The LinkedIn skill quiz is an assessment tool on the LinkedIn platform that allows users to showcase their professional skills and knowledge. LinkedIn users can take short multiple-choice quizzes to demonstrate proficiency in over 300 skills across a variety of categories including software, programming languages, business tools, and more.
What is the purpose of the LinkedIn skill quiz?
The main purposes of the LinkedIn skill quiz are:
- To allow LinkedIn users to showcase specific skillsets and areas of expertise through verified assessments on their profile.
- To enable recruiters and hiring managers to identify candidates with proven skills.
- To empower LinkedIn users to stand out and get noticed by highlighting their professional capabilities.
- To motivate professionals to develop and maintain up-to-date skills that are in demand in the job market.
Passing a LinkedIn skill quiz gives users a verified skill badge that displays on their profile. This validates their proficiency in that specific skill area. The skill badges serve as credible endorsements of a user’s aptitude and can improve their visibility and professional opportunities on the platform.
How do you take a LinkedIn skill quiz?
Taking a LinkedIn skill quiz is simple and straightforward:
- Log in to your LinkedIn account on desktop or mobile.
- Go to the Skills section of your LinkedIn profile.
- Click on the skill you want to take a quiz for. You will see the option “Take quiz” next to skills you haven’t passed a quiz for.
- Review the details of the quiz and click “Start quiz”. The quizzes have between 5-15 multiple choice questions.
- Answer each question and click next. You cannot go back and change answers.
- After answering all questions, click “See my results”.
- If you pass the quiz, you will see your passing score and earn the verified skill badge. If you fail, you can immediately retake the quiz.
It typically takes just a few minutes to complete a LinkedIn skill quiz. You can take as many skill quizzes as you want free of charge. Note that you can only take each quiz once per day.
How are LinkedIn skill quizzes developed?
LinkedIn works with industry experts and specialized assessment providers like edX, Coursera, and Treehouse to develop valid and reliable skill quizzes. The quizzes are designed to assess a candidate’s practical ability and are regularly updated to align with the latest professional standards.
Each LinkedIn skill quiz focuses on real-world skills and capabilities used in jobs requiring that skill. The quiz questions and answers are based on expertise level distinctions and technical competencies required for that skill.
LinkedIn skill quizzes follow best practices in assessment development, including:
- Item writing – quiz questions are written by subject matter experts in adherence with standards.
- Content review – quiz questions are reviewed to ensure accuracy, technical correctness, and clarity.
- Psychometrics – quiz quality, difficulty, validity, and reliability are evaluated using statistical techniques.
- Beta testing – quizzes are beta tested by real users for refinement before being published.
- Regular updates – quizzes are periodically refreshed to keep pace with skill evolutions.
These rigorous processes allow LinkedIn to create standardized, high-quality skill quizzes aligned with real-world skill proficiency.
What skill quizzes are available on LinkedIn?
As of October 2022, there are over 300 LinkedIn skill quizzes spanning a diverse range of professional domains, including:
| Category | Sample Skill Quizzes |
|---|---|
| Software & Tools | Microsoft Excel, HubSpot, Tableau, Photoshop |
| IT & Programming | Java, Python, Linux, ethical hacking |
| Data Science | A/B testing, SQL, R, machine learning |
| Business | Project management, marketing, accounting, retail management |
| Design | Graphic design, UI/UX design, CAD, 3D modeling |
The full list of available LinkedIn skill quizzes can be browsed after clicking on the Skills section of your LinkedIn profile. This list is continually growing as more quizzes are added over time.
Who can take LinkedIn skill quizzes?
The LinkedIn skill quizzes are available to all LinkedIn members globally. You must have a registered LinkedIn account to access and take the skill quizzes.
Both individual subscribers on LinkedIn (free and premium accounts) as well as employees of companies with LinkedIn Learning seats can take the quizzes. They are available on both the LinkedIn Learning platform as well as the main LinkedIn platform.
Some of the quizzes require you to have a certain LinkedIn account type to take the test. For example, some quizzes require a Premium Business account. This is noted on the quiz page prior to taking the test.
Why should you take LinkedIn skill quizzes?
There are several benefits for LinkedIn members who take skill quizzes:
- Validate your skills – Earn verified skill badges that serve as proof of your abilities.
- Stand out to recruiters – Skill badges make your profile more visible and attractive to hiring managers.
- Demonstrate self-improvement – Show ongoing learning and upskilling through new skill badges.
- Gain confidence – Passing quizzes builds self-assurance in your capabilities.
- Assess skill gaps – Failed quizzes indicate areas for further skill development.
- Get noticed by LinkedIn – Passing quizzes can boost your profile in LinkedIn’s algorithm.
In short, passing LinkedIn skill quizzes can enhance your professional brand and open more career opportunities. The quizzes are a free and simple credentialing mechanism for any LinkedIn user.
How are LinkedIn skill quizzes scored?
Scoring for LinkedIn skill quizzes is determined by the total number of correct answers out of the total questions. The pass threshold is typically around 60-70% correct answers. If your score equals or exceeds the pass threshold, you receive the verified skill badge.
For example, if a quiz has 10 questions total and the passing score is 70%, you would need to correctly answer 7 out of the 10 questions to pass and earn the badge. You receive one point per correct answer. No points are deducted for incorrect answers.
Your specific quiz score (like 7/10) is not publicly displayed. Only the achieved skill badge is shown on your profile. Others can see that you passed and are verified for that skill, but not your precise score.
Some quizzes also have tiered skill badges (bronze, silver, gold) depending on higher passing thresholds. This provides more nuanced credentialing of higher skill levels.
What happens when you fail a LinkedIn skill quiz?
If you do not achieve the minimum passing score on a LinkedIn skill quiz, you fail and do not earn the verified skill badge. However, there are no penalties or downsides to failing a quiz. You can immediately retake any quiz you fail.
When you fail a quiz, you get feedback on which types of questions you struggled with. This allows you to discern areas to focus on improving your knowledge and trying the quiz again. You can retake a quiz as many times as needed.
Some tips if you fail a LinkedIn skill quiz include:
- Review the pages and modules associated with that skill in LinkedIn Learning to strengthen your knowledge.
- Make flashcards or notes on topics you struggled with to study.
- Ask a mentor or expert to suggest areas to focus your learning and development.
- Get hands-on practice and experience applying the skill through work or personal projects.
- Retake the quiz when you feel more confident and prepared in that skill area.
The goal of the quizzes is to validate genuine skills, so being unable to pass right away just means you need more practice and experience. With some dedicated learning, you will eventually pass.
Do LinkedIn skill quizzes expire?
Once achieved, LinkedIn skill badges do not expire. You keep the badges on your profile indefinitely after passing a quiz. This allows you to continue showcasing skills and capabilities you have proven proficiency in over the course of your career.
However, LinkedIn does periodically retire and replace outdated quizzes with new versions. If a quiz you previously passed is retired, you would keep the badge but would need to take the new version of the quiz to maintain the verified skill.
For this reason, it can be beneficial to periodically refresh your LinkedIn skills by retaking updated quizzes. This demonstrates an ongoing commitment to staying current in high-demand professional capabilities.
Can you cheat or game the LinkedIn skill quizzes?
LinkedIn employs several mechanisms to ensure the integrity of skill quiz results as credible verification of users’ expertise:
- Questions are displayed in randomized order.
- Only one quiz attempt is allowed per day to prevent brute force guessing.
- Questions are periodically refreshed to prevent memorization.
- Scores are determined by proficiency thresholds, not just passing grades.
- Certificates are provided upon passing to accredit the achievement.
Randomized questions, time restrictions, evolving content, and pass thresholds make effectively “cheating” the quizzes impractical. While some users may attempt shortcuts, legitimate skill demonstration is necessary for credentialing.
Conclusion
The LinkedIn skill quizzes provide a powerful platform for professionals to validate in-demand expertise. By showcasing proven competencies, LinkedIn members can stand out, become more attractive to hiring managers, and reach their career goals.
The short, practical quizzes efficiently assess real-world skills with minimal time investment. Additionally, they motivate continuous learning and development through fail-retry opportunities. Overall, participating in LinkedIn skill quizzes can empower professionals to realize their potential at every stage of their careers.
