Gig Seller Knowlege Test

[creativitylabs]

With thousands of newbies pouring in, some are seeking fast earnings w/o requisite experience, knowledge or creativity for their services. This will tarnish the popularity of this site and customer satisfaction apart from poor reviews to the seller. To address this situation i have following recommendations:-

a. Fiverr should consider holding a 'Seller Gig Knowledge Test" or SGK Test before a gig gets published.
b. The test maybe based on 40 Multiple Choice Questions. The seller may be asked to answer each question in 90 seconds.
c. Extra time allowance may be given to lengthy/tough questions.

The result of the test then to be displayed to the customers on the seller gig page, so that customers will have standardized gauge to judge and would not get lured into the trap set by some sellers.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed 🙂

[topaz_muse]

That’s a definite no from me. The problem with these knowledge tests is that there are questions that will get asked that are no where close to relevant to the gig/category of the gig in question. Test results won’t amount to a hill of beans because buyers, some not all, hardly read gig descriptions or are looking for a way to get their money to go an extremely long way.

Fiverr started off as a simple gig providing site where sellers were offering services that actually were worth 5USD. After a while, more and more high quality gigs came onto the scene and a sellers rep and performance did all the talking.

All the tests are going to tell buyers is that the seller is good at taking them should they even opt in to it. Apologies for the tone but I’ve been burned several times too many by these so called skills tests that do nothing but show that you had nothing better to do than to take some test to do your skills talking for you as opposed to actually showing samples of the skills you possess.

[creativitylabs]

Topaz,If the questionnaire is prepared by professionals, it will remain relevant. Yes if fiverr prepares MCQs for the sake of it, maybe your observation proves right.

[orcatek]

Scammers will get the answers, so it doesn’t address that issue.

[misscrystal]

Your gigs and how you deliver the orders are the test.

There are so many types of gigs, how can they make a test to fit thousands of different gigs to make a “gig knowledge test”? It’s possible to get the answers right but still deliver unacceptable work, be late or in other ways not be a good seller.

How are you going to ask someone who does voiceovers if they know how to do a voiceover?
Or the guys who dance around in a jungle: “Explain what is needed to dance around in a jungle in 90 seconds.”

[eoinfinnegan]

There are already gig sites out there that do this. These sites are the ones that charge membership fees and bid fees to sellers. The Fiverr model is based on a pay as you earn basis meaning that if you don’t do a job that the buyer accepts you don’t get paid. This means that sellers can set their own prices according to their abilities and buyers can choose accordingly.
As I’ve said in my Tips for Buyers article, if a buyer expects a top quality, custom designed logo, article, or whatever else, with all the bells and whistles for $5, then they are the ones who are to blame for being unrealistic - not the seller who gives $5 worth of work for $5.
If buyers feel they are being ripped off they can cancel or go to CS with their complaint and will usually get their money back.
Having a testing system will add a lot of costs to the process and serious scammers will just find a way around it.

[topaz_muse]

In addition to the above, the tests I’ve taken focused on questions pertaining to the software and or application being utilized to finish projects. None of the questions related to skill, just knowledge of programs and their features; some of which aren’t utilized 80% of the time during work.

[emmaki]

I’ve done all these tests (and on some sites, you can redo them until you get little badges that say you’re the top 10% or whatever in xyz) and I don’t think they’re particularly useful. I don’t think buyers really look at them, making them vanity tests more than anything. Plus, I’ve seen debates on those sites forums and blog posts that show that these tests are often out of date or misleading.

Pretty sure the company who provides them is making a pretty penny off it though! But no, they’re expensive and useless on the whole.

[theratypist]

Nahh, that’s the whole reason I went on Fiverr… to avoid those kind of tests. I tried one and we had to pay for lots of tests and I just got tired going through the whole process. I like how Fiverr works, some areas may need improvement, but I like the basic idea of Fiverr as it is. 🙂

[catsquirrel]

Not only misleading, but often entirely wrong. The company that made one set of such tests for a certain site that shall remain nameless hired the lowest-bidding freelancer to do the job, and sometimes said freelancer was not actually skillful in composing tests or knowledgeable in the subject being tested. I leave the results to your imagination.

[creativitylabs]

ok what if it is offered by fiverr as optional. If someone thinks he has the knowledge, maybe it becomes an added advantage?

[sujit1717]

I am also against it because many people who have practical knowledge and doing great work could not have theory knowledge…

[sophiacr7]

I disagree. Even if it was optional. You don’t have to be a professional for Fiverr. It’s not like getting a degree…

[magy1808]

Oh well… Can you guys then explain how come some sellers have beautiful portfolios and do horrible work (I read buyers complaints), or are “writers” but cannot speak English properly??

Basic skill tests would just clean up a scene for a bit… as in for example, if you can t pass English language skill test you can t have English writing gig…

[magy1808]

as well, as I figured out, Fiverr is expanding, and I honestly doubt it will remain on $5 mini jobs only…I mean we already have packages options, and I think I am not only one here who can say that most of my orders are 100$, or 50-100, and some above 100 to 250… I honestly do not remember when last time I did $5 job.

[fastcopywriter]

Absolutely not. Fiverr works because they allow anyone to sell almost anything, and whether they’re good or bad the marketplace will decide.

Besides, buyers are never victimized on Fiverr. If they don’t like your work, they’ll ask for a refund or give you a low rating.

Come on, people, we’re here to make money, not to take tests. You want tests? Go get a college education, plenty of tests there.

[magy1808]

I have university education. With everyone selling everything and buyers swapping to one seller from another till they find the one which actually knows how to do a job there is no really profit…In some point more serious buyers will just swap to some other site, where the quality is over quantity. Having a simple basic English language test for example for sellers which are trying to have English writing gig is not a bad thing… you can t speak English, can t have English writing gig…you don t know basic of coding, you can t have developing gig. It is simple. Now there are thing which don t require testing and you can still sell them…Such as s***e conversation, some crafting, arty…

[fastcopywriter]

It’s a stumbling block, a hindrance, an obstacle. It will kill Fiverr. I believe in change when something isn’t working, Fiverr is working, why mess with it?

I can tell you nightmares I have experienced with other websites. I’ve deals with websites asking me to scan my driver’s license or passport, with websites that promise the world if you take their tests and then you get nothing, with companies that make you take an employment assessment test, even if it’s a stupid job like waiter.

I’m glad you have a university education, so do I, and for me it means nothing. I come from the art world, the art world doesn’t care about your BA or MA or PhD. My former boss has a Master of Writing, you think that impresses me? What has he written other than advertising? How many awards has he won? As far as I’m concerned, he wasted his time getting that Masters.

Besides, in Fiverr you find quality because there is quantity. When you’re on the first 5 rows, chances are you’re doing quality work. It’s even better when you’re in the “highly rating” section. So you see? The system works, no tests are needed.

[magy1808]

to be honest, I don t really care enough to prolong this discussion with you. Neither you or me will change Fiverr anyway, and I wont change my opinion that skill tests are a good nothing, nor will you change your opinion, so it is just blowing in the wind.

[topaz_muse]

It would be nice if tests actually meant something but based on responses from potential employers of the past, they could care less. I was told that tests mean nothing and that I needed something tangible to show what I’m capable of doing. Its a pain but that’s how some see it.

[magy1808]

I guess we live in different worlds.

[topaz_muse]

Just different environments. Some employers in my area are a bit out of touch.

[edume]

@magy1808 There’s a lot of sellers who simply copy pictures and info from elsewhere. Writer’s grab articles based on the requirements and then spin them with software. A large portion of traffic (about 35%) to fiverr is from India and Pakistan.

[magy1808]

I am aware of that. Hence why I wouldn t mind having skill tests here.

[fastcopywriter]

Testing offers little help, sure, you can test grammar and spelling, but how do you test interesting, insightful, creative? How do you test a logo designer? The best artificial intelligence has no taste, it won’t know what is good or what is bad unless we’re talking about math problems or spelling.

Besides, the real tests are the orders you get. An insurance salesman isn’t knowledgeable because he got his license, his real knowledge starts when he hits the streets and start selling.

Whatever, I guess some people think Fiverr is broken and they want to fix it. I have news for them, Fiverr isn’t broken, Fiverr works perfectly fine.