Talent Acquisition
The Best Pre-employment Assessment Tools of 2026
A shortlist of pre-employment assessment tools ranked from verified product data, so you can compare test validity evidence, adverse impact reporting, accommodations and real pricing instead of vendor claims. Every score traces back to a fact we checked against vendor documentation and public sources.
- products compared
- 5
- with a published score
- 4
- last updated
LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.
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LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.
Top 3 by LeadChange Score
Codility9.0
HackerRank8.7From $79/mo1
Criteria7.2
Our top picks
- Best overall
Highest LeadChange Score here (9.0/10), with 8 of 10 core pre-employment testing capabilities verified.
- Best for small businesses
Highest score among products that list small businesses as a target segment, with pricing and fit weighted more.
From $79/mo1
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Pre-employment Assessments ranked by LeadChange Score
Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.
Filter by verified facts
Codility
Best for Companies hiring software engineers who want work-simulation tests
Codility, founded in 2009 and headquartered in London, assesses engineers with work simulations, coding and AI-skill tasks across Screen, Interview and Skills Intelligence, with leakage protection, plagiarism detection and EEOC four-fifths adverse impact checks.
HackerRank
Best for Companies hiring software engineers at any size
HackerRank tests and interviews software developers: Screen for coding assessments, Interview for live collaborative coding and Chakra as an AI interviewer, backed by plagiarism detection, session replay and identity match.
- Pricing model
- Tiered plans1
Criteria
Best for Employers screening high applicant volumes with validated tests
Criteria, founded in 2006, sells validated pre-employment assessments and structured video interviewing as Criteria Assess, Criteria Interview and the combined Criteria Hire.
Vervoe
Best for Enterprise and high-volume hiring teams that screen on real work tasks
Vervoe is a skills assessment platform founded in 2016 that tests candidates on job-related tasks, with a library of 300+ validated assessments, job simulations, cognitive tests and explainable AI grading.
- Pricing model
- Quote only6
TestGorilla
Best for Teams that want to try skills tests on a free plan before paying
TestGorilla, founded in 2019, sells Gorilla Assessments (350+ skills tests, AI interviews, video questions, job simulations and coding tests) and Gorilla Sourcing (900M+ candidate profiles), separately or together.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Find your fit
By company size
Compare the top 5 side by side
| Product | Score | Pricing model | Free trial2,9,11 | Open API | SOC 2 Type II3,5,7 | ISO 27001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codility2,3,8 | 9.0 | Tiered plans | ||||
| HackerRank1,10 | 8.7 | Tiered plans | Not disclosed | |||
| Criteria4,5,12 | 7.2 | Quote only | ||||
| Vervoe6,13 | 6.1 | Quote only | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | ||
| TestGorilla7,14 | Not scored | Tiered plans | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Not disclosed = the vendor doesn’t publish it.
Pricing at a glance
Monthly list cost from each vendor’s published base and per-employee prices, before discounts.
10 employees
$77–$79/mo
Median $78/mo
Published list prices of 2 products at 10 employees
50 employees
$77–$79/mo
Median $78/mo
Published list prices of 2 products at 50 employees
200 employees
$77–$79/mo
Median $78/mo
Published list prices of 2 products at 200 employees
How the 4 pricing models work
- Per candidate
- A fee for each test taken or each candidate assessed. Costs scale with applicant volume and are predictable at low volume.
- Subscription with test allowance
- An annual or monthly fee that includes a set number of tests. Overage rates apply when you exceed it.
- Per user per month
- A fee per recruiter seat with access to a test library. Suits steady hiring with several users.
- Custom quote2 of 5 products
- Enterprise pricing for custom tests, validation studies and integration, typically annual.
How to choose pre-employment assessments software
6 criteria · Requirements by company size · 5 red flags
The central question is whether a test measures something that matters for the job and does so fairly. Choose for validity evidence and legal defensibility first, candidate experience second, and test library breadth last.
Ask each vendor for the documentation behind the specific test you would use for your specific role, not general marketing material.
Validity and job-relatedness evidence
Under federal guidelines the employer is responsible for ensuring tests are valid, meaning they predict performance in the specific position.
Adverse impact monitoring
A selection rate for any group that is less than four-fifths of the highest group's rate is generally regarded as evidence of adverse impact.
Accommodations for disabilities
Employers must administer tests so results reflect the skill measured rather than an applicant's impairment.
Test content and role fit
Generic tests may measure things unrelated to your roles, which weakens defensibility.
Automated scoring and AI disclosure
Automated scoring may qualify as an automated employment decision tool, and New York City requires a bias audit within a year of use and notice to candidates.
Cheating and identity controls
Remote tests can be shared or completed by someone else, which makes scores meaningless.
Requirements by company size
Small businesses
- A short, role-specific test that takes little time to set up
- Pay-per-test or low-volume plans
- Clear accommodation instructions
Watch out for
- Annual minimums sized for high-volume hiring
- Generic personality tests used as pass/fail screens
- No validity documentation for the specific role
Mid-sized companies
- Native ATS integration
- Pass-rate reporting by group and stage
- Role libraries that your recruiters can configure
Watch out for
- Inconsistent use of tests across hiring managers
- Cut scores set without validation
- Per-candidate fees that grow with application volume
Enterprises
- Custom validation studies and technical support
- Adverse impact analytics across business units
- Single sign-on, data controls and audit logs
Watch out for
- Conflicting local rules for automated tools in different cities and states
- Long procurement and implementation cycles
- Dependence on a vendor for the only evidence that tests are valid
Red flags
- The vendor cannot supply a validation study for the test you plan to use
- Claims of a bias-free test with no data on group pass rates
- Cut scores recommended with no explanation of how they were set
- No process for accommodation requests
- Black-box AI scoring with no audit documentation
Popular comparisons in this category
Popular alternatives
Integrations for pre-employment assessments
Apps with documented integrations across the products ranked on this page.
Most integrated apps
- Greenhouse
- Ashby
- iCIMS
- Lever
- Okta
- SmartRecruiters
- Workday
Related subcategories
- Recruiting Software
Hiring platforms for sourcing, screening and managing candidates.
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- Video Interviewing
Live and one-way video interviews with recording and review.
5 products ranked
- Talent Acquisition Software
Suites that cover hiring end to end, from sourcing to signed offer and day one.
9 products ranked
- Applicant Tracking Systems
Job posting, candidate pipelines, interviews and offers in one hiring system.
15 products ranked
- Onboarding Software
New hire paperwork, tasks, training and first-day setup.
12 products ranked
- Background Check Services
Employment screening: criminal, employment, education and driving records.
23 products ranked
- Recruitment CRM
Talent pools and nurture campaigns for candidates you are not hiring yet.
5 products ranked
- Candidate Sourcing Tools
Search and outreach tools that find and engage passive candidates.
9 products ranked
Learn
Glossary
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pre-employment assessments software?
Codility has the highest LeadChange Score of the 5 products in our ranking, 9.0 out of 10, ahead of HackerRank (8.7) and Criteria (7.2). Codility's score rests on 18 of 24 checks verified from public sources. One more product is listed without a score until enough of its data is public.
What is pre-employment testing software?
Pre-employment testing software administers and scores assessments before a hiring decision. Tests can cover skills, cognitive ability, personality, judgment or job simulations. Results appear in the recruiter's view, ideally alongside evidence that the test predicts job performance and reports on pass rates by group.
Are pre-employment tests legal?
Yes, but they must comply with equal employment law. A neutral test can violate Title VII if it disproportionately excludes a protected group and is not job-related and consistent with business necessity. Employers must also provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA. Ask counsel before using a test as a hard screen.
What is the four-fifths rule?
The four-fifths rule is a federal guideline. A selection rate for any race, sex or ethnic group that is less than four-fifths of the rate for the group with the highest rate is generally regarded as evidence of adverse impact. It is a screening benchmark, not a final legal finding.
Do I need to give accommodations on online tests?
Yes. Under the ADA, employers must select and administer tests so results reflect the skill being measured rather than an applicant's impairment, for example by providing readers or extra time on request. Your tool should offer a documented process for requesting and logging accommodations.
Does the New York City AI hiring law apply to assessment tools?
It can. New York City Local Law 144 covers automated employment decision tools, requiring a bias audit within one year of use, a public summary of results, and notice to candidates 10 business days before use. Whether a specific scored test qualifies depends on how it is used, so confirm with counsel.
Which pre-employment assessments platforms in our ranking integrate with Greenhouse?
Greenhouse, listed by 5 of the 5 pre-employment assessments platforms in our ranking: Codility, Criteria, HackerRank, TestGorilla, and Vervoe.
Which pre-employment assessments platforms in our ranking are built for enterprises?
Codility, HackerRank, TestGorilla, and Vervoe list enterprises among the company sizes they serve.
How we research
Ranked by the LeadChange Score, computed only from verified facts: capability coverage (30%), pricing and value (20%), integrations and API (15%), security (15%), fit and support (10%) and data confidence (10%), times a category fit. Products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Payment never changes a score or a position.
Facts, not impressions · Missing data is never assumed · Independent of revenue
Facts, not impressions
Every input is a fact verified against vendors’ official documentation, with the date we last checked it.
Missing data is never assumed
Unverified items are left out of the score and lower its coverage; below 60% coverage a product is not scored yet.
Independent of revenue
Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.
How this page was made
What it is built from
31 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
Get your pre-employment assessments shortlist
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Sources
The 18 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- HackerRank · checked Oct 24, 2026 hackerrank.com/pricing“$948 billed annually” “Unlimited users”
- Codility · checked Oct 24, 2026 codility.com/pricing“Choose the plan that fits how your team works.” “Free trials run through our team rather than as a self-serve signup”
- Codility · checked Oct 24, 2026 codility.com/ai-info“Codility is SOC 2 Type II audited, and the report is available under a nondisclosure agreement.” “Enterprise integrations, the full API and SSO with SAML are part of the Custom plan.”
- Criteria · checked Oct 24, 2026 criteriacorp.com/plans-and-pricing“Pick the lane that matches the solution you need: assessments, interviewing, or the full suite, all with Criteria’s core platform.”
- Criteria · checked Oct 24, 2026 criteriacorp.com/security-and-compliance“Criteria is ISO 27001:2022 and ISO 42001:2023 certified and SOC 2 Type II Compliant.”
- Vervoe · checked Oct 24, 2026 vervoe.com/pricing“Request pricing” “Enterprise customers can use our API and white-label workflows to run high-volume, custom assessment experiences inside their own systems.”
- TestGorilla · checked Oct 24, 2026 testgorilla.com/pricing“Core from $77 /mo per account billed annually” “SOC 2 Type II compliant”
- Codility · checked Oct 24, 2026 trust.codility.com“Codility's information security program is ISO 27001 certified and covered by a SOC 2 Type II report.”
- HackerRank · checked Oct 24, 2026 hackerrank.com/integrations“Try for free”
- HackerRank · checked Oct 24, 2026 hackerrank.com/trust“We comply with major global privacy standards, including ISO 27001”
- Criteria · checked Oct 24, 2026 criteriacorp.com/free-trial“Free Trials are limited to 20 tests.”
- Criteria · checked Oct 24, 2026 criteriacorp.com/integrations-and-partners“Our API technology makes it easy to integrate Criteria with the ATS or HRIS platform of your choice.”
- Vervoe · checked Oct 24, 2026 trust.vervoe.com“We are ISO 27001 certified and protect customer and candidate data with encryption, strict access controls, and regular independent security audits.”
- TestGorilla · checked Oct 24, 2026 testgorilla.com/ats-integrations“Larger teams with their own IT resources can build a custom integration with any ATS through our open API.”
- law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 25, 2026 29 CFR 1607.4 Information on impact (Uniform Guidelines)
- eeoc.gov · checked Oct 25, 2026 Employment Tests and Selection Procedures (EEOC)
- nyc.gov · checked Oct 25, 2026 Automated Employment Decision Tools (NYC DCWP)
- law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 25, 2026 29 CFR 1602.14 Preservation of records made or kept