Can a candidate sign electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and most state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are demonstrable.

Do assessments require notarization?

Generally no. Pre Employment Assessments rarely need notarization; only specific documents or state rules trigger notarization or RON requirements.

What if an applicant refuses to consent?

If consent for a background check or assessment is required for the role and refused, it may prevent proceeding with checks; handle consistently and document the decision.

How do I correct a submitted assessment?

Create an amendment or a corrected form with a new signature and date; archive the original and reference the correction in the audit trail for transparency.

How long must assessment records be kept?

Follow the longest applicable retention period: at minimum 3 years for tax-related records and 6 years for HIPAA-covered health records; state rules may extend retention.

Are background checks covered by FCRA?

Yes. Consumer background checks are subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and require mandated disclosures and adverse-action procedures when used in hiring.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Pre Employment Assessment

Pre Employment Assessment

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

PRE EMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENT

Personal Information

Full Name:

Address

Phone:

Email:

Position Information

Position Applied For Department

Reporting Manager: Proposed Start Date:

Offered Salary / Rate (if known)

Applicant Statement of Qualifications

Indicate level of proficiency where applicable (mark N/A if not applicable).

Technical Skills / Certifications Languages

Behavioral and Job Fit Questions

Describe, in your own words, specific examples for the items below. Be concise but specific.

Describe a challenging work problem you solved and the result Describe an instance you worked as part of a team to meet a deadline

Employment History

List your two most recent employers. Additional space may be provided by HR if needed.

Employer 1 - Company Name

Title:

Dates Employed:

Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving Employer 2 - Company Name

Title:

Dates Employed:

Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving

Education

Highest Degree or Credential Institution

Graduation Date: Major / Field:

References (Professional)

Provide three professional references who can speak to your work performance.

Reference 1 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship Reference 2 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship Reference 3 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship

Assessments, Testing & Observations

Complete the sections below or indicate N/A if not administered.

Skills Assessment Score (aggregate) Cognitive / Aptitude Test Score Physical / Practical Test Observations Evaluator Comments

Background, Screening & Authorization

By checking the box below and signing this form, I authorize the employer and its agents to verify the information contained in this assessment, to contact prior employers and references, and to obtain consumer reports, criminal history, motor vehicle records, and any other background checks permitted by law. I understand that any offer of employment may be conditioned upon satisfactory completion of these checks and other pre-employment screenings, including drug and alcohol testing where permitted.

I authorize background checks and release prior employers from liability for providing information in accordance with applicable law.

I agree to submit to a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening if requested as a condition of hire.

Legal Notices and Company Policies

At-Will Employment: If hired, I understand that my employment with the employer is at-will, unless otherwise provided in a signed written agreement. Either I or the employer may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law.

Equal Opportunity: The employer is an equal opportunity employer. Decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfer, discipline, and termination are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

Applicant Certification and Authorization

I certify that all statements made in this Pre Employment Assessment are true, complete, and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission may disqualify me from further consideration or terminate my employment if discovered after hire. I authorize all persons, schools, current and former employers, and other organizations to provide the employer with any information they may have regarding me and release them from any liability for providing such information.

I further acknowledge that I have read and understand the statements above and that I will comply with the employer's policies and procedures upon hire.

Applicant Printed Name:

Signature:

Date:

What a Pre Employment Assessment Is and When It’s Used

A Pre Employment Assessment is a structured questionnaire or test used by employers to evaluate job candidates before hiring. It typically measures skills, cognitive ability, behavioral traits, and role-specific competencies, and may include background or credential verification. Assessments can be delivered on paper, by email, or electronically and are often integrated into applicant tracking systems to standardize evaluation and reduce bias. When used properly they document the hiring rationale and support consistent candidate comparison across multiple applicants.

Why use a Pre Employment Assessment

Pre Employment Assessments improve hiring consistency, clarify job fit, and reduce time-to-hire by providing objective data. They help hiring teams compare candidates against role-specific criteria and document selection decisions for compliance and audit purposes.

Who typically completes and reviews the assessment

Hiring teams, HR specialists, and candidates each have a defined role in completing and processing the assessment.

HR team members manage setup, distribution, and record retention for audit purposes.
Hiring managers review results, apply scoring rubrics, and make selection recommendations.
Candidates complete assessments and provide attestations for accuracy and consent.

Clear role separation reduces errors and ensures that results are reviewed consistently before any employment decision is finalized.

Key signing and review roles

Hiring Manager

Responsible for interpreting assessment results, documenting fit for the role, and approving next steps; typically reviews scores alongside interview notes to support a defensible hiring decision.

HR Specialist

Configures the assessment, verifies completion, ensures candidate consent and privacy notices were provided, and stores completed assessments in personnel files per retention policy.

Data and compliance basics to include

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

At-rest Security: AES-256 encrypted storage

Audit Trail: Timestamps, IP, and action log

Access Controls: Role-based permissions

HIPAA Considerations: BAA required for health data

ESIGN/UETA: Supports legal e-signature frameworks

Primary risks and legal consequences

I-9 Recordkeeping: $281–$2,789 per violation

FCRA Violations: Civil liability and statutory damages

Discrimination Risk: EEOC scrutiny of adverse impact

Data Breach Liability: Regulatory fines and remediation costs

Consent Omissions: Invalidates consumer disclosures

Invalid Signatures: Document unenforceability risk

Common preparation errors to avoid

Requiring medically sensitive information without documented business need, which risks ADA and privacy law violations and can expose the employer to discrimination claims.
Omitting a consumer disclosure or consent when using third-party background checks, increasing the chance of FCRA noncompliance and related penalties.
Failing to standardize scoring or rubric use across candidates, which creates inconsistent selection decisions and weakens defensibility of hiring choices.
Storing completed assessments without access controls or retention rules, raising data breach and recordkeeping compliance risks.

How to complete a Pre Employment Assessment

Follow these sequential steps to prepare, distribute, and finalize a valid assessment for a candidate.

01

Prepare Assessment: Define job criteria and select validated test content.
02

Provide Notice: Give candidates consent language and format access.
03

Candidate Completion: Candidate fills and signs assessment electronically or on paper.
04

Review & Archive: Hiring manager reviews results and HR stores record securely.

Where completed assessments are routed

Assessments typically flow from candidate to HR systems, reviewers, and long-term storage; choose routes to preserve chain-of-custody and auditability.

Applicant Tracking System: Receives signed assessment and attaches to candidate record.
Hiring Manager: Receives notification to review and score responses.
Background Vendor: Optional: sends consumer disclosure and obtains consent.
Personnel File: Secure storage location for retention and compliance.

Essential elements of a professional Pre Employment Assessment

A robust assessment combines validated measurement, clear consent, consistent scoring, and secure recordkeeping to support compliant hiring decisions.

Job Match

Clearly map each test or question to specific job competencies so results support defensible hiring decisions and reduce claims of arbitrary selection.

Validated Tests

Use assessments with documented reliability and validity for the target role to reduce adverse impact and increase predictive accuracy.

Consent & Disclosures

Include FCRA and privacy disclosures where required, and obtain explicit candidate consent before third-party checks or biometric capture.

Scoring Rubric

Provide objective scoring rules and thresholds for pass/fail or ranking to ensure consistent interpretation by hiring managers.

Data Minimization

Collect only information necessary for hiring; avoid sensitive health or genetic questions unless job-related and legally justified.

Recordkeeping

Preserve signed assessments, audit trails, and reviewer notes with role-based access and documented retention schedules.

Configuring the assessment workflow in an HR platform

Set these workflow fields when you create an electronic assessment to control authentication, routing, and storage behavior.

Field	Configuration
Authentication Method	Email link, SMS code, or stronger KBA
Expiration	Days until link expiration
Routing Order	Sequential reviewer routing
Notifications	Email reminders and alerts

Delivery options and technical prerequisites

Choose distribution channels that match candidate access and your compliance needs.

Browser Support: Modern Chrome, Edge, Safari supported
Mobile Access: Responsive or native app signing
Integrations: Connects to ATS, HRIS, and storage

Verify that selected platforms support secure authentication, audit trails, exportable signed packages, and any required regulatory controls for your industry.

Timing considerations and time-sensitive actions

Observe these standard timing rules to ensure assessments and related checks meet hiring and regulatory deadlines.

Issue Timing:

Send assessment after conditional offer when background checks are planned.

Completion Deadline:

Require submission before start date or within a set number of days.

I-9 Verification:

Complete I-9 document inspection per DHS rules before or on hire date.

Background Check Consent:

Obtain and retain written consent before vendor checks commence.

Record Retention Start:

Retention period generally begins on hire or on document creation.

Key processing milestones in a typical hiring workflow

Follow these sequential milestones to move from assessment issuance to final hiring decision while preserving auditability.

01

Candidate Completes Assessment

Candidate signs and submits assessment responses online or on paper.

02

HR Verifies Completion

HR confirms consent, attaches signed record to candidate file.

03

Background Checks Run

Authorized vendor conducts checks after consent and conditional offer.

04

Decision & Archive

Hiring manager decides and HR archives signed package securely.

Real-world examples of assessments in use

These examples show how organizations used electronic forms and signatures to streamline pre-employment screening and recordkeeping.

Martin Properties

Tim Martin, Founder at Martin Properties, replaced paper intake with online assessments to support field hires.

This enabled on-site and remote candidates to sign from mobile devices.
The change centralized candidate files, reduced manual entry, and preserved consistent audit trails that simplified compliance reviews and reduced turnaround time for leases and contractor onboarding.

Fertility Centers of Illinois

John Butler, Founder at Fertility Centers of Illinois, standardized pre-employment forms for clinical staff using digital workflows.

Electronic consent and secure storage were emphasized.
Standardization improved version control and ensured staff credentials and signed attestations were accessible for audits while maintaining privacy controls consistent with healthcare record retention practices.

Download, export, and supporting document handling

After completion, package the signed assessment, supporting attachments, and audit trail into downloadable formats for review and storage.

Download Options

Export the signed package as PDF containing the assessment, attachments, and a certificate of completion for audit.

PDF/A Export

Use PDF/A for long-term archival compatibility when storing completed assessments.

Signed Package Contents

Include candidate responses, signature appearance, timestamp, IP, and reviewer notes for full context.

Audit Trail Export

Generate a separate audit CSV or embedded log for legal and HR audits.

eSignature vendor pricing and feature comparison for assessment workflows

Compare basic pricing, trial availability, bulk send capability, audit trail presence, HIPAA support, and envelope limits when selecting a signing provider.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Frequently asked questions and quick answers

Answers to common questions about legality, electronic signatures, corrections, retention, and identity verification for pre-employment assessments.

Need help? Contact support

Can a candidate sign electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and most state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are demonstrable.
Do assessments require notarization?
Generally no. Pre Employment Assessments rarely need notarization; only specific documents or state rules trigger notarization or RON requirements.
What if an applicant refuses to consent?
If consent for a background check or assessment is required for the role and refused, it may prevent proceeding with checks; handle consistently and document the decision.
How do I correct a submitted assessment?
Create an amendment or a corrected form with a new signature and date; archive the original and reference the correction in the audit trail for transparency.
How long must assessment records be kept?
Follow the longest applicable retention period: at minimum 3 years for tax-related records and 6 years for HIPAA-covered health records; state rules may extend retention.
Are background checks covered by FCRA?
Yes. Consumer background checks are subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and require mandated disclosures and adverse-action procedures when used in hiring.

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