3. If or when the test taker leaves/returns to the test.

The report also shows whether the test was automatically submitted because the candidate left the testing window for too long (possibly to look up an answer) or ran out of time.

This feature doesn’t just help you find out whether applicants know the test answers — it uncovers how well they know them. With the Audit Report, you’ll have added confidence in your hiring decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I receive each job candidate’s test results?

For every test that’s submitted, you’ll receive two reports (or three, if you activate cheating mitigation). An email notification will be sent out immediately upon submission, and results will appear in your Hire Success® account within minutes. You can view the results and reports securely in your online account from any internet-connected device, and print or share results if needed.

Can I customize the pre-employment spelling test?

Yes! With our Custom Test Builder, you can use questions from our spelling test in combination with any questions you want to add, creating an exam that’s specific to the job you’re hiring for. You can also include questions in other areas, such as vocabulary proficiency or clerical aptitude.

Learn about the Hire Success® Custom Test Builder

How much does the spelling test cost?

Hire Success® offers much more than just a single test — we offer a complete system that helps you improve your entire recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process. Our pricing model depends on factors specific to your company, industry, and team size, so the best way to get accurate pricing information is to contact us for a tailored quote.

Request a customized quote from Hire Success®

Ready to take your hiring to the next level?

Take a free test run of our whole system — from the pre-employment spelling test to the personality profile to the integrity test and more — and find out why thousands of companies have turned to Hire Success® to build stronger, more organized, and more consistent hiring systems.

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