How to Use Weighted Scores in Testlify

Weighted scores let you control how much each test contributes to a candidate's final score in an assessment. This guide covers how both scoring modes work, walks through concrete examples, and shows you how to configure weighted scoring step by step.

Before you begin

Weights apply only to tests that produce a percentage score. You cannot assign weights to the following test types:

Typing speed tests
Big 5 (OCEAN)
Enneagram
16 types
DISC
Culture Fit
Values Assessment
Work Style Assessment
Motivation & Drives
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
Any personality or behavioral assessment that outputs traits or profiles instead of percentages

How weighted scores work

Testlify offers two scoring modes:

Score-based (default): Each test's impact is proportional to its raw score relative to all other test scores. No manual configuration needed.
Weight-based: You manually assign a multiplier (0–5) to each test. Higher weights give that test more influence on the candidate's final score.

Unlike many platforms, Testlify includes custom questions in the weighted scoring calculation, so your unique evaluation criteria count toward the final result.

Key features

Custom questions included: Custom questions count toward weighted scores, ensuring your bespoke criteria carry real weight.
Exclude a test with weight x0: Setting a weight of x0 removes a test from the final score entirely. The candidate still completes it, but it has no impact on their overall result — useful for culture or values tests you want completed without affecting rankings.
Per-assessment scoring preference: Switch between Score-based and Weight-based at the assessment level to tailor the approach per role.

Example: Score-based calculation

With 4 tests, Testlify calculates each test's impact as its score divided by the total of all scores, multiplied by 100:

Test 1: Score = 100 → Impact = 10%
Test 2: Score = 400 → Impact = 40%
Test 3: Score = 300 → Impact = 30%
Test 4: Score = 200 → Impact = 20%

Formula: Test Score Impact = (Test Score / Sum of all test scores) × 100

Example: Weight-based calculation

With 4 tests, the default impact is 25% each (100% ÷ 4).

After assigning custom weights:

Test 1: Weight = 3
Test 2: Weight = 1
Test 3: Weight = 1
Test 4: Weight = 3

To exclude a test from scoring, set its weight to x0. It will not affect the candidate's final result.

With candidate scores of Test 1: 80%, Test 2: 70% (weight 0), Test 3: 90%, Test 4: 50%, the weighted score is:

Weighted Score = ((80 × 3) + (70 × 0) + (90 × 1) + (50 × 3)) / (3 + 0 + 1 + 3)
= (240 + 0 + 90 + 150) / 7
= 480 / 7 = 68.57%

How to configure weighted scoring

Open your assessment and go to Assessment Settings → Configuration.
In the Scoring Preference dropdown, select Weight Based.
Click Edit Weight to open the weight matrix.
Assign a weight from 0 to 5 for each test. By default, all tests are equally weighted.
Save your changes. Testlify immediately recalculates each candidate's final score using the new weights.

Why use weighted scores?

Customized evaluation: Prioritize the skills and competencies that matter most for each role.
Better decision-making: Get a more accurate, role-relevant picture of candidate suitability by reducing the influence of less critical tests.

Common questions

Why can't I add weights to some tests?

Weights require a percentage-based score. Personality and culture assessments output traits or profiles rather than percentages, so they cannot be included in weighted score calculations. See the full list of unsupported test types in the Before you begin section above.

Quick reference

Custom questions: Included in weighted scoring.
Default impact: 100% divided by the number of tests.
Impact with weights: Default impact multiplied by the assigned weight.
Weight x0: Excludes a test from the final score entirely.
Score-based: Impact is proportional to raw test scores — no manual setup required.
Weight-based: You control each test's impact using multipliers from 0 to 5.

Need help? Contact support.