How the AssessFirst SWIPE test works
SWIPE is a forced-choice questionnaire: every item makes you pick one of two options, so you cannot agree with everything. Each option is an image with a short caption, and a French HR site reports that you swipe on the image you choose. AssessFirst says the format reduces the pull to give the answer that looks best, and that 70% of people complete it on a phone.
Your answers are scored on 20 traits grouped in five areas: leadership and influence, consideration of others, creativity and adaptability, rigour in work, and personal balance. Examples of traits are approaching others spontaneously, attaching importance to detail and adapting to change.
Each trait is scored from 1 to 10. AssessFirst says there are no good or bad scores, and that a 5 or 6 means your behaviour may change with the setting. The recruiter compares your profile with the role. AssessFirst says new users usually take SWIPE first, then DRIVE, then BRAIN.
How to answer the pairs
There is no right image to aim for, so the goal is a profile that matches you:
- Picture yourself at work and pick the caption that sounds more like you there.
- When both sound like you, pick the one you do more often. When neither does, pick the one you mind less.
- Go with your first reaction. The test takes about 5 minutes, so there is no time to weigh each pair.
- Do not try to look like the ideal candidate. Pairs are built so that neither option is the obviously better one.
Worked example
Say the pair is “Speaks up first” against “Checks every detail”. The first leans towards approaching others spontaneously and the second towards attaching importance to detail. If in meetings you usually open the discussion and leave the checking to others, choose the first. Neither choice is the better one: a sales role may want the first lean and an audit role the second.
Tips for the real SWIPE test
- A phone is fine. Most people take SWIPE on one.
- If the images do not load, turn off your VPN or try another network. AssessFirst says a VPN or firewall can block them.
- Take it seriously the first time. You keep one profile, a retake needs a recruiter’s invitation, and new results replace the old ones for every recruiter with access.
- Check who can see your results under My network, then Companies, in your AssessFirst account.
- Take a break between questionnaires if you need one. LCL suggests it to its candidates.
Practise AssessFirst SWIPE on CogniPrep
Our version gives you 75 pairs of captioned illustrations, drawn from one of two forms. Swipe or tap on a phone, or click or use the arrow keys on a computer. There is no back or skip, a progress bar but no countdown, and we record your pace. Your result shows where you lean on each of 20 traits as a share from 0 to 100, not on AssessFirst’s 1 to 10 scale. The pictures and captions are our own.