Call Center Assessment Test: Parts and How to Prepare
Luca from Candidate Falcon
Editorial Team
Almost every call centre job starts with an online assessment. In the Philippines it is usually called the BPO assessment; elsewhere, the pre-employment test or skills assessment. The names differ, but the parts are much the same: an English check, a listening or speaking test, a typing test, customer scenarios and, for some accounts, a chat simulation or a personality questionnaire.
This guide explains each part, what employers say about it and how to prepare. We use Harver as the main example, because it is a common platform in contact-centre hiring and its help centre documents every module in public. Your own test may come from another provider, but the formats are similar.
At a glance
| Part | What you do | Usually for | Harver module |
|---|---|---|---|
| English: grammar, vocabulary, reading | Multiple-choice questions | Every account | Language proficiency |
| Listening and spoken English | Read aloud, listen and repeat, answer questions out loud | Voice accounts | Spoken language |
| Typing | Copy sentences exactly against the clock | Every account, stricter for chat and email | Typing test |
| Customer scenarios | Pick the best and worst response to a customer situation | Every account | Situational judgement |
| Chat simulation | Handle several chats at once with ready-made replies | Chat and email accounts | Live chat |
| Written replies | Write a short reply to a customer | Some chat and email accounts | Writing |
| Personality | Rate statements about how you work | Many employers | Personality |
| Reasoning and system checks | Short logic questions; internet and computer checks | Some employers; remote roles | Logical reasoning |
Who uses which platform
Harver names Alorica, Sitel (now Foundever) and Startek among the contact centres it works with, and publishes a case study with Arvato. Concentrix's careers FAQ explains that "Harver is a virtual assessment tool" it uses to evaluate candidates, and one of TTEC's own careers articles tells chat applicants to prepare for "the Harver language proficiency and typing tests".
Harver is not the only option. Foundever's How to Apply page says its assessment invitation comes from makipeople.com, the domain of another assessment company, Maki, and candidates mention Versant English tests at some employers. The sender of your invitation tells you the platform. We compare Concentrix, Teleperformance, TTEC and Foundever assessments and cover the Alorica assessment separately.
1. English: grammar, vocabulary and reading
Most BPO assessments start with written English. Harver's language proficiency test has three sections, vocabulary, grammar and reading, all multiple choice, and the score is the percentage you get right. Concentrix advises reviewing basic grammar and vocabulary before its online tests, and TTEC says it looks for clarity, comprehension and basic grammar rather than perfect English.
An example (our own): choose the word that completes the sentence.
"I'm sorry for the delay. Your replacement card ___ within five working days."
(a) arrive (b) will arrive (c) arriving (d) arrived
The answer is (b): a promise about the future needs "will arrive". Questions like this test the grammar you use every day with customers: tenses, agreement, prepositions and polite phrasing.
2. Listening and spoken English
Voice accounts test how you sound. Harver's spoken language assessment records your voice: you say single words, read a text aloud and listen to a sentence (you can replay it) before repeating it. Some employers add two or four open questions that you answer in your own words within a set time. Harver scores pronunciation and fluency automatically and reports a CEFR level, an IELTS band or a percentage.
TTEC describes similar tasks in its guide to BPO language assessments: a short self-introduction, reading a paragraph aloud, listening to a recording and repeating it or answering a question, and a mock call. It also says you do not need a perfect neutral accent, only clear pronunciation.
3. Typing test
Every agent types notes while talking, so almost every assessment includes a typing test. In Harver's version you copy sentences into boxes exactly, with capitals and punctuation. The clock starts when you click into the first box, arrow keys and paste are blocked, and a sentence with a mistake shows a red cross that you must fix. The score is net words per minute, and Harver puts the average at 38.
Requirements vary by account. TTEC Pampanga asks chat applicants for at least 35 words per minute with accuracy. See our guide to the call center typing test for speeds and practice tips.
4. Customer-service scenarios (situational judgement)
This is the part candidates find hardest to judge. You read or watch a customer situation and choose how to respond. In Harver's format you mark the best response with a thumbs up and the worst with a thumbs down, from three to five options. Harver writes the scenarios for each employer and keys them on what its best agents do: picking the keyed best or worst earns a point, a neutral option earns nothing, and reversing them loses a point.
An example (our own): a customer says this is the third time they have called about the same billing error, and asks for a manager.
- A. Apologise, take ownership, check the account history and explain what you will do now.
- B. Tell the customer that managers are busy and they should call back later.
- C. Transfer the call to a manager straight away, without checking the account.
In our example, A is the best response: it owns the problem and moves it forward. B is the worst, because it blocks the customer and solves nothing. C is not terrible, but it skips the work you could do yourself.
Candidates call this part different things: "customer care", "situational test" or "call scenarios". It often decides whether you continue. Our article on situational judgement and situational strengths tests explains how these tests work.
5. Chat simulation (chat and email accounts)
For chat accounts, Harver offers a live chat simulation. After a practice chat you have 12 minutes to handle three customers, who arrive 30 to 60 seconds apart, so you usually juggle two or three at once. For each message you choose one of three written replies; there is no typing. Some replies depend on details in a side panel, such as an order or a returns policy. Harver scores reply quality (customer focus, problem solving and clear communication) and response time.
Some employers also ask for written replies. Harver's writing assessment, launched in 2026, gives one to six customer-service tasks, each answered in 300 to 800 characters, with paste disabled.
6. Personality or behaviour questions
Many BPOs add a personality questionnaire. Harver's Personality Print for hourly roles has 67 statements and takes about 7 minutes. Each statement has two possible endings, and you rate on a scale of 1 to 6 which one fits you better. You cannot go back. There are no right answers, but your profile is compared with what the employer wants, so a candidate can fail this part. Answer honestly and consistently.
7. Reasoning and system checks
Some assessments include short reasoning tasks. A candidate at TTEC in May 2026 described a logical reasoning part and basic website and tech questions alongside the language and typing tests. Harver's cognitive test has five possible subtests: logical reasoning, verbal reasoning, perceptual speed, number sequences and spatial reasoning, and the employer chooses which to use.
For remote roles, expect technical checks. Concentrix says work-from-home applicants have their internet speed and system requirements tested. Harver's internet speed test measures download, upload and latency on your home connection, and its system checker is a small app that reviews your computer, browser and screen. TTEC says tech checks can come after a job offer.
Mock calls and interviews
The online assessment is rarely the last step. TTEC's language guide describes a mock call where a recruiter or a computer program plays the customer. A Concentrix candidate in 2025 described a mock call during the final interview, after watching a training video once. Practise a simple call structure: greet, listen, show empathy, ask clarifying questions, solve, and close politely.
How the assessment is scored
Employers rarely publish pass marks. In Harver, the chat simulation and cognitive subtests compare you with other test takers (50% is average), while the judgement and language tests show the percentage you got right. The employer decides whether you see your results, and TTEC says passing scores vary by company and account.
How to prepare for a call center assessment test
- Read the invitation. It tells you the parts, the deadline and the device. Concentrix says the clock starts as soon as you open a module, and TTEC asks you to finish within 24 to 48 hours.
- Use a laptop, Chrome, a headset and a quiet room. The typing test needs a physical keyboard. TTEC suggests setting aside about 20 minutes for its assessment.
- Finish each section in one go. In Harver, a section left part-way restarts, and submitted answers cannot be changed.
- Practise typing for accuracy. A high speed with many errors lowers your score.
- Read aloud every day for a week. Short news articles or product pages, at a steady pace.
- Think like a good agent in scenarios. Empathy, ownership, policy and a solution, in that order.
- Prepare a one-minute introduction and a few examples of helping someone who was upset.
- Do it yourself. Some employers turn on proctoring, which takes photos, blocks copy and paste and flags tab switching.
- If you fail, ask about a retake. TTEC says many companies let you reapply after 30 to 90 days.
Practise the Harver formats
Candidate Falcon has independent Harver-style practice for each part above, linked in the table, plus the multitasking test and the five cognitive subtests. The situational judgement test, for example, has 8 original contact-centre scenarios scored with Harver's published rule and our own key. All of it uses original questions, scenarios and chats built from Harver's public descriptions. It is not any employer's test or Harver's, and practice results are not Harver scores. Playing it needs a plan that includes Harver; see pricing. Start from the Harver practice hub or read the free Harver assessment guide.
FAQs
What is a call center assessment test?
An online test that BPOs and contact centres use to screen applicants. It usually checks written English, listening or speaking, typing and how you handle customer situations, and sometimes personality, chat skills or your home internet.
What is in a BPO assessment test in the Philippines?
Most combine a grammar and vocabulary test, a speaking or listen-and-repeat test, a typing test and customer scenarios. Chat accounts add a chat simulation or written replies, and many employers add a personality questionnaire.
How long does a call center assessment take?
TTEC suggests about 20 minutes for its assessment. Flows with more modules take longer, and one Alorica candidate described about two hours on Zoom, including waiting and a restart.
What typing speed do call centers require?
It depends on the account. TTEC Pampanga asks chat applicants for at least 35 words per minute with accuracy, and Harver puts the average test taker at 38 net words per minute.
Can I retake a failed BPO assessment?
Often, after a waiting period. TTEC says many companies allow you to reapply after 30 to 90 days, and candidates report being offered retakes at some employers.
Sources
- Harver candidate help centre on the typing test, live chat simulation, situational judgement test, spoken language assessment and saving progress, plus language proficiency and the live chat hiring playbook (read October 2026).
- Concentrix careers FAQs (read October 2026): Harver, online test content, timing and work-from-home checks.
- TTEC careers: remote hiring process, what happens after you apply for a CSR role (May 2026), how to pass a BPO language assessment (April 2026) and chat support at TTEC Pampanga (August 2025).
- Foundever: how to apply (read October 2026): assessment invitation senders.
- r/BPOinPH posts (individual reports, read October 2026): TTEC walk-in assessment, May 2026, customer care scenarios, January 2025 and Concentrix mock call, August 2025.
Candidate Falcon is independent and not affiliated with Harver, Maki, Versant or any employer named here.
