Resources · Buyer guide · 2026
Technical screening software: a buyer checklist.
Ten questions to ask any vendor before you buy. Use the same list for every tool you look at.
AssessIQ is our product. Where we describe it, we link to the page that shows the claim. This page names no other vendor.
The checklist
Ten questions to ask a vendor.
- Which skills can it test? List what you need: aptitude, job knowledge, written answers, hands-on tasks. Ask for a sample of each. A tool that is strong at one type may not cover yours.
- Who writes and owns the questions? Ask if you can add your own questions and keep them private. Ask how the vendor reviews its own questions.
- How is a score made? Ask to see one scored answer with the reason for its score. If the vendor cannot show the reason, you cannot explain the score to a candidate.
- What is the scoring scale? Ask if scores are bands or raw percent. Ask what a middle score means in plain words. Two candidates with the same percent can have very different answers.
- What does it do for test integrity, and what does it not stop? Ask for both lists. The table below shows how we answer for five common controls.
- What is the candidate experience? Ask about devices, language, time limits, accessibility and what happens if the connection drops. Take the test yourself on a phone.
- What reports and exports do you get? Ask for a sample report for one candidate and one group. Check that you can export results in a format your team already uses.
- How does it connect to your other tools? Ask what works today, in writing. Do not count a feature that is only planned.
- Where is the data held, and what happens when you leave? Ask where answers are stored, who at the vendor can read them, how long they stay, and how you delete or export them.
- What does it cost, and what does a trial include? Ask for the pricing model (per candidate, per test or per seat), what is included, and what the trial covers. Compare the same volume across vendors.
Bands or percent
How we answer questions 3 and 4.
AssessIQ scores a written answer on five bands: 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100. Each band has a written description. A score of 50 means working-level skill, not half-correct. Every AI-assisted band score carries a written reason.
Read the full model on our methodology page.
Test integrity
What each control does, and what it cannot stop.
| Control | What it does | What it cannot stop |
|---|---|---|
| Server-side time limit | The time limit is kept on the server, not in the browser. The timer starts when the candidate begins and consents. | Help from another person or another device during the time. |
| Random question order and option shuffle | Each candidate sees a different order, and multiple-choice options are shuffled per student. A list of answer letters does not match. | Sharing the question text, or one person solving the questions for others. |
| Fullscreen gate (optional) | Asks the candidate to stay in fullscreen. An exit from fullscreen is recorded as an integrity event for the admin. | A second screen, a second device or a person in the room. |
| Copy and paste blocking (optional) | Blocks copy and paste inside the test. Blocked tries are recorded for the admin. | A photo of the screen, retyping a question on another device, or text typed from a note. |
| Tab-switch warning (optional) | Warns the candidate when they leave the test tab. The switch is recorded for the admin. | Use of another device. A record is a reason to look closer, not proof of cheating. |
Details of each control are on our IT hiring page, and the recorded events are described on the methodology page. Ask every vendor for the same two columns.
Red flags
Five signs to slow down.
- A single score with no reason attached.
- A promise that no one can cheat.
- No clear statement of where answers are stored.
- A price that appears only after a sales call, with no model and no range.
- No sample report before you buy.
Trial plan
A two-week trial plan.
- Days 1 to 2: Write down your needs and your three must-haves. Ask each vendor for a sample test of each skill type you need.
- Days 3 to 5: Build one real test with your own questions. Take it yourself and with three colleagues. Use a phone for at least one attempt.
- Days 6 to 8: Try to get around each integrity control. Write down what each one records and what it misses.
- Days 9 to 10: Read the reports. Check that you can see why each score was given. Export the results.
- Days 11 to 14: Run a small real group of 20 to 30 candidates. Ask them for feedback. Compare the scores with a manager's view. Decide with a written scorecard.
To see a worked role test, open the software engineer test or the backend developer test. For a side-by-side of platforms used in India, read what to compare.
FAQ
Common questions.
What is technical screening software?
It is software that tests candidates online before an interview. Tools differ in what they test: aptitude, job knowledge, written answers or hands-on tasks. Ask each vendor which of these it covers.
How many tools should I trial?
Two or three. Give each the same test and the same group of people, so the scores are easy to compare.
Why ask about the scoring scale?
A raw percent looks exact, but a written answer is judged by level of skill. A band scale says what each level means. Ask the vendor what its top score and its middle score mean in plain words.
Can any tool stop all cheating?
No. Controls make cheating harder and leave a record. Plan for that: use varied questions, short time limits and a follow-up conversation with shortlisted people.