> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.equip.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Test Types in an Assessment
> The nine test types you can add to an Equip assessment, how each one is graded, and which ones work on mobile.
An Equip **assessment** is a set of tests that candidates attempt one by one. When you build an assessment, you choose from nine **test types**, each designed for a different skill. This page describes every type so you can pick the right combination for your role.
## Available Test Types
These are the test types you can add from the **Tests** tab when creating an assessment, listed in the order they appear in the builder. An assessment can contain any number of tests, and you can combine types freely.
| Test Type | What It Tests | Works on Mobile? |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| **Quiz** | Multiple-choice questions (MCQs), multiple-correct-answer questions (MCAs), essay-type questions, and more. Covers aptitude, technical, and non-technical skills. | Yes |
| **Programming Test** | Coding ability in languages like C, Python, and JavaScript. Candidates write code in a browser editor, and submissions are evaluated automatically. | No |
| **English Communication (CEFR)** | English proficiency across Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The test adapts to the candidate's level and reports a CEFR grade from A1 to C2. | Yes |
| **Psychometric** | Personality traits through standardized tests: DISC or Big Five (OCEAN). | Yes |
| **Video Response** | Candidates record video answers to your questions, useful for screening communication and presentation. | Yes |
| **Typing Test** | Typing speed and accuracy. | No |
| **SQL Test** | SQL query writing, evaluated automatically. | No |
| **Excel Test** | Spreadsheet formula skills in a simulated spreadsheet, evaluated automatically. | No |
| **CSS Test** | Front-end styling: candidates write CSS to reproduce a target design, checked at desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints. | No |
Desktop-only test types show a **Desktop Only** badge to candidates, so they know in advance to use a laptop or desktop computer.
### Equip Content vs My Content
Every test type offers two sources of questions: **Equip Content**, the pre-built question library, and **My Content**, custom tests you author yourself. You can mix both freely within one assessment.
Equip Content is the fastest way to launch: questions are battle-tested and matched to the candidate's experience level. Choose custom content when you need full control over questions, points, and timers. See [Equip Content vs Custom Content](/equip-vs-custom-content) for a full comparison.
Quizzes also come in two display modes: **one-by-one** (a single question per screen, which is how Equip's own quizzes always work) and **all-at-once** (every question on one page, available for custom quizzes). See [Quiz Display Modes](/quiz-display-modes) for how each behaves.
## How Each Test Type Is Graded
Most test types are scored automatically the moment a candidate submits. A few need a human reviewer, and two never count towards the overall score.
| Grading | Test Types |
| ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Auto-graded** | Quiz (MCQ, MCA, and similar question types), Programming Test, SQL Test, English Communication (CEFR), Excel Test |
| **Manually graded** | Video Response, CSS Test |
| **Excluded from the overall score** | Psychometric, Typing Test |
**Psychometric tests** are subjective, so they carry no points and their results appear as a personality graph instead. The **Typing Test** reports speed and accuracy, but its weightage is fixed at 0, so neither type affects the overall score.
Within a custom quiz, a few question types such as short-text answers, single-line inputs, and voice inputs are graded manually even though the quiz itself is mostly auto-graded. A submission's overall score stays marked as ungraded until you grade every pending test. See [Grading Tests](/grading-tests) for the workflow.
## Choosing the Right Mix
An assessment maps to a role, and the best assessments combine two or three complementary test types rather than relying on a single one.
| Hiring For | A Common Combination |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Software developers | Quiz (technical skills) + Programming Test |
| Data or database roles | Quiz + SQL Test |
| Front-end developers | Quiz + Programming or CSS Test |
| Customer-facing roles | English Communication (CEFR) + Video Response |
| Finance and operations | Quiz + Excel Test |
| Data entry | Typing Test + Quiz |
When you create an assessment, you can also enter the **role** and **years of experience**, and Equip suggests tests and skills at the appropriate difficulty automatically.
Keep the assessment as short as the role allows. Candidates attempt tests one at a time, and each test a candidate starts costs 1 credit, so a focused two-test or three-test assessment usually beats a long one. See [How Credits Work](/how-credits-work) for details.
Want to see a test type in action before adding it? Every type has an unproctored demo you can try yourself; real assessments are proctored. See [Demo Tests](/demo-tests).
## Related Resources
* [Create an Assessment](/create-assessment) - Add test types and build your first assessment
* [Equip Content vs Custom Content](/equip-vs-custom-content) - What you can and cannot change in each
* [Question Limits per Test Type](/question-limits) - How many questions each test type holds
* [Grading Tests](/grading-tests) - How auto-grading and manual grading work