LinkedIn skills assessments allow you to showcase your professional abilities by taking short multiple-choice tests. Passing these assessments can boost your profile and allow you to stand out when applying for jobs. However, some users wonder whether failing a skills assessment will negatively impact their profile. This article will examine if and how LinkedIn displays skills assessment attempts and results.
What are LinkedIn Skills Assessments?
LinkedIn skills assessments are short, multiple-choice tests that allow you to demonstrate proficiency in various professional skills and software programs. Skills assessments are available for a wide range of topics including Python, Excel, project management, customer service, and more.
The tests typically include around 10-15 questions that you must complete within minutes. LinkedIn generates the questions and answers algorithmically based on real-world scenarios.
After completing a skills assessment, you will instantly receive your results along with an overall score out of 100. If you pass, you can showcase a verified skill badge on your profile. These badges can catch the eye of recruiters and hiring managers.
Do Failed Assessments Show on Your Profile?
If you fail a LinkedIn skills assessment, this result will not be immediately evident to others viewing your profile.
LinkedIn does not explicitly display failed skills assessments or low scores on your profile. It only showcases badges for skills assessments that you have passed.
However, there are a few ways that some users may be able to discern that you failed an assessment:
Repeated Attempts
LinkedIn allows you to retake skills assessments after waiting a period of time. If viewers notice you have taken the same assessment multiple times, they may guess that you failed on earlier attempts.
However, keep in mind that many users retake passed assessments as well in order to maintain their badges or try to improve their scores. So repeated attempts alone do not necessarily mean you failed.
Missing Badges
If you have a very robust, well-rounded profile that highlights all your key skills, the absence of a badge for a certain skill may indicate that you tried and failed the assessment.
For example, if you list Excel as one of your proficient skills but lack the Excel badge, a recruiter may deduce that you failed the Excel skills assessment.
However, there are many reasons you may not have a badge displayed, such as not having taken the assessment yet or choosing not to showcase the badge. So a missing badge is not definitive evidence that you failed.
Third-Party Sites
Some third-party sites and Chrome extensions claim to show LinkedIn users’ skills assessment scores and results without their consent. Examples include sites like SkillsMapper and the Chrome extension Linkedin Skills Assessments.
However, it is unclear if these sites actually have access to users’ private assessment data. LinkedIn’s terms of service prohibit sharing assessment results without permission. If you come across your results on a third-party site, it’s best to report it to LinkedIn.
How Many Times Can You Take a LinkedIn Skills Assessment?
You can take a LinkedIn skills assessment up to three times in a 12 month period. If you fail on the first and second attempts, you will have one more chance to pass before needing to wait a full year to retake the test.
Here are the specifics on LinkedIn skills assessment retake policy:
- 1st attempt – If failed, can retake after 7 days
- 2nd attempt – If failed again, can retake after 14 days
- 3rd attempt – If failed three times, can retake after 12 months
So you have three chances within a one year period to pass before needing to wait a full 12 months.
If you pass on any of the attempts, you will earn the skill badge and will not need to retake the assessment unless you want to try improving your score.
Tips for Passing LinkedIn Skills Assessments
If you have failed a LinkedIn skills assessment, here are some tips to pass on your next attempt:
Carefully Review the Material
Many of LinkedIn’s skills assessments are based on standard industry knowledge that you can find information on via sites like Wikipedia. Thoroughly review key terminology, concepts, tools, and best practices.
Leverage Practice Tests and Study Guides
Some sites offer free practice tests and study guides for LinkedIn assessments, which allow you to assess your knowledge and practice answering scenario-based questions.
Read Questions Thoroughly
Read each question stem closely before glancing at the answers. Make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking.
Watch Out for Negative Wording
Pay attention to words like “not”, “except”, and “least” which can completely flip the meaning of answer choices.
Use Process of Elimination
If you are unsure of an answer, eliminate the options you know are incorrect first. This can help narrow down to the best choice.
Answer Every Question
You will not lose points for incorrect answers, so be sure to make your best guess on any questions you are unsure about.
What Happens if You Fail a LinkedIn Skills Assessment?
Beyond not earning the skill badge, failing a LinkedIn assessment has few direct consequences. It does not impact your profile’s visibility in search results or affect how recruiters view your profile.
However, repeatedly failing tests for key skills that you have listed on your profile could influence hiring managers’ perception of your abilities. Rather than trying to hide failed attempts, it is better to focus on thoroughly preparing and passing on your next try.
Here are a few things that happen if you fail a LinkedIn assessment:
- You will need to wait the allotted time until you can retake the test (7 or 14 days)
- You will not earn the badge to display that skill on your profile
- Your profile’s visibility and search rankings will not be affected
- You can continue to list the skill on your profile
- With multiple failed attempts, recruiters may question your proficiency in that skill
The most important thing is not to let a failure discourage you. Take time to learn where you need to improve and adequately prepare for the next test. With focus and dedication, passing is achievable.
Should You List Skills You Failed the Assessment For?
You can list a skill on your LinkedIn profile even if you failed the assessment. However, make sure you are transparent about your true proficiency level.
These tips can help decide if and how to include the skill:
- Only list skills you have some legitimate experience and competence in
- Use lower proficiency levels like “Novice” or “Familiar” instead of “Expert”
- Focus on skills needed for your target roles; irrelevant skills aren’t worth listing
- Pair skills with applicable job experiences where you applied them
- Consider learning & improving the skill before reattempting the assessment
- Be prepared to demonstrate the skill if questioned in interviews
Failing an assessment does not mean you do not possess basic abilities in that skill. But inflating your expertise could undermine your credibility. Use honest self-evaluation to decide if it is still worth listing the skill.
Does LinkedIn Notify Connections When You Fail or Pass Assessments?
Fortunately, your connections are not automatically notified when you fail or pass LinkedIn skills assessments. Other users are only notified if you personally share your results with them.
When you pass an assessment, you have the option to post your new skill badge to your LinkedIn feed. Some users choose to announce new badges to demonstrate their progress and expertise.
However, there is no obligation to post about your assessment results. Both failed and passed tests are confidential unless you opt to make them public.
So you do not need to worry about connections monitoring your assessment attempts and outcomes. Unless you purposely share your results, they will stay private.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn skills assessments provide a useful barometer of abilities, they should not be viewed as a definitive judgment of your worth or potential. An assessment is merely one data point, with many other factors influencing skill proficiency.
Rather than fixating on a single failed test, take a step back and focus on tangible ways to enrich your knowledge. With humility and effort, skill gaps can be closed over time. Use negative results as an opportunity for growth rather than embarrassment.
Although LinkedIn does not display failed assessments, repeated attempts could raise questions from some viewers. But your skills are best demonstrated through real-world achievements rather than multiple-choice quiz results.
If you do choose to list a skill you failed the assessment for, take care to accurately represent your experience level. Transparent self-evaluation will prevent any perception of misrepresentation.
While some third-party tools claim to show private assessment results, it is unlikely they have special access to your data. Report any publication of your results without consent.
In summary, a failed LinkedIn skills assessment should not be a major concern. You control which results are visible and only need to wait a short period to retry. With preparation and patience, passing is within reach.