A passing score on a LinkedIn skill assessment demonstrates a certain level of proficiency in that particular skill. LinkedIn skill assessments allow users to showcase their knowledge and abilities in areas like computer programming, data science, design, and more. By passing these assessments, users can add verified skills to their LinkedIn profile, helping them stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. But what constitutes a passing score can vary between different LinkedIn skill assessments. There is no universal passing score that applies to all assessments on the platform. The specific cut-off for a passing score depends on the difficulty level and design of each individual quiz. In this article, we will take a closer look at what kind of scores are generally needed to pass LinkedIn skill assessments and how the passing standards compare between different tests.
What is a LinkedIn skill assessment?
LinkedIn skill assessments are short, standardized tests that measure a user’s knowledge and abilities in a certain skill area or professional domain. Some examples of the topics covered by LinkedIn skill assessments include:
– Programming languages like Python, JavaScript, C++, and Java
– Data science tools like R and MATLAB
– Design software like Photoshop and Illustrator
– Sales and marketing skills
– Administrative skills like data entry and scheduling
– Software and tools like Microsoft Excel
LinkedIn users have the option to take these assessments in order to demonstrate their proficiency and get a verified skill added to their profile. The assessments are multiple choice tests that can be taken online through the LinkedIn website. Some skill assessments may time limit of around 10-15 minutes. Others allow unlimited time for completion. After submitting the quiz, users are shown their results and whether they passed immediately.
Adding verified skills to a LinkedIn profile helps users stand out in the competitive job market by showcasing relevant skills to recruiters and hiring managers searching the platform. Passing one of the LinkedIn skill assessments provides an objective measure of a user’s abilities in the skill area covered by that assessment. Rather than making subjective claims about their skills in their profile, users can add verified skills that have been objectively confirmed through testing.
How are passing scores determined for LinkedIn skill assessments?
So how does LinkedIn actually determine what constitutes a passing score on each unique skill assessment? The company has not publicly released the exact methodology for setting passing standards on every assessment. However, LinkedIn has provided some insight into the general factors and principles used to determine passing scores:
– **Difficulty level** – Some skill assessments are designed to be more difficult than others. More advanced assessments in specialized skill areas tend to have higher bars for passing compared to basic assessments of common skills.
– **Design of questions** – The style of questions can impact difficulty as well. Assessments with a higher percentage of application questions or questions testing more complex uses of the skill tend to have higher requirements for passing.
– **Scoring model** – Many LinkedIn skill assessments use adaptive scoring models where the passing threshold may depend partially on the test taker’s performance. Doing well can result in more difficult questions which in turn raise the bar for what is considered a passing score.
– **Benchmarking** – LinkedIn conducts statistical benchmarking to normalize scores and evaluate passing standards based on the distribution of results across all test takers. Benchmarks help account for variations in difficulty across different versions of an assessment.
– **Field testing** – Before deploying a new skill assessment, LinkedIn conducts field testing to collect data on expected scores and refine the thresholds between pass/fail grades.
So in summary, while the exact passing scores are not disclosed, LinkedIn relies on psychometric best-practices to establish appropriate passing standards that reflect the difficulty and design of each unique assessment. The thresholds are set high enough to provide meaningful verification of skills, but not so high as to be unrealistic barriers for qualified professionals to demonstrate their abilities.
Passing scores for different types of LinkedIn skill assessments
While the specific passing scores for every LinkedIn assessment are not made public, we can look at trends and ranges for what is typically considered a passing level based on the reported experiences of many test takers. Here is an overview of the general passing standards for some of the major categories of LinkedIn skill assessments:
Programming languages
For assessments in programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Swift, Ruby, C++, and Java, passing scores tend to fall in the 60-80% range. Some examples based on user reports:
– Python: Around 60%
– JavaScript: Between 60-70%
– Swift: Approximately 70%
– Ruby: Roughly 70-75%
– C++: Around 75%
– Java: 70-80%
So for programming-related assessments, you will typically need to answer 60-80% of questions correctly in order to achieve a passing score. However, the exact thresholds may differ slightly between specific assessments.
Software and tools
Exams testing skills with common software and tools frequently have passing scores in the 70-90% range. Some reported examples include:
– Microsoft Excel: 70-80%
– Tableau: Approximately 80%
– SQL: Around 80%
– PowerPoint: Roughly 85%
– Photoshop: Around 90%
The passing standards tend to be higher for software tools compared to programming languages. But there is still variation between different specific assessments.
Specialized skill areas
For assessments in more advanced or specialized skill areas in fields like data science, sales, or design, passing scores are often set higher – in the 80-90% range. Some examples:
– MATLAB: Roughly 80%
– R: Around 85%
– Adobe Illustrator: Approximately 85%
– Salesforce administration: Around 90%
So for more specialized and advanced skills, you may need to answer 80-90% of questions correctly to pass the assessment and get your skill verified by LinkedIn.
Again, the specific percentages required to pass may differ slightly between individual assessments. But these general ranges provide an approximate idea of the scoring levels needed for passing grades in broad categories of LinkedIn skill exams.
Factors that affect your passing score
When trying to determine what constitutes a passing score for a LinkedIn skills assessment, it is important to keep these key factors in mind:
Assessment difficulty
Passing thresholds are higher for skill assessments labeled as “Intermediate” or “Advanced” compared to “Beginner” or “Basic” tests. More challenging exams require answering more questions correctly to demonstrate the skill proficiency needed to pass.
Question design
Assessments containing more applied skills questions or questions testing complex uses of skills tend to have higher passing standards. The style of questions factors into the difficulty level.
Testing time limits
Some assessments have generous time limits or no time limit, while others must be completed very quickly. Tighter time constraints generally correlate with higher passing percentages.
Adaptive scoring algorithms
Many LinkedIn skill quizzes use adaptive scoring which raises passing bars as you answer questions correctly. Doing well may require you to correctly answer even more questions to pass.
Prior performance and consistency
If you have taken the assessment before, your previous scores can impact the passing threshold. Failing multiple times may require you to achieve an even higher percentage to finally pass.
So in addition to the base difficulty of the assessment itself, your personal testing history and performance can impact the specific targets you need to hit to pass and add the skill to your LinkedIn profile.
How your results compare to others
Most LinkedIn skill assessments will provide you with information comparing your performance to other test takers after completing the quiz. This usually includes two key benchmarks:
Overall score percentile
Your overall score expressed as a percentile out of 100% compared to the scores of all others who have taken this assessment. A score of 95% means you scored better than 95% of test takers.
Proficiency level
A rating of “Beginner,” “Intermediate,” or “Advanced” representing how your skills compare to others based on your score. Achieving an “Intermediate” or “Advanced” rating usually corresponds to meeting the passing standard.
These benchmarks provide context on how your results stack up compared to the overall pool of test takers. You can use them as another data point when evaluating what makes for a passing score and where you stand in relation to others taking the assessment.
Retaking assessments to achieve a passing score
If you fail to achieve a passing score on your first attempt, you can retake most LinkedIn skill assessments after waiting a short waiting period – usually around one week. However, there are maximum limits to how many times you can attempt each assessment within a 12-month period – typically between 2 and 5 attempts.
With each retake, you may need to achieve a higher score than on previous attempts to finally pass if you are using an adaptive scoring model. Reviewing your mistakes from previous attempts and thoroughly preparing can help boost your scores with each retake. Staying persistent and continuing to sharpen your skills can eventually help you pass.
Some tips for passing on retakes include:
– Carefully reviewing questions you missed and learning those skill areas
– Studying guides, resources, and courses to strengthen your knowledge
– Ensuring you are ready to complete the test within any time limits
– Taking practice tests to gauge your progress
With the right preparation and persistence, you can use retakes as learning opportunities until you achieve the passing standard for adding that skill to your LinkedIn profile.
Appealing failed assessment results
If you believe that your failed assessment score does not accurately reflect your true abilities, LinkedIn does offer an appeal process in some cases. You can file an appeal if:
– You have technical difficulties during the assessment such as software errors.
– You believe the questions contained errors or ambiguities.
– You suspect scoring errors in how your test was processed and graded.
Appeals must be submitted within 15 days of receiving your results. Upon review, LinkedIn may let you retake the assessment or overturn your results and award a passing score. However, appeals are only warranted when you have clear grounds with supporting evidence, not simply because you disagree with a failing score.
Conclusion
In summary, passing scores for LinkedIn skill assessments can vary based on the specific test, but typical cut-offs fall around 60-90% for most assessments based on reported user experiences. Higher difficulty levels, tighter time limits, and adaptive scoring algorithms generally correlate with higher passing standards. While the exact passing percentages are not disclosed, performing higher than the majority of other test takers and achieving an “Intermediate” or “Advanced” proficiency benchmark indicates you have passed and can add the skill to your LinkedIn profile. With persistence and preparation, those struggling to pass can continue retaking assessments until they demonstrate the skill proficiency to meet the bar. Overall, passing a LinkedIn skills assessment provides objective confirmation of your abilities in the knowledge area covered by the exam.