Harver Assessment for BPO: Modules, Tips and Practice

If a BPO in the Philippines has sent you a Harver link after your application, you are about to take a set of short online modules that the account has chosen for you: usually typing, English, multitasking and some kind of customer-scenario test. Harver itself does not decide whether you pass. The employer sets the benchmark, and your results are one input next to your initial interview and, for voice accounts, a spoken English test. This guide shows what each module looks like according to Harver’s own descriptions, how scoring works, and gives you eight practice items.

What Harver is, and why BPOs use it

Harver is a hiring software company that sells an assessment library to high-volume employers. Its BPO and contact centre page lists customer logos and testimonials from ROI Call Center Solutions, Sagility, Transcom, KellyConnect and IntouchCX. Whether those companies use it for their Philippine sites is not stated, so do not assume it.

One large BPO is explicit. Concentrix’s official careers FAQ describes Harver as “a virtual assessment tool” it uses to evaluate candidates, and says applicants are invited to language or competency tests by email. If you are applying there, read our separate Concentrix assessment guide.

The appeal for a BPO is simple. A single account can need hundreds of agents in a month. Sending everyone the same standardised link, and only calling those who meet the benchmark for the initial interview, saves recruiters a lot of hours. For you, it means the online test often comes before you talk to a person, so it matters more than many applicants expect.

The Harver modules you may get

Harver describes an expansive suite of assessments. An employer combines the modules it wants into one hiring flow, so two BPOs can send you very different tests. These are the ones relevant to call centre and shared services work, as Harver describes them:

Module What Harver says it measures What you actually do
Typing test Speed and accuracy, scored as net words per minute (only accurately typed words count; capitals and punctuation included) Copy a block of text within a time limit
Language proficiency Grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension; writing assessed indirectly through spelling, grammar and idiom Fill-in-the-gap, spot-the-incorrect-word and reading items
Spoken language assessment Spoken fluency in the required language Record spoken answers
Multitasking test Short-term memory and how fast you switch between tasks, using visual tasks and letters/numbers Two game-like tasks running against each other
Cultural fit assessment Your preferred work culture, based on the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (Competing Values Framework) Divide 10 stars over 4 statements, several times
Situational judgement test How you would handle realistic job scenarios, such as an unhappy customer Rate or choose responses to short scenarios
Live chat support simulation How you handle life-like chat conversations Answer simulated customers in a chat window
Computer literacy / system checks Familiarity with common tools; for work-from-home roles, internet speed and system diagnostics Short tasks and an automatic device check
Personality questionnaire How you relate to others, approach problems and approach work Self-report statements
Cognitive ability Reasoning and learning ability Timed reasoning items

Harver does not publish item counts or time limits per module, and they depend on how the employer configured them. Your invitation email or the first screen of each module tells you the limit. Read it before you click start.

How Harver scores you

Two points matter for candidates.

First, scoring is benchmark-based. Harver’s language proficiency page says its algorithm scores candidates against “company-specific benchmarks”, and the employer chooses the language level it needs. A premium voice account will set a higher English bar than a non-voice back-office account. That is why a friend may pass the same module for one BPO and not for another.

Second, some modules are norm-referenced. Harver’s help pages for multitasking results describe scores relative to other test takers, with 50% as the average. A score of 50% there is not “half wrong”; it means you were in the middle of the comparison group.

The culture fit module is different again. There is no correct answer. Your star distribution is compared with how the employer rates its own culture. Faking a profile you think they want rarely helps; you end up in a team that does not suit you, and attrition in the first 90 days is exactly what the BPO is trying to reduce.

Practice questions

These items mirror the formats Harver describes for language, typing, reading and customer scenarios. Each has one defensible answer.

Question 1

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

“If the customer ___ us earlier, we could have fixed the issue before the bill was issued.”

  • A) calls
  • B) had called
  • C) has called
  • D) would call

Answer: B. This is a third conditional about the past: “If + had + past participle, could have + past participle.” The other forms do not match “could have fixed”.

Question 2

Which word in this sentence is incorrect?

“Each of the agents have completed the product training.”

  • A) Each
  • B) have
  • C) completed
  • D) training

Answer: B. The subject is “Each”, which is singular, so the verb should be “has completed”. Language modules in BPO tests love subject–verb agreement with “each”, “everyone” and “neither”.

Question 3

Original text: Ref. no. 48-3071, due 14 March, amount PHP 2,450.00

Which copy is exactly correct?

  • A) Ref. no. 48-3017, due 14 March, amount PHP 2,450.00
  • B) Ref no. 48-3071, due 14 March, amount PHP 2,450.00
  • C) Ref. no. 48-3071, due 14 March, amount PHP 2,450.00
  • D) Ref. no. 48-3071, due 14 March, amount PHP 2,540.00

Answer: C. A swaps the last two digits of the reference, B drops the full stop after “Ref”, and D swaps two digits of the amount. Harver counts punctuation in typing accuracy, so B would cost you too.

Question 4

Read the policy: “Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, customers may still cancel but will not be refunded for the remaining months. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time and are not refunded.”

A customer bought an annual plan 45 days ago and wants to cancel. What can you offer?

  • A) A full refund
  • B) A refund for the remaining months
  • C) Cancellation without a refund
  • D) No cancellation until the year ends

Answer: C. The purchase is past the 30-day window, so the policy allows cancellation but no refund. B is the most common wrong answer because it sounds customer-friendly, but the text rules it out.

Question 5

An agent took 42 calls in a shift with a total handle time of 294 minutes. What was the average handle time per call?

  • A) 6 minutes
  • B) 7 minutes
  • C) 7.5 minutes
  • D) 8 minutes

Answer: B. 294 ÷ 42 = 7. Simple metrics like average handle time (AHT) appear in BPO tests and in interviews, so know how to work them out quickly. More practice: numerical reasoning practice questions.

Question 6

A typing test counts only correctly typed words. You type 260 words in 5 minutes and 10 of them contain errors. What is your net speed?

  • A) 48 words per minute
  • B) 50 words per minute
  • C) 52 words per minute
  • D) 54 words per minute

Answer: B. Correct words = 260 − 10 = 250. 250 ÷ 5 = 50 net words per minute. Your gross speed would be 52, but errors are not counted under this method.

Question 7

Which word is closest in meaning to “irate” in the sentence: “The caller was irate about the second late delivery.”

  • A) Confused
  • B) Very angry
  • C) Polite
  • D) In a hurry

Answer: B. “Irate” means very angry. Customer-service vocabulary (irate, escalate, verify, resolve) appears often in BPO reading items.

Question 8

A customer says she was charged twice for the same order and is upset. Which response is best?

  • A) “You will have to call your bank about that.”
  • B) “I’m sorry about the double charge. Let me verify your account and check both transactions, then I’ll explain exactly what happens next and when.”
  • C) Transfer her to a supervisor immediately without noting the issue.
  • D) Put her on hold for ten minutes while you look, without saying why.

Answer: B. It acknowledges the problem, takes ownership and follows a clear process: verify, investigate, explain the next step and timeline. A deflects, C passes the problem on without information, and D leaves the customer without an update.

Strategies for each module

Typing. Accuracy first. Under a net-WPM method, every wrong word is a wasted word, so a steady 40 with no mistakes beats a hurried 50 with six errors. Do not look at the keyboard, and copy capitals, commas and full stops exactly. Practise on real BPO-style text: emails, addresses, reference numbers and amounts.

Language proficiency. Brush up the grammar that BPO tests target: tenses (especially present perfect and past perfect), conditionals, subject–verb agreement, prepositions (“on Monday”, “at 3 p.m.”, “in March”) and commonly confused words (affect/effect, its/it’s, then/than). Our verbal reasoning practice questions help with the reading part.

Multitasking. Read the instructions for both tasks before starting, and use the practice round if offered. Keep a steady rhythm instead of reacting to everything at once; most errors happen when people abandon one task completely while focusing on the other.

Culture fit. Think about your actual preferences: structure and clear rules, a close team, fast change, or targets and competition. Divide the stars accordingly.

Situational and chat simulation. The best answer is nearly always the one that acknowledges the customer, follows the company process and gives a clear next step. Avoid options that promise what you cannot guarantee or that pass the problem on without trying.

Common mistakes

  • Starting on a phone with weak signal. Work-from-home flows can include system and internet checks. Use a laptop or desktop on a stable connection if you can.
  • Opening a module “just to look”. Concentrix states that the clock starts once you open a module. Assume the same for any Harver flow.
  • Skimming the reading passages. Policy-based questions hinge on one detail, such as a 30-day window.
  • Letting the link expire. Check your inbox and spam folder; invitations come by email and often have a deadline.
  • Answering culture fit to please. There is no right profile.

A short preparation plan

Day 1: Take a timed typing test on business-style text. Note your speed and error count, and practise for 15 minutes focusing only on zero errors.

Day 2: Revise grammar: conditionals, agreement, prepositions, confused words. Do 20 gap-fill items.

Day 3: Do reading comprehension on policy-style texts and a few simple metric calculations (AHT, percentages, totals). Free practice is available on our free tests page.

Day 4: Prepare your setup: quiet room, charged laptop, stable internet, headset if a spoken module is listed. Then take the assessment in one sitting.

If the BPO also asks for a spoken English test, read our guide to the Versant English test, and for the call that follows, our phone interview tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Harver assessment for BPO jobs?

Harver is an online hiring platform. A BPO picks modules from Harver’s library, such as typing, language proficiency, multitasking, culture fit, a situational judgement test or a chat simulation, and sends you one combined link.

Can I pause the Harver assessment?

Treat it as if you cannot. Concentrix, which uses Harver, tells candidates the assessment is timed and the clock starts once a module is opened. Start only when you have a quiet place, a charged device and a stable connection.

What is a passing score on the Harver test?

There is no public pass mark. Harver scores candidates against benchmarks the employer sets for that role, so the bar for a voice account can differ from the bar for a chat or back-office account.

How do I prepare for the Harver typing test?

Harver scores net words per minute, counting only accurately typed words, including capitals and punctuation. Practise copying real text such as emails and reference numbers, and aim for accuracy first; speed follows.

Is the Harver culture fit test pass or fail?

It is not right or wrong in the usual sense. You divide stars over statements to show the workplace you prefer, and the employer compares that with its own culture. Answer honestly; a forced fit makes the first months harder.

About the author

Ingmar van Maurik is a specialist in test and interview preparation who helps candidates perform better in recruitment processes.

References