Assessments, Tests, and Questions: The Hierarchy

How assessments, tests, and questions relate to each other on Equip.

Equip uses three building blocks: assessments, tests, and questions. Understanding how they fit together makes every other part of the platform, from creating assessments to reading results, much easier to follow.

The short version: an assessment contains one or more tests, and each test contains one or more questions. You invite candidates to an assessment; they attempt its tests one by one.

How the Hierarchy Works

Everything on Equip follows the same three-level structure: Assessment > Test > Question. You always share an assessment with candidates, never an individual test or question.

Level	What it is	Example
Assessment	The container you invite candidates to; maps to a role	Python Developer assessment
Test	One skill evaluation taken in a single sitting	A Python quiz, a programming challenge
Question	The individual items inside a test	An MCQ, a coding problem

Candidates attempt the tests inside an assessment one by one, and each test must be completed in a single sitting. They can take breaks between tests.

Assessments

An assessment is what you invite candidates to, and where you later see their results. It typically maps to a specific role, such as Python Developer or Account Executive.

An assessment can contain any number of tests. For example, a Python Developer assessment might combine a Python quiz with a programming challenge, so you evaluate both theory and hands-on skill in one invitation.

Each test in an assessment carries a weightage, and the weightages combine into the candidate’s overall score. See Test Scores and Overall Score for how this works.

Tests

Each assessment is made up of one or more tests. A test evaluates one skill or format: a quiz, a programming challenge, a video response, an English communication test, and so on. Test Types covers the full list.

For every test type, the content can come from one of two sources:

Source	What it means
Equip Content	Pre-built tests and question banks from Equip’s library
My Content	Custom Tests you create with your own questions

You can freely mix both sources in the same assessment. See Equip Content vs Custom Content for a detailed comparison of what each allows.

Custom Tests

A Custom Test is a test you build with your own questions, such as a custom quiz or a video response test. Once created, it belongs to your whole team and can be reused across assessments.

1. Open your assessment's Tests tab

   Go to the assessment’s settings and open the Tests tab.

2. Select the test type

   Pick the matching test type, for example Video Response.

3. Add your content

   Click the Add button, then choose My Content and select your Custom Test.

A Custom Test cannot be shared with candidates on its own. Like every test, it reaches candidates only as part of an assessment.

Questions

A test is made up of one or more questions. How many questions a test holds, and how they are shown, depends on the test type:

Pattern	Example
A single question	A programming challenge
Multiple questions shown one by one	A quiz using Equip’s content
Multiple questions shown all at once	A custom quiz in all-at-once mode

Question limits vary by test type. For example, Equip content quizzes hold up to 25 questions, while programming tests contain exactly one challenge each. See Question Limits for the full list.

If you want a coding problem and a quiz for the same role, add them as two separate tests within one assessment; a single test cannot mix a programming challenge with quiz questions.

Related Resources

• Create an Assessment - Put the hierarchy into practice with the assessment builder
• Test Types - Every test type Equip offers, from quizzes to Excel tests
• Equip Content vs Custom Content - What each content source lets you control
• Question Limits - Maximum questions allowed per test type