Last reviewed: 4 April 2022
- Testing and assessment must only be used to evaluate candidates’ ability to perform tasks that will be involved in the job.
- Employers have a duty to make adjustments to tests and assessments for disabled candidates.
- Communicate with candidates about what testing will be involved so they can know what adjustments they may need.
- Employers also have responsibility to ensure the fairness of tests carried out on their behalf by external partners – see the resources in ‘Section 5 – Outsourcing recruitment services’ in this Toolkit.
Avoiding discrimination in tests and assessments
Standardised tests and assessments can be an attractive option for employers, as they can seem to give results that allow you to compare candidates. However, it is important not to test or assess candidates’ ability to perform tasks or perform tasks in a way that is not an essential or core part of the role.
Consider the following when conducting tests and assessments:
Telling applicants and candidates about tests and assessments beforehand
Applicants should know what the application process will involve, and know the necessary details of any tests and assessments. They may need adjustments, and they will only be able to ask for them if they know what to expect.
Tell applicants and candidates if there will be tests and assessments, what this will involve and how they will be carried out. Invite them at every stage of the recruitment process to ask for adjustments.
Making sure you are only testing essential parts of the role
Some employers may have a blanket policy of conducting a certain test with all applicants, but not every candidate might have to perform the tasks that are being tested, or in the way that they are being tested.
Equally, a test may ask a candidate to perform a task that is involved in the role, but is not a core or essential part of it. For example, a test to see how many words an employee can type per minute may not be applicable if typing could be separated out of the role, done in a different way or done by someone else.
Providing adjustments to tests and assessments
The purpose of tests and assessments is to find out how a candidate would perform in the role, and therefore you should allow candidates to have adjustments that they would be able have in the role if they were in post.
However, you do not have to provide an adjustment to let a candidate perform the test or assessment in a way that would not be possible in the role. For example, you could allow a candidate with dyslexia to have extra time on a writing or reading test if, when in post, they would be able to have longer. However, if reading and writing within a set amount of time is a core part of the role, it would not be reasonable to give them extra time in the test. Doing so might set them up to fail because in the job itself they will be told that they are not working fast enough. See ‘Adjustments to tests and assessments’ below for more information about adjustments.
As stated above, you should let candidates know what tests and assessments will be involved in the recruitment process in advance, so they can tell you if they will need adjustments. However, there may be occasions where the need for adjustments only becomes apparent on the day. In these cases, you still have a duty to make adjustments where you can. If necessary and possible, postpone the assessment until you have had time to make arrangements, for example creating large print versions of the test or providing an interpreter.
Example
Sonia has applied for a role as an administrator at a hospital in Sheffield. She has dyslexia and a condition that means she sometimes needs to use a stick when she walks and finds it hard to use the stairs or walk long distances.
She receives an email telling her that her application has been shortlisted, and that the next stage is an interview which includes a half-hour computer-based assessment. The email includes contact information to ask for adjustments.
She contacts the hospital using the provided contact information to ask for adjustments. She asks if she can have extra time for the assessment because of her dyslexia, and asks for the interview and assessment to be somewhere she can access without having to use stairs.
She receives a reply saying that unfortunately she cannot have any extra time, as in the role she would sometimes need to complete these tasks quickly and within a set time. Instead, the contact offers her the option of using screenreader software that may be helpful. She also receives reassurance that the interview venue will be accessible by lift, and the reply includes detailed instructions for finding the right place when she arrives.
What barriers can there be in tests and assessments?
Communication barriers
Some disabled candidates may face communication barriers in tests and assessments. These barriers may relate to:
- Reading and writing – for example, candidates with sight loss, dyslexia or disabilities that affect their fine motor skills. These candidates may need audio versions of tests, extra time to complete the test, or specialist equipment such as ergonomic computer mice and keyboards and speech-to-text software.
- Speaking – for example, candidates with mental health conditions such as anxiety, candidates with multiple sclerosis or other disabilities that affect muscle control, and candidates with neurodiverse conditions such as autism or ADHD.
- Body language – for example, candidates with conditions such as autism may not present the expected body language during a test such as giving a presentation. The body language of candidates with fluctuating conditions or chronic pain may also seem unexpected if they are experiencing a flare-up or struggling to manage their condition.
- Preparation and organisation – for example, if there is a test or assessment that requires prior preparation, a candidate with a condition such as ADHD may find this more difficult than other candidates. You could consider giving them extra time to prepare for the test or allowing them to use notes they’ve taken to prepare – if candidates would be able to have these in the job.
Physical barriers
There can also be barriers in the physical premises where the test takes place. Make sure that any venue you use for tests and assessments is completely accessible before you invite candidates to assessment.
Refer to our ‘Premises accessibility checklist’ to see what you need to check.
Online and remote tests and assessments
The duty on employers to avoid discrimination and make adjustments also applies to online and remote testing.
Communicate with candidates about what you are testing and how they should complete the test. This applies for all testing, but especially with online or remote testing, as it may be harder for them to ask for clarification if they aren’t doing it in person. Consider providing guidance to candidates about how they should complete the assessment if necessary. For more advice, see our resource ‘Communicating with applicants and candidates’.
Make sure to test the accessibility of any online platforms you use to conduct testing. If possible, allow candidates to practice using the testing platform before the test itself, so they can familiarise themselves with how it works and discover if they need any adjustments. Do this with enough time for them to ask for adjustments and for those adjustments to be put in place.
Some disabled people may not be computer-literate or confident using the internet. It may be reasonable to allow them to take a paper test in person if this is the case – provided that they won’t have to use a computer in the role.
Example
John has applied for a job as a stock assistant at a supermarket. He has a learning disability and is not confident using computers. However, he currently works as a stock assistant and so feels sure that he could do the job. A small part of the job involves using a computer, and he has had specific training on these tasks until he has become confident at performing them.
Part of the recruitment process involves a situational awareness assessment, which asks multiple choice questions about how he would respond in different situations. This assessment is usually conducted online, with the candidate filling in an online form with their answers.
John asks if he could take the test a different way – he explains that due to his learning disability he is not a confident computer user. However, he says that he can learn how to complete tasks involved in the role that use a computer, he just might need a little longer for training on any computer-based tasks.
The supermarket instead offers to let him take the assessment as a paper form on which he can select his answers and then return the form. This is a reasonable adjustment as John would not have to fill in forms online in the role. John says that this would work for him.
He completes the assessment as a paper form, and the supermarket was impressed with his answers. They offer him the job, and he starts work a few weeks later.
Adjustments to tests and assessments
Some examples of adjustments you can make to tests and assessments are:
- Change the format of the test, for example, from written into audio, or from small into large print.
- Allow written tests to be done on a computer which is compatible with adaptive software.
- Allow for the presence of a support worker.
- Weight the total score to take into account processes that the applicant identifies as problematic because of their disability.
- Apply a more qualitative and flexible approach to scoring. Comparisons with the ‘norm’ may be neither accurate nor useful.
- Ensure the venue and workstation is accessible, for example, a large monitor screen might be needed for a particular candidate.
- Be flexible with time. A candidate may, for example, need to stand or walk around to alleviate back pain or write slowly because of their disability.
- Send a practice test to the candidate prior to interview so that the candidate can specify adjustments needed. This will also reassure a disabled candidate who fears an inaccessible test.
This is not an exhaustive list. What is reasonable and possible will depend on the role, the nature of the test and individual. For more information, see our resource ‘Adjustments to tests and assessments.’
For more advice about deciding whether an adjustment is reasonable, see the resource ‘What is ‘reasonable’ in recruitment?’ in this Toolkit.
For advice about a specific situation, contact our Advice Service.
Read next
- Adjustments to tests and assessments
- Communicating with applicants and candidates
- What is ‘reasonable’ in recruitment?
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