LinkedIn skill assessments are short questionnaires that test your knowledge in various professional domains and software programs. They usually take between 3-5 minutes to complete. The exact time will vary depending on the complexity of the assessment.
What is the purpose of LinkedIn skill assessments?
LinkedIn introduced skill assessments in 2020 as a way for members to showcase their professional capabilities and expertise. The assessments allow you to validate your skills and get recognized for your knowledge.
Completing skill assessments also gives LinkedIn more data to recommend relevant jobs and content to you. Plus, they provide a standardized way for employers to evaluate candidates at scale during the hiring process.
How are LinkedIn skill assessment questions structured?
The questions in LinkedIn skill assessments are multiple choice with usually 3-4 possible answers to choose from. The assessments draw from a large pool of possible questions, so you’re likely to get different questions each time you take a test.
The questions will test your applied knowledge rather than memorization of definitions. They tend to focus on best practices, concepts, analyzing scenarios, troubleshooting issues, and more advanced uses of the software or skill.
What skills are assessed on LinkedIn?
As of October 2022, there are over 140 skill assessments covering a wide range of professional domains, including:
- Software & programming languages like Excel, JavaScript, HTML, Photoshop
- IT & infrastructure skills like network security, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Business and management skills like project management, customer service
- Design skills like AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator
- Data skills like SQL, statistical analysis, Tableau
- Marketing and communications skills
- Manufacturing skills like Six Sigma, lean manufacturing
LinkedIn adds new assessments regularly based on demand. You can browse the full list of available skills here.
How do you take a LinkedIn skill assessment?
Taking a LinkedIn skill assessment is simple and straightforward:
- Go to the LinkedIn Skills section of your profile
- Under the skill you want to take an assessment for, click “Take skill quiz”
- Answer the 3-5 multiple choice questions presented
- Receive your results immediately after completing the quiz
It’s free to take LinkedIn skill assessments. You can retake assessments you’ve already passed to try improving your score, but you have to wait at least 14 days between retakes.
How is your LinkedIn skill assessment score calculated?
Your assessment score is calculated based on the percentage of questions you answer correctly. The scores range from “Beginner” for answering around 50% of questions right up to “Expert” for correctly answering around 90% or more.
Here is a breakdown of the LinkedIn skill assessment scoring levels:
| Score | Percentage Correct |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0% – 49% |
| Intermediate | 50% – 74% |
| Proficient | 75% – 89% |
| Expert | 90% – 100% |
Do you get a certificate for passing a LinkedIn skill assessment?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not award certificates for passing skill assessments at this time. The main credential you get is the badge that shows up on your profile signaling your level of proficiency in the skill.
However, many people showcase their LinkedIn skill assessment results in their resumes, portfolios or during interviews. So while it’s not an official certification, it does hold some weight as a credential validated by LinkedIn.
How can you prepare for a LinkedIn skill assessment?
Here are some tips to help you perform your best on a LinkedIn skill assessment:
- Thoroughly review the study guide for the assessment which outlines the concepts covered. You can find study guides on LinkedIn’s preparation site.
- Pay attention to the parts of the study guide that seem unfamiliar and research them more deeply.
- Practice your skills hands-on before taking the assessment.
- Think about how you would apply the skills in real-world scenarios.
- For coding assessments, practice writing code from scratch without references.
- Review example questions and practice tests online to understand the question structure.
- Get plenty of rest the night before so you’re refreshed for the assessment.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn skill assessments offer short, multiple choice quizzes that evaluate your applied knowledge in specific professional domains and software programs. They take just 3-5 minutes to complete.
The assessments provide a standardized way for you to validate your skills and get recognition for your capabilities. With over 140 assessments available, you can showcase your expertise across a wide range of in-demand skills.
While LinkedIn doesn’t issue certificates for passing assessments, the scores serve as credentials you can highlight in your resume and interviews. So take some time to thoroughly prepare using the study guides and practice resources LinkedIn provides. With focus and practice, you can perform your best and earn “Expert”-level designations for your target skills.