LinkedIn. Corp. today added a new skills test feature to its website that lets users prove their expertise in a variety of fields.

LinkedIn Skill Assessments, first previewed in May, is a series of short, standardized tests that rely on “adaptive testing,” which adjusts to people’s test performance by offering easier or harder questions based on their answers, to measure people’s skills and proficiency on a range of topics.

“At LinkedIn, we want everyone to have access to opportunities based on the skills they have, regardless of their background or where they went to school,” the company said in a blog post. “With Skill Assessments, our members can assess and validate their own skills and improve upon them.”

The assessments are free to take, short-form, standardized exams designed by outside subject matter experts, LinkedIn said. They should take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The company will also provide free learning materials from its LinkedIn Learning catalog to help users improve their skills in preparation for the tests.

LinkedIn is offering 75 different tests to start with, covering subjects such as the C++ programming language, design software such as Adobe Photoshop and business tools such as Microsoft Excel. Those who take the tests and score at least 70% will be able to add a “Verified Skill” badge to their LinkedIn profiles.

LinkedIn said the verified skills would help both recruiters and job seekers. The former will be better able to zero in on suitable candidates for any open positions they have, while the latter will be able to find more vacancies that match their skillset.

“When skills are validated, members can build a stronger profile and become more discoverable to opportunities — early results show a [30% improvement] in the likelihood to get hired if [they] complete a LinkedIn Skill Assessment,” said LinkedIn. “According to new research conducted by LinkedIn, 69% of professionals think verified skills are more important than college education when job-seeking, and 76% think a way to verify skills would help them stand out amongst other candidates.”

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