Communication Test
The Communication Test shows you how a candidate actually communicates at work: how clearly they write, how carefully they listen, how reliably they confirm understanding, and how considerately they handle tone and timing. Through 20 realistic entry-level scenarios, it scores four dimensions so you can hire people who keep customers and colleagues on the same page.
Summary of the Communication Test
The Communication Test shows you how a candidate actually communicates at work: how clearly they write, how carefully they listen, how reliably they confirm understanding, and how considerately they handle tone and timing. Through 20 realistic entry-level scenarios, it scores four dimensions so you can hire people who keep customers and colleagues on the same page.
4 dimensions, scored separately
Written communication
How clearly and appropriately a person writes emails, chat messages, and notes at work.
Active listening & non-verbal cues
How well a person pays attention to what others say and notices tone, body language, and unspoken signals.
Interpreting, summarizing, clarifying
How reliably a person makes sense of unclear information, confirms understanding, and restates key points accurately.
Professional etiquette
How considerately a person handles tone, timing, and courtesy in workplace interactions and channels.
Everything about the Communication Test
01What is the Communication Test?
Communication failures cause most everyday workplace problems: missed handovers, upset customers, and tasks done twice. This entry-level test uses situational judgment scenarios instead of self-ratings, so candidates cannot simply describe themselves as good communicators. Each scenario is drawn from real foundation-role situations, confusing email chains, customers who misunderstand instructions, colleagues who talk over people, and unclear meeting takeaways. Responses are scored on the quality of the communication choice, rewarding clear, kind, and direct practice. Results describe current skill, and every dimension improves quickly with coaching and practice.
02How does the Communication Test work?
Candidates read 20 short workplace scenarios, five per dimension, and choose the response they would most likely take from four options. The strongest response earns 2 points, acceptable responses earn 1, and poor responses earn 0. Each dimension totals up to 10 points, and the overall score is out of 40.
03Why is the Communication Test important to employers?
Entry-level employees are often the face and voice of your business: they answer customers, relay instructions, and write the messages everyone else acts on. A candidate who clarifies before acting, listens fully, and writes clearly prevents the small misunderstandings that become refunds, complaints, and rework. Scenario results also give interviewers concrete follow-up questions instead of gut feel.
How to interpret Communication Test results
Every candidate report scores each dimension separately. Here is what high and lower scores typically look like at work, and how to use them in your hiring decision.
Written communication
High scorers: Writes messages that are easy to act on: clear structure, the key point up front, and a tone matched to the reader. Reduces back-and-forth and rework across email and chat.
Lower scorers: Written messages may currently bury the key point or mismatch the audience. Templates, numbered lists, and a habit of leading with the action needed build this skill quickly.
Active listening & non-verbal cues
High scorers: Listens fully before responding and notices tone, hesitation, and body language. Catches the concerns people do not say out loud, which prevents problems from going unspoken.
Lower scorers: May respond before others finish or miss non-verbal signals of confusion. Practicing pausing, paraphrasing back, and watching for hesitation strengthens this skill fast.
Interpreting, summarizing, clarifying
High scorers: Turns vague or conflicting information into clear next steps. Asks good questions, summarizes accurately, and confirms understanding before acting, so work lands right the first time.
Lower scorers: May act on assumptions rather than confirming details, which risks rework. Encouraging clarifying questions and end-of-conversation summaries builds accuracy within weeks.
Professional etiquette
High scorers: Chooses the right channel, timing, and tone for each message. Handles disagreements and mistakes with courtesy, which keeps trust high with customers and colleagues.
Lower scorers: May misjudge tone, timing, or channel, especially under frustration. Simple habits, like rereading before sending and moving conflict to private channels, close this gap quickly.
What job roles can you hire with the Communication Test?
- Customer support agents: clear writing and careful listening turn frustrated customers into resolved tickets
- Retail associates: confirming what customers actually need prevents returns and complaints
- Administrative assistants: accurate handovers, summaries, and email hygiene keep whole teams organized
- Junior office staff: asking good clarifying questions makes delegated work land right the first time
- Front desk and reception roles: professional tone and courtesy shape every visitor's first impression
Build a multi-measure assessment: tests to pair with the Communication Test
Communication (Intermediate) Test
The Communication (Intermediate) Test shows you how a candidate communicates when the stakes are professional: briefing executives, steering meetings back on track, delivering bad news to clients, and keeping cross-team threads productive. Twenty situational judgment scenarios measure written, verbal, stakeholder, and listening skills at the level real jobs demand.
View testActive Listening Test
The Active Listening Test is a 10 minute situational judgement assessment for hiring teams who need people that listen carefully, ask useful follow up questions and respond with understanding. It fits roles where clear communication affects service, teamwork, support and day to day problem solving.
View testTime Management Test
The Time Management Test shows you how a candidate handles competing deadlines, interruptions, and packed calendars. Through 20 realistic workplace scenarios, it scores four practical skills, prioritization, planning and estimation, execution and focus, and reflection and communication, so you can predict how they will actually run their week.
View testCustomer Service Fundamentals Test
The Customer Service Fundamentals Test helps hiring teams assess entry-level candidates for frontline support roles. It measures how well candidates apply core service principles, communicate with empathy, and take ownership to move issues toward a clear resolution.
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Frequently asked questions
It measures four foundations of workplace communication: written communication, active listening and non-verbal cues, interpreting and clarifying information, and professional etiquette. Candidates respond to 20 realistic workplace scenarios, such as confusing email chains, unclear instructions, and tense chat threads, and their choices show how clearly, kindly, and directly they communicate.
Every scenario offers four possible responses. The strongest response earns 2 points, acceptable responses earn 1, and poor responses earn 0. Each of the four dimensions is measured by five scenarios for a maximum of 10 points, and the overall score is the sum across all dimensions, out of 40. Dimension scores fall into developing, solid, and strong bands.
This is the entry-level version, designed for foundation roles such as customer support, retail, administration, and junior office staff. The scenarios cover everyday situations like handling a customer misunderstanding or replying to a confusing email. For roles that involve stakeholder management, negotiation, or presenting, use the Communication (Intermediate) test instead.
Yes. Many scenarios take place over email, chat, and video calls, because that is where most entry-level communication now happens. Candidates are tested on writing clear messages, managing tone in chat, avoiding reply-all mistakes, and confirming understanding in remote conversations, alongside classic in-person skills like listening and summarizing.
About 8 minutes. The test presents 20 short workplace scenarios, each with four possible responses, and most candidates spend well under 30 seconds per scenario. It is entry level and requires no preparation, so it works early in the hiring funnel for any role that involves customers, colleagues, or written messages.
Last updated July 31, 2026