How to Create and Manage Assessments on Testlify

This guide covers every stage of assessment management on Testlify — from creation through archiving and deletion. All steps work on both free trial and paid plans.

In this article:

1. What is an assessment?
2. Create an assessment
3. Edit an assessment
4. Clone an assessment
5. Archive an assessment
6. Delete an assessment

Before you begin

You must have an active Testlify account with the role of Owner, Admin, or Member. If you do not have an account yet, register for free.

What is an assessment?

An assessment is a collection of tests and questions used to evaluate a candidate for a specific job role. Each assessment can include three types of content:

• Qualifying questions — Screening questions candidates must answer before the main test. If a candidate answers incorrectly, they are disqualified automatically. Examples: years of experience, license type, or required skill level.
• Tests — Skill-based evaluations drawn from Testlify's library of 1,000+ pre-built tests.
• Custom questions — Questions you design to assess work history, personality, or role-specific knowledge.

Create an assessment

1. Click "Create New Assessment" in the top-right corner of your dashboard.
2. Name the assessment and enter the Job Role. The name helps you track assessments; the job role lets Testlify recommend relevant tests.
3. Select tests from the Test Library.
   • Use the search box or the Test type filter to find tests by skill area.
   • Click any test card to read its summary, view tagged skills, and preview sample questions via the View Sample Questions button.
   • Click Add to include a test. Added tests appear in the cart on the right, with the running total time.

Tip: Keep the total assessment time under 60 minutes. Longer assessments increase candidate drop-off rates.

Add qualifying and custom questions

1. In the assessment builder, go to the Questions section and click the Custom tab.
2. Select Qualifier Questions to add screening questions.
3. Write your questions and mark them as qualifying. Candidates who answer a qualifying question incorrectly are disqualified and cannot continue.
4. Add any additional custom questions to evaluate experience, motivation, or job-specific skills.

Review and configure settings

1. After adding questions, review the assessment settings to apply the right proctoring controls for your use case.
2. Consider enabling optional settings — Welcome Video, Completion, Information, Grading, and Report — if they apply to your assessment.
3. Click Save (bottom-right) to publish the assessment.

Next steps after creating an assessment

• Preview the assessment — Attempt it yourself before inviting candidates. This lets you catch issues with tests or questions early. If you find problems, clone the assessment, fix the clone, and use that instead.
• Invite candidates — Send individual or bulk email invitations, or share the Public Link.

Edit an assessment

You can edit an assessment at any time. Changes apply only to newly invited candidates — candidates already invited before the edit are not affected.

1. Go to the Assessments tab and click the arrow on the far right of the assessment row.
2. On the assessment detail page, click Edit (top-right, below your profile icon).
3. Make your changes, then click Save.

Clone an assessment

Cloning copies an existing assessment — including its tests, qualifying questions, custom questions, and settings — so you can adapt it without starting from scratch.

1. Go to the Assessments page and click the three-dot menu on the far right of the assessment row.
2. Select Make a copy.
3. Update the clone's name, questions, or settings as needed, then invite candidates.

Archive an assessment

Archiving removes an assessment from your active list without deleting it. You can view and restore archived assessments at any time.

1. Click the three-dot menu on the far right of the assessment row.
2. Select Archive.
3. To view archived assessments, click the Status filter next to the search bar and select Archived.

Important: Once archived, the assessment becomes inactive. Candidates who were already invited will see an "Unavailable Access" error. Confirm you are ready before archiving.

Delete an assessment

You can delete an assessment only if no candidates have been invited. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

1. Click the arrow button on the far right of the assessment row.
2. Select Delete and confirm.

Need help? Contact support.