Academic Work Tests: Alva Logic and Personality
What Academic Work says about the Alva Labs logic and personality tests it sends, where they sit in its process and how to prepare
Who you are really applying to
Academic Work is a recruitment and staffing company, so most of the jobs it advertises are roles it is filling for client companies. You usually meet its tests when you apply for a job that is really at another company, and the tests are the same whichever client the job is with. Academic Work also sends the same two tests when it hires its own staff.
What Academic Work says about its tests
Its Swedish page on tests in the recruitment process names both. The adaptive personality test via Alva Labs is based on the five-factor model and measures five broad traits: conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, openness and emotional stability. Academic Work says there is no right or wrong answer to its questions. Alva Labs' logic test measures problem solving and adaptability, which the company describes as strongly linked to job performance, and adapts to your answers. It gives about 15 minutes for each test.
The logic test is not optional for simpler roles. Because Academic Work considers logical ability relevant to every role and industry, whatever its level of complexity, you take the logic test whether you are applying as a customer service assistant or a systems developer. What varies is how much weight your result carries, which depends on how complex the role is.
Some processes that need specific skills also include work tests. Academic Work names roles in technology, finance and IT, says these usually come later in the process, and says you will be told which test it is and why before you take it.
Where the tests sit in the process
Academic Work says the timing depends on how each role's process is built, but in most cases the personality and logic tests are the second step, after your application has been screened against the minimum requirements. Its Norwegian page sets out the whole sequence:
On its own careers site Academic Work calls the two tests a required final step of your application and says it uses them early in the process.
What you see afterwards
When you finish, you get an overall report of your results. Academic Work does not share more specific results, and you cannot find out which logic tasks you got right or wrong. Whether you move on is communicated later by the recruiter responsible for the role. You can choose whether your results may be reused for later roles, at Academic Work or at other companies that also use Alva Labs. Academic Work keeps test results for two years, and you can ask for them to be deleted at any time.
Top Tips
Sit the tests on a computer
Academic Work says the tests go best on a computer, at a time and place where you can concentrate and have a stable internet connection. Alva supports phones, but a small screen makes the logic test's six options harder to compare.
Take the first slot, rested
Academic Work's own advice is to get a good night's sleep, because tiredness is not your friend here. If you can choose when to sit the tests, it suggests the first available time rather than a later one for extra preparation, since information taken in on the day is hard to hold on to. Eat a proper breakfast and start while you still have energy.
Use the two minutes, but never leave a blank
On the Alva logic test each of the 20 tasks has its own two-minute limit and there is no overall clock. Speed earns nothing, but a task that runs out of time counts as wrong, so when the 30 second notice appears, rule out what you can and submit your best guess.
Answer the personality test consistently
The personality test adapts to how you answer, and inconsistent answers lead to more statements rather than a better profile. Read each statement to the end, answer as you actually are at work, and use Skip question for any you cannot answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Academic Work use Alva Labs?
Yes. Its Swedish and Norwegian candidate pages and its own careers site all name the Alva Labs personality test and the Alva Labs logic test.
Do I have to take the logic test for a customer service role?
Yes. Academic Work says the logic test is taken for every role, from customer service assistant to systems developer. The weight given to your result depends on how complex the role is.
How long do the Academic Work tests take?
Academic Work says about 15 minutes each. Alva's own figure for the logic test is 15 to 20 minutes for most people, with 40 minutes as the maximum, because each of the 20 tasks has up to two minutes.
Can I reuse my results for another application?
You choose whether your results can be reused for later roles, either at Academic Work or at other companies that use Alva Labs. Alva allows results under 24 months old to be shared.