Pre employment test for sales reps and SDRs
SkillsValidator is a pre employment test for sales reps that scores the work itself. Candidates write a short cold email, answer a realistic objection and plan a discovery call, then explain their own choices. You read a Skills Report with a score per skill and quoted evidence. It suits sales managers, founders and agencies hiring SDRs, account executives and account managers. Plans start at 99 USD per month, there is no sales call, and candidates never pay.
Skills Validation Report
Senior customer support specialist
A confident interview does not show how someone prospects
Sales candidates interview well because talking is the job. What an interview hides is the written and analytical work behind the first 90 days: researching an account, writing an email a stranger will answer, handling a price objection without discounting, and qualifying a lead honestly. A personality quiz or a general aptitude test measures none of that.
A work sample gives each finalist the same small piece of your pipeline. Because a chatbot can write a smooth email in seconds, SkillsValidator also asks explain-back questions about the candidate's own draft. A person who wrote it can say why the opening line mentions that detail. A person who pasted it often cannot.
What you see after a candidate finishes
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Role-specific tasks drafted from your job description, such as a cold email to a described buyer, a reply to a "we already use a competitor" objection, and a discovery call plan. You can edit every part.
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A rubric per skill, for example targeting, clarity of the ask, objection handling and qualification judgment.
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Explain-back follow-ups that ask the candidate to defend specific choices in their own answers.
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A Skills Report with scores, quoted evidence and suggested questions for your final interview or ride-along.
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Integrity signals such as paste events and time-on-task, sent to human review and never used for automatic rejection.
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PDF reports, share links and CSV export, so a founder or sales director sees the same evidence you saw.
From open sales role to evidence in four steps
1. Describe the role, your product, your buyer and your sales motion. SDR, inbound rep, account executive and account manager roles all work.
2. Review the drafted tasks and rubric. Swap in your real objections, ideal customer profile and pricing rules.
3. Send finalists a link. They complete the tasks and answer the follow-up questions in the time you set.
4. Open the Skills Report, compare candidates side by side, and use the quoted evidence to plan the last interview.
Test finalists rather than every applicant and a 99 USD plan covers a lot of hiring. The full workflow is on the how skills validation works page.
Sales roles teams test most
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Sales development rep, write a cold email and a follow-up for a described buyer and explain the angle.
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Account executive, plan a discovery call and respond to a pricing objection without giving the deal away.
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Account manager, draft a renewal note to a customer who is considering leaving.
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Inside sales or customer success hybrid, qualify three sample leads and justify which gets a call.
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Existing staff moving into sales, see employee skills assessment.
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Staffing firms placing sales talent, see recruiting agencies.
How the main approaches compare for sales hiring
| Question | Generic test library | Sales personality or aptitude test | SkillsValidator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical buyer | Teams screening many applicants | Sales managers wanting a trait profile | Managers and agencies testing finalists |
| Pricing | Varies by vendor, often credits or annual terms | Varies by vendor | Published plans from 99 USD per month |
| What you see | A knowledge or situational judgment score | A trait or fit profile | Written outreach and objection replies with quoted evidence |
| AI-assisted answers | Depends on tests and settings | Not designed for it | Explain-back questions on the candidate's own answers |
| Where it wins | Breadth of ready-made tests, fast volume screening | Quick, low-effort trait signal | Proof the person can produce the work you need |
Check each vendor's own site for current terms. If you screen hundreds of entry-level applicants, a library of standard tests may fit better as a first filter. For a head-to-head view against one of them, read the TestGorilla alternative page.
Published plans, no sales call
Starter is 99 USD per month (49 USD per month billed yearly) for 3 active roles, 50 candidates validated each month and 1 seat. Growth is 249 USD per month for 15 active roles, 300 candidates and 5 seats. Scale is 599 USD per month and Enterprise is 1499 USD per month. See the full pricing page for what each plan includes.
What is the best pre employment test for sales reps?
The best test mirrors the job. For sales reps that means a cold email, an objection reply and a call plan, scored on targeting, clarity and judgment, plus questions about the candidate's own work. SkillsValidator drafts that from your job description and shows the evidence behind every score.
Can a pre employment test show if an SDR can write a good cold email?
Yes, when the test asks for an actual email to a described buyer and scores it against a rubric. You see whether the opening is specific, the ask is clear and the length is sensible. A written email is stronger evidence than a multiple-choice question about outreach best practice.
How do I stop candidates from using AI on a sales skills test?
You cannot block every tool, so test understanding instead. Explain-back questions ask the candidate to defend specific choices in their own drafts. Someone who wrote them can answer in detail. Paste events and time-on-task go to human review, never to automatic rejection.
How much does a sales pre employment test cost?
Starter is 99 USD per month for 50 candidates validated, about 2 USD per candidate at full use. Compare that with the cost of a rep who misses quota for two quarters, including recruiting, ramp time and lost pipeline.
Do candidates have to pay or create an account?
No. The employer pays the subscription. Candidates open a link, complete the tasks and answer the follow-up questions at no cost.
Keep comparing before you buy
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Pre employment testing software pricing
Review pre employment testing software pricing.
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Small business hiring
See the version for small business hiring.
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Customer support representatives
See the sister page for customer support representatives.
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Sales assessment software and how to choose one
Read sales assessment software and how to choose one before you shortlist vendors.
Test your next sales hire on real work
Define one open role, review the drafted tasks, and invite your finalists. You will see what each person wrote and where the interview should dig deeper.