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What is the Search Engine Evaluator Exam?
The qualification test/exam conducted by Google with the help of search evaluator companies to find the next search engine evaluator is called the search engine evaluator exam.
This test weeds out all other applicants and takes only the best of the best candidates who have demonstrated their potential ability for rating by scoring a certain percentage in the exam.
This grueling test serves as a barrier between the deserving and the non-deserving candidates and between the hard-working and not-so-hard-working candidates.
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Who conducts this test?
The exam is conducted by the vendors on behalf of the client. The exam questions are set by the client themselves but the logistics are handled by the companies.
Which companies use this test?
This qualification test is used by the following companies-
- Telus
- WeLocalize
- RWS
to hire Raters on behalf of their client
Different names for this qualification test
The evaluator companies like to confuse us by assigning different names to the search engine evaluator job.
Likewise, they like to confuse us by naming this test differently in different countries although it is the same thing!
Telus likes to call it as
- Internet Safety Evaluator Test
- Personalized Internet Assessor Test
- Rater Qualification Test
- Web Search Evaluator Test, and so on
WeLocalize likes to call it as
- Scout Search Quality Test
RWS likes to call it as
- Search Engine Evaluator Test
Whatever the name, they all mean the same damn thing!
What is the need for this rater test?
Every day hundreds of people apply to work as a search engine evaluator with the above evaluator companies.
There has to be a way to find the most capable person who is attentive to minute details, who can follow instructions, and who keeps in mind all the KPIs and parameters, before actually rating in real life.
Hence this tough test is conducted to trim down the applicants and select the best ones that get through.
When is this test conducted?
From my experience of 8 years working in this industry, I can confidently say that this test is conducted almost all year round.
I am not saying that it is conducted every other month. But I am willing to bet that it is conducted at least 3 – 4 times a year.
But it all depends on their client’s (Google) requirements. If they need more people for a particular country, then the evaluator companies will help conduct more number of tests there.
If they no longer require raters in a particular country, then the evaluator companies won’t conduct any tests there.
How tough is this qualification test?
This is a grueling test and one of the toughest exams that I’ve appeared in my life!
I failed in the first attempt, but somehow got through in the second (consider yourself very lucky if you are awarded a second attempt these days – the number of applicants is way too high to warrant giving a second chance to candidates).
Unlike school exams, where we just need to score 30 – 45% to pass the test, here you need to score at least 80% overall to even qualify!
How soon do we get the result?
There are three parts to this test-
- For the first (theory) part, you get the result immediately (The passing score is around 85%)
- For the second (practical) part too, you get the test result almost instantly. (The passing score is around 75%)
- For the final part, you won’t get the result immediately. It takes some time. I suspect the last part is examined manually while the first two parts aren’t. (The passing score is around 75%)
Do we get to know the scores?
Never!
Think about it, if you are an employer and you hire hundreds of people every year or month, would you be comfortable or even have time to give out scores for each person while also showing where they’ve made the mistakes?
No right?
Doing so would simply make your life difficult. The same goes for this test. Your actual scores are never revealed, and rightfully so.
What is the passing percentage?
I’ve been blogging about this search evaluator job since December 2016. You can check my archives if you want to verify.
In my almost 3 years of blogging (and 3+ years of working as an evaluator), I’ve referred thousands of people to Appen (formerly Leapforce).
But hardly a few hundred have gone on to crack this test and work as an evaluator.
I did quick math and found out that hardly 1/100 people pass this test. It is based on my math, backed up by solid data that I have.
So the passing percentage is hardly 1%.
Do we get paid for the time spent studying for the test?
Did you get paid to study in college? I guess you took student loans to pay them instead.
You got into debt to get a degree that won’t or didn’t get you a decent job.
So please don’t complain!
What is the exam based on?
The exam is completely based on Google-provided General Guidelines.
The Guideline is the Bible of search engine evaluator work. And it is the only material that you will be supplied for the test, it is the only thing that you need.
Do I have to be a technical person to appear for the test and work as an evaluator?
Not at all!
You don’t need to be a technical person, you don’t need to do math calculations, code programs, or use complex software.
You should just be comfortable using a smartphone (iOS or Android) and a desktop/laptop (Windows, Mac, or Chromebook).
Search Engine Evaluator/Internet Analyst/Rater Exam Strategy for Telus, WeLocalize, and RWS
As soon as you get the General Guidelines from the evaluator company you apply to, read it like hell. You get ten days to read and complete the test. Click on every link given (I mean it) and make your own notes.
Go through every screenshot example, there are hundreds and hundreds of them.
Take special notice of minute but subtle differences in the examples. Even though the Guideline is only 168 pages long, due to hundreds of examples with links (which you have to click and study), it takes a lot of time to soak in that much information.
Here is how you should allocate your time for each part of the rater qualification test :
- Theoretical Part: Take 1 day aka 24 hours to complete this test. This is an open book Multiple Choice Question type test. Questions are directly taken from the Guidelines. As soon as you hit Submit, you will get an email saying that you have passed the test (or failed the test). Even though it is an open-book test, don’t take it lightly. Many people fail at this part of the test.
- Practical Part I: Allot 2 and a half days for this test. This has to be completed on a PC or a Mac or Linux running Chrome or Chromebook. This is a tough exam and hence be very diligent while giving the scores. Your result will be notified immediately as soon as you hit the submit button.
- Practical Part II: Allot 3 and half days for this test. You’ll need a mobile device (not a tablet) and a PC or a Mac to complete this test. This is the toughest of all the exams (at least it was for me).
Other helpful tips for this test
Don’t leave anything to the last day
We all tend to leave everything to the last day and rush through. I am guilty of it and probably you are too. This is not the kind of exam that you can rush through. Please follow the time management strategy detailed above. Thank me later.
Take Notes
As you read the guidelines, make sure to go through all the examples and take notes. Take note of the minute but extremely important difference between different kinds of rating examples and types.
Refer to the guidelines all the time
Always go through the guidelines before attempting any questions in the test. Remember this is an open-book test. If you are stuck on a question, refer back to the guidelines and make sure that you find that page/article/example that is kind of similar to the question that you are attempting.
Control +F or Command+F is your best friend
When referring back to the guidelines, always use “Control+F” in Windows or “Command+F” in Mac to look for the keywords contained in that question.
Protip
While appearing for the test, you don’t have to complete every question of that part in one sitting. This applies to all parts of the exam.
Finish a question ( which may have multiple sub-questions), then hit “submit and stop”, take a break, and restart the test again.
You have 90 mins to complete each set of questions ( for all parts of the exam) before the question expires.
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