Skip to main content

Taking an assessment (participant guide)

When a candidate opens an assessment and starts answering questions, they enter Skilladder's assessment-taking experience — a focused view designed for completing the test without distractions from the broader admin interface.

What the experience looks like​

The assessment screen shows one or more questions at a time depending on how the assessment is configured. Navigation between questions uses the on-screen buttons.

A connection status bar appears at the top of the assessment (not shown in preview mode). It tells the candidate whether their answers are syncing to Skilladder:

StatusWhat it means
ConnectedAnswers are saving normally.
Offline — answers saved locallyThe browser lost network access. Answers are kept in this tab until connectivity returns.
Reconnecting…Network is back; pending answers are uploading.
Connected — answers syncedPending answers finished uploading (brief confirmation before returning to Connected).

Short-answer questions also show a small save indicator next to the field: Saving…, Saved, or Saved locally when offline.

Saving progress automatically​

Progress is saved automatically as the candidate works through questions. They do not need to click a separate save button for each answer.

  • Multiple-choice and similar question types save as soon as a selection is made.
  • Short-answer questions save shortly after the candidate stops typing (a short pause avoids saving on every keystroke).
  • If the network is available, answers sync to the server in the background.
  • If the network drops, answers are stored locally in the current browser tab and upload when connectivity returns.

Candidates should keep the same browser tab open while taking a timed assessment. Closing the tab clears locally buffered answers for that session (server-saved answers from earlier syncs are still kept).

Returning after a break or refresh​

If a candidate steps away and comes back in the same browser before the assessment deadline:

  • Skilladder looks for their in-progress attempt for that assessment.
  • Previously synced answers are restored from the server.
  • Any newer answers that were only saved locally in that tab are merged in before the UI loads.
  • The candidate is taken to the first unanswered question rather than starting from question one.

If they already submitted the assessment, they cannot resume — a new attempt follows the programme's attempt rules.

Timer​

Timed assessments show a countdown at the top. The timer accounts for time already spent if the candidate resumes an in-progress session, so they do not get a full duration reset after refresh.

A stable internet connection still matters for keeping the timer and answers aligned with the server.

Finishing and submitting​

The Submit button (or final-step equivalent) is only available when:

  • The browser is online, and
  • All locally buffered answers have finished uploading.

If the candidate tries to submit while offline, they see a message that submission will continue automatically once connection is restored and pending answers have synced.

After completing all questions and submitting:

  • Some assessments show a results summary page immediately — this gives a provisional score or overview.
  • Others don't show results straight away — this usually means the company has chosen to review results before releasing them, or the programme's policy is not to share scores immediately.

If a candidate asks "why can't I see my score?", the most common answer is that the company running the programme has chosen to withhold results until after review. This is not a technical issue — it's a deliberate setting.

Recommendations for candidates​

  • Use a supported desktop browser — Chrome or Firefox work best. Mobile browsers can work but some assessment formats are designed for desktop.
  • Avoid browser extensions that block scripts or network activity (ad blockers, strict privacy tools) — these can interfere with question loading, autosave, or reconnect sync.
  • Prefer a stable internet connection, especially for timed assessments.
  • If they go offline briefly, wait for "Connected — answers synced" before submitting.
  • Do not rely on copying answers elsewhere as a backup — use the built-in local save and resume behaviour instead.

See also​