Stage 1: Test Instructions

Aim Of The Test.

The goal of this test is to assess whether you can conduct extensive research, analyze information and
come up with original and informative content that is relevant to the topic. Your article should be
formatted in a way to enable the reader to take away actionable techniques and information they can
implement immediately. In other words, your content should be knowledgeable but simple enough for
them to comprehend.

What The Test Is Assessing.

In summary, the test is assessing:

• Ability to do extensive research

• Ability to analyze information
• Comprehension of the topic
• Formatting of the content and the flow of ideas
• Ability to follow instructions.
• Time consciousness and ability to meet deadlines

Technical Requirements.
The final article you present should include the following minimum requirements.

• Word count – 1200 words

• 3 number lists (i.e., 1,2,3,4 etc.)
• 3 sets of bullet points
• 2 tables

Note: If you choose to insert an image, ensure that there is a caption underneath it stating its source.
An example is Image source: Example Blog (ensure the image source is hyper-linked as shown).

Samples of Similar Articles.

The following articles should give you a better idea of what your final draft should look like. Read
through them.

Strategies Eli Lilly can use to reduce its customer acquisition cost

LinkedIn Email Finder Tool to Use to Extract Emails from LinkedIn

Content Outline.
Every article you write should always have a content outline. They help you create valuable content
even on subjects you may not be an expert in, and present it in a manner that’s clear and concise. The
following is an outline of what your article should look like:

Article Title
The system will randomly select a topic for you to write on for this test. You can use that as your article’s
title or Heading.

Meta Description.
This is a small text or paragraph that summarizes the content of your entire article. It is what helps your
reader determine whether or not your article is worth reading. It should be enticing, giving just enough
information to rope the reader in. A meta description should not be more than 2 sentences and should
be in italics to stand out from the rest of the text.

Introduction.
This section should not be more than 100-150 words. An introduction aims to express the point of the
article. In this section, you should explain the problem or issue that the article is addressing and a
summary of the solution or answer it provides. It should be clear, concise, and relatable to the reader.

Body.
This is where most of your content is concentrated. It is important to break them down into subsections
using subheadings (H2 and H3). Heading 2 or H2 are subheadings that come after the main title. Heading
3 or H3 are subheadings that come under H2. Avoid going beyond H3. On the word, you can easily
format your heading and subheadings using the section on the top right corner of your word document
shown below.

How to come up with subheadings.

Your H2s and H3s should be relevant to the main topic. They should also be clear and concise
summarizing the information you will write under them. Think of the reason why the reader would
search for the topic and the kind of information they would want to read about. This should guide you
on the subheadings to include.

For example, if the topic is ‘The Benefits of Tomatoes’, the subheading should be directly related to the
topic. Good examples would be:

• Nutrient Content of Tomatoes

• Health Benefits of Tomatoes
• Benefits of Cooked Vs Raw Tomatoes
• How many tomatoes should be eaten in a day?

Examples of subheadings that may be connected to the topic but not relevant for the reader could
include:

• What are tomatoes?

• How are tomatoes grown?
• Can Tomatoes be refrigerated?

While these subheadings are about tomatoes, they have nothing to do with the benefits of tomatoes.
Some of them are information the reader may already know or may not be interested in knowing. So be
careful. If you are stuck, you can always search for the topic, and borrow ideas from articles that have
been written on a similar topic. But be sure not to copy-paste, as that would be plagiarizing as we'll
explain later.
Lastly, note that the H2 and H3 should be larger than the normal text, with the H2 being bigger than the
H3. They should also be bolded to stand out to the reader. That way, when the reader scans through the
article, it's easier to get a clear idea of what the article comprises.

Tables and Lists.

The body is also where you will include your bullet point sets, number lists, and tables. Bullet points and
number lists are a great way of presenting information simply and concisely. You can use them when
listing benefits, disadvantages, names of items or places, or any information you feel would look neater
listed down.

Tables or summary tables are a great way of summarizing information that would otherwise be lengthy
if written in paragraph form. A great example of information that fits into a table is comparisons (i.e., if
you're comparing different companies or items), features of a product, statistical information (e.g., the
annual revenues of a company). Ensure the lists and tables aren't too long otherwise your article may
end up appearing too summarized. Try to limit your lists to 5-10 items and your table shouldn't have
more than 10 rows.

Conclusion.
In this section, you should be wrapping up. Summarize the main point in the article and state your
conclusion on the topic. It should be about 100-150 words maximum.

Tips On How To Research Extensively.

The quality of your content is mainly based on how well and deep your research is. To ensure that you
research effectively, here is a tried and tested research process with steps you can follow to gain useful
resources:

Step 1: Gather 15-20 sources that are relevant to your topic.

Here you want to look for as many useful sources as possible that address the topic sufficiently. Simply
doing a google search of the topic will give you decent results but you would need to use different site
operators for a deeper search. Site operators are meant to filter and specify the sources where you are
getting your information. These operators include sources such as forums (Reddit, Quora, etc.),
magazines, blogs, studies, statistics, government sites and so much more.

Let’s say our topic is ‘The Benefits of Tomatoes’, then the following are different search operators you
can use:

Simple Search – Google the topic [Benefits of tomatoes]

You can pick the top two results from this search.

Educative sources – Topic site:.edu [The Benefits of Tomatoes site:.edu]

This will bring results from domains that end with ‘.edu’. Pick two sites that give new information that is
different from what you already have.

Government sources – Topic site:.gov [The benefits of Tomatoes site:.gov]

This search will bring results from government sites that provide authoritative reliable information of
studies done in that area. Again, pick two sites with the new and relevant information you don't have.

Studies are done – Topic + study [The Benefits Of Tomatoes + study]

This will bring results of studies done by different bodies like governments, schools, and other groups.
They can provide interesting and reliable information on the topic. Pick two more results from this
search of any new relevant information you find on the topic.

Statistical data – Topic + statistics [The Benefits of Tomatoes + statistics]

Adding numerical data to your article will give it more authority and make it more factual, especially
when you get the statistics from authoritative sites. You can pick two more sites from this site that you
feel contain new information.

Controversy points – Topic + controversy [The Benefits of Tomatoes + controversy]

A little controversy is a great way of spicing up your article, plus it is a great way to get all the facts both
good and bad.

Breakthroughs in studies – Topic + breakthrough [The Benefits of Tomatoes + breakthrough]

This will give you results on breakthroughs made from different studies done on the topic. It will provide
you with both controversial and informative information.

Forums – Topic + forum [The Benefits of tomatoes + forums]

Forums are a great way of getting information about people's opinions on the topic. They offer
discussions from both extremes, good and bad. To specify the forum, you would like to use you can
search for Topic + Reddit, for example. Reddit and Quora are great forums to look into for a variety of
topics.

Other search operators you can use include the following (you can vary the keywords to get different
results and pick at least two sites from each search that has relevant and new information):

Blogs – Topic + blogs [Tomatoes recipes + blogs]

Magazines – Topic + magazines [Are Tomatoes Healthier when Cooked + magazines]

Videos – Topic + videos [What are the benefits of tomatoes + videos]

Journals – Topic + journals [The Benefits of Tomatoes + journals]

Step 2: Select the most useful resources.

By the time you are done searching using the site operators, you could end up with more than 20
sources of information. It will take time to go through each of these sources in detail. That is why it is
important to filter out the bad sources and remain with the top 5 or 6. How do you know which ones to
select? The sources you select should meet the following criteria:

• Original data.
• Highly interesting.
• Comprehensive information.
• Information should take multiple angles of the topic.
• Paints a clear picture to the reader.
• Be written by an expert or curated from experts.

The top 6 sources you remain with will have the comprehensive information you need for an all-
rounded article without repeated information.

Step 3: Skim for topics.

This means looking through your six sources to see their article structure. This will give you an idea of
how to structure your article and which subheadings to use. It also helps you decide what angle to take
and how your ideas will flow.

Step 4: Prepare an outline.

Once you have an idea of how your ideas will flow and which subsections you will include, you can
create a rough outline. An example based on the topic on ‘Benefits of Tomatoes’ would look something
like this:

• Introduction
• The General Benefits of Tomatoes – Contents that Make Them Beneficial & Will Eating Them
Prevent Prostate Cancer.
• Are Tomatoes Vegetable or Fruits? – What Is The Effect Of This On Their Benefits?
• Does Color Variation Determine Which Tomatoes are More Beneficial To Eat?
• How Should Tomatoes Be Eaten For Full Benefits – Cooked or Raw?
• One Or Two Tomato-Inspired Recipes.
• Conclusion.

Such an outline will simplify your job, especially since the 5 or 6 resources you settled on contain all the
information you need. You can even specify the word count for each subsection based on the word
count required. With that basic structure, you can now start writing.

Why Does This Process Work?

This research process helps you with ideas on what to write and what angle to take. It reduces your
research time by helping you narrow down to 5 sources which are more than enough for a basic article.
Also, forums like Quora help by giving you an understanding of what your audience would appreciate
reading. In the end, you will have a well-researched article from top-ranking sites with authoritative
information.

Quality Assurance.
In writing, the first draft is still like the raw material. It's the point where you put down your ideas. That
is why editing is important. You have to go back and read through the first draft with a clear mind. (It's
suggested to do so, a few minutes or hours after writing it). Check for spelling or grammar mistakes,
ensure the ideas flow well and the content is simple and easy to understand.

You can also use a tool to help you check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Grammarly is the best
platform for this. Simply sign up for a free account from their home page. It is a chrome extension,
although you can set it up to use it directly on Word. Alternatively, after your first draft, you can upload
it on the Grammarly page and you will be shown the mistakes and how to correct them as shown below.

Upload the document.

Correct highlighted mistakes by selecting the correct suggestion.

Once you are done correcting all the mistakes that have been highlighted you can download the edited
document. Ensure you read through it again just in case there was something Grammarly missed out on.

Download the edited document and read through it again.

You can also watch this video or this video to help learn more about how to use Grammarly. You can
also read the following articles to find out more about using Grammarly directly while writing your
article:

How to use Grammarly.

How to use Grammarly on different browsers.

How to use Grammarly on Word.

Also, read the following articles to guide you on how best to edit your work to ensure you end up with
the best quality for your final draft. These will guide you on things to avoid in your writing like filler
words and what to look out for while editing, to ensure you have a clear and concise article:

15 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Punch Up Your Writing Skills

Proofreading: 7 Editing Tips That’ll Make You a Better Writer in 2022

298 Filler Words & Phrases That Rob Your Writing of Its Power

Duplicated Content.
As a writer you must be aware of the old saying, good writers borrow from other writers but great
writers steal from them outright. That doesn’t mean that we are telling you to steal. We’re simply saying
that there is nothing new written under the sun. As you do your research, you may borrow ideas from
people who have written content on the same topic.

There is, however, a thin line between borrowing ideas and duplicating content. It is okay to borrow an
idea from a secondary source but reword it based on your understanding. It is, however, wrong to copy-
paste someone else's work and try to pass it off as your own. That is referred to duplicated content or in
other words plagiarism. Not only is it wrong, but Google does not rank duplicated content. Remember
this test aims to see if you can come up with content that can be ranked on as the top search results. For
that reason, be careful when doing your research and be sure to reword borrowed ideas or reference
the source you got it from.

Checking for Plagiarism.

Once you've completed your final draft, you must pass it through a plagiarism checker or tool. The best
free platform to use is Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker. The following are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Open your browser and search for SEO tools Plagiarism, then select plagiarism checker.
(alternatively, you could click on this hyperlink Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker).

Step 2: The Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker is a free platform and therefore has a limit of 1000
words for each search. Since your article has to be a minimum of 1200 words, you can simply highlight
the first 1000 words and copy it.
Step 3: Go back to SEO Tools and paste the highlighted words you copied from your word document.

Step 4: Scroll down the page and check the box stating "I'm not a robot" and select check plagiarism.
Give it some time while the tool cross-checks your work.
Step 5: Scroll further down the page to see the results as shown above. Take a screenshot of the results
as shown below and include it in your word document before submitting the final draft.

Screenshot of the plagiarism results you should include in your final draft.

You can also watch this video to help learn more about how to use Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker.
Please note that your work is expected to be 100% PLAGIARISM FREE. Any plagiarized content will be
rejected and you will be banned from using the platform.

How To Take Screenshots On Your PC?

If you want to know a keyboard shortcut to take screenshots on your PC, here are easy steps you can
follow to achieve that:

Step 1: Press Windows key + Shift + S or Shift + Windows key + S.

This command will open up the Snip and Sketch app that's automatically installed on your PC. A screen
will appear with screenshot options at the center top.

Step 2: Take the screenshot of the plagiarism result.

To take the screenshot, drag your cursor from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the area
you want to take a screenshot of. There is no need to take a screenshot of the whole window or tab.
Once you release the cursor the app will take a snippet of the highlighted area.

Step 3: Save your screenshot.

Once you've taken a screenshot notification will pop up on the bottom right corner of your screen. If you
click on it, it will open up the screenshot you have taken. On the top right of that window, you will find
the option of saving your screenshot to your desired folder (preferably pictures).

Pop up that shows after you take the screenshot.

The window that opens up and the option to save your screenshot on the top right.

Step 4: Insert your screenshot in your word document.

After saving your screenshot, you can close the Snip & Sketch app and go back to your word document.
Click on insert > picture > this device and then select the picture from the folder you saved it on.

If these steps don’t work for you or if they are too complicated, you can read the following articles or
watch the following videos to learn more about how you can take screenshots on your PC.
How to take a screenshot on your PC 1 Video 1

How to take a screenshot on your Windows Video 2

How to take a screenshot on your Mac Video 3

The Do’s And Don’ts For This Test

The following are some of the Dos and Don’ts you should keep in mind when taking this first test:

DO extensive research on the topic you have been given and any additional topics that could be useful
to it.

DO use statistics, numbers, and data as much as possible.

DO ensure you meet the technical requirements given and follow the instructions to the letter.

DO keep it is simply clear and concise so the reader can easily understand. Avoid using complicated
phrases, jargon words, similes, idioms, repeating ideas, and over-extending your thoughts. Ensure that
your sentences are simple, short, and easy to comprehend. Use this article as reference of how simple
your article should be:

Strategies Eli Lilly can use to reduce its customer acquisition cost

LinkedIn Email Finder Tool to Use to Extract Emails from LinkedIn

DO use active voice. Using an active voice keeps the sentences short and clear for the reader. Avoid
using the passive voice as much as possible, because it leads to wordy complicated sentences. To learn
more about active voice and how to use it, as well as how to avoid passive voice, read the following
articles:

Why Active and Passive Voice Matter in Your Content

How to Write in an Active Voice

Avoid Using the Passive Voice — Here’s Why

How to Identify Passive Voice? Smart Tips!

How To Fix Passive Voice (& Improve Your Writing)?

DO use the main keywords in your content and titles to increase the chances of higher ranking on
Google’s search results. Make sure it appears naturally placed.

DO read through your final draft even after passing it through Grammarly and correcting the spelling
and grammar mistakes.

DO NOT copy-paste, duplicate, or plagiarize someone else's work. Do not search for an article and pass
it off as your own. Read multiple articles on the topic and come up with something original and unique.
DO NOT rewrite other people’s work and avoid shortcuts. Rewriting involves picking an article you find
on the internet that talks about the same topic and trying to reword it to sound original. This also counts
as plagiarism. This will lead to your disqualification and you may even be banned from the platform,
once the system picks up on it. So, avoid taking shortcuts and do your research extensively.

DO NOT forget to pass your work through the SEO Plagiarism checker and include the results in your
final draft before submission. Remember your work should be 100% plagiarism-free.

DO NOT use motivational speaker language (example: let me show you, let me teach you, you better
take notes, etc.)

DO NOT use generic content. Ensure your content is specific to the topic at hand. For example, if the
topic is, "Strategies that Eli Lilly Can Use to Lower the CAC in 12 months", avoid simply searching for
content like "how companies lower their CAC". The article you end up with should be more specific to Eli
Lilly in this case. That means you need to do extensive research on Eli Lilly, find out what they are
already doing, what they can do better, or what they can stop doing. This article is a good example of
content that is specific to the topic: Strategies Eli Lilly can use to reduce its customer acquisition cost.

Useful Tips To Successfully Complete The Test.

• Choose a time when you aren’t distracted or have any engagements. This is so that you'll be
able to concentrate once you start the test. Also, ensure that you are somewhere conducive for
you to work without unnecessary interruptions.
• Take time to read through the instructions. Ensure you understand what is required of you and
the aim of the test.
• Plan your time. You will have 24 hours to complete this test, so you need to use it wisely. Ensure
you’ve given yourself enough time to research, write, edit, and check for plagiarism before the
submission is due. This test will be very strict on time, since it’s assessing your time
management skills and ability to deliver work on time. So, you have to ensure you submit your
final draft within 24 hours. If you don’t submit on time, you’ll have to try again in 90 days.
• DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. It may be tempting and easier but it will disqualify you from the
onboarding process and possibly ban you from the platform. You can read what others have
written on the topic, and even borrow ideas, but remember to reword them and make them
your own.
• Keep it simple. Do not use jargon words, it will make it harder for the reader to understand
what you are trying to convey. Imagine the reader has no knowledge of the topic and explains
your ideas most simply.
• Go through your work one last time before submitting it. You neer know, there could be a
mistake you missed or a requirement you forgot.

Use this checklist to ensure you have everything you need in your final draft:

✓ Minimum of 1200 words and maximum of 1500 words.

✓ A meta description
✓ 3 number lists
✓ 3 bullet sets
 ✓ 2 tables
✓ Captioned images (optional)
✓ No spelling or grammar errors
✓ SEO Tools Plagiarism result screenshot

If you check everything on the above list, then you are ready to submit. All the Best!