LinkedIn skill assessments are a useful tool for showcasing your skills and knowledge to potential employers and connections on the platform. These short quizzes allow you to demonstrate proficiency in various domains, from programming languages like Python and Java to design software like Photoshop and InDesign.
A common question around LinkedIn skill assessments is whether they expire after a certain period of time. The short answer is no – once you’ve passed a skill assessment, the results do not expire and that skill will remain endorsed on your profile indefinitely. However, there are a few caveats to keep in mind.
Do the endorsements expire?
The endorsements you receive from passing a LinkedIn skill assessment do not expire. When you pass an assessment, you have the option to display that skill on your profile. Any connections who endorse you for that skill will remain visible on your profile moving forward.
Even if you remove the skill from your profile, any endorsements you previously received will still be counted in your total number of endorsements. Endorsements help demonstrate expertise and legitimacy, so it’s beneficial to keep skills and endorsements on your profile when possible.
Can you retake skill assessments?
Yes, you can retake LinkedIn skill assessments, with some limitations. For most skills, you can take an assessment up to once per week. Retaking an assessment that you previously failed allows you to demonstrate improved proficiency.
However, if you’ve already passed an assessment, you cannot retake it immediately. There is a cooldown period before the option becomes available again. The cooldown period depends on the specific skill, but is often around one month.
Retaking and passing assessments periodically can help ensure your skills stay endorsed and verified on your profile. As skills evolve over time, refreshers and reassessments are a good way to keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date.
Do unused skills disappear?
Skills that you have added to your profile but not reinforced through endorsements or assessments may dynamically drop off your profile over time. LinkedIn’s algorithm looks at all the information on your profile to determine which skills are most relevant and actively maintained.
If you have a skill on your profile that you rarely engage with, through content sharing or interactions with your network, LinkedIn may determine that that skill is outdated or irrelevant and automatically remove it. But any skills verified through assessments will not be removed by LinkedIn’s algorithms.
How long do LinkedIn skill assessment results last?
In summary, LinkedIn skill assessment results and endorsements do not expire once achieved. The results will remain on your profile indefinitely, or until you manually remove them. However, you may need to retake assessments periodically to keep those skills fresh and relevant in the eyes of the LinkedIn algorithm.
Some key points:
- Endorsements do not expire once gained
- You can retake skill assessments after a short cooldown period
- Unused skills may dynamically drop off your profile over time
- Reinforcing skills through sharing and engagement can help them persist
So while your LinkedIn skills don’t exactly “expire,” maintaining and updating them over time is important for an accurate and compelling professional profile.
Why you should keep your skills updated
Here are some of the key reasons it’s important to keep your LinkedIn skills and assessments up-to-date:
- Demonstrates your continued proficiency and dedication to learning in your field
- Shows you are growing your skills over time, rather than resting on past accomplishments
- Provides confidence to recruiters that your skills are current and active
- Helps you stand out in search results as someone active on the platform
- Reinforces skills that may otherwise drop off your profile organically
- Allows you to showcase new skills and knowledge as you take on new roles and projects
Overall, updating your LinkedIn skills periodically is a best practice for maintaining an accurate, compelling profile that evolves with you over the course of your career.
Tips for keeping skills updated
Here are some tips to help keep your LinkedIn skill assessments and endorsements refreshed and up-to-date:
- Set a reminder to retake assessments every 1-2 years for your core skills
- Block off time on your calendar periodically to review and update your skills
- When taking on a new project or role, review the related skills and assess your proficiency
- Consider skills you want to develop and create goals to work on them over time
- Use new skills in your day-to-day work and content sharing to reinforce them on your profile
- Engage meaningfully with your network around skill-related topics to keep them fresh
Staying on top of your skills does not have to be time consuming. Small efforts over time, like retaking key assessments annually, can go a long way.
What happens if you fail a skill assessment?
If you fail a LinkedIn Skills Assessment, don’t worry – it’s not the end of the world. The assessment simply will not be added to your profile. However, you can retake failed assessments after one week to try again.
Some tips if you fail an assessment:
- Review which areas you struggled with and brush up on those skills
- Practice your test taking strategies and pace yourself when retaking it
- Make sure you are taking assessments in domains where you have sufficient expertise
- Consider enrolling in courses or getting certifications to bolster your skills
While frustrating, try not to get discouraged if you fail a LinkedIn assessment. Focus on using it as a learning opportunity as you work to build up your skills.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn skill assessment results do not technically “expire” once you have passed them. However, to maintain an up-to-date profile that accurately reflects your current skills and knowledge, it is important to retake assessments and reinforce skills periodically.
With a dynamic job market and ever-evolving skillsets required across industries, showing you are actively maintaining your skills is key. While skills may not disappear overnight, you need to put in consistent work to keep your profile fresh, compelling, and honest.
So make sure to revisit those LinkedIn skill assessments from time to time. It’s a small effort that can make a big difference in how recruiters and connections perceive your changing skillsets over time.
