Summary of Key Points
For current graduates looking for jobs, online assessments (written tests and AI interviews) have become an unavoidable obstacle. More than 60% of large and medium-sized companies incorporate these into their recruitment processes, with AI even replacing human resources (HR) in grading and conducting interviews. To pass these assessments, job seekers spend hours practicing questions and recording videos for simulations, falling into a cycle of “massive application submissions—question practice—assistance during the process—elimination,” which leads to what they call “assessment anxiety.” Companies resort to these methods due to the overwhelming number of graduates (12.22 million in 2025, expected to rise to 12.70 million in 2026), making it impossible to review all resumes manually; thus, assessments are used to screen candidates efficiently. The intense competition surrounding these assessments has given rise to various gray market activities such as selling question banks, using AI to answer questions on behalf of applicants, and offering paid assistance services. This situation has also forced some young people to adjust their career plans—abandoning doctoral studies, changing their choice of study abroad countries, or compromising by taking jobs they don’t really enjoy.
Detailed Explanation
Why Do Companies Prefer Online Assessments?
It’s not about deliberately making things difficult for applicants; it’s simply because the sheer volume of graduates makes manual screening impossible:
- An overwhelming number of graduates: In 2026, there were 12.7 million graduates, with millions alone from top universities like 985/211 institutions. Large tech companies offer only about 25,000 summer internship positions, attracting hundreds of thousands of applicants, resulting in millions of resumes to process. Without assessments, HR would be overwhelmed.
- Resumes don’t reveal true capabilities: Most graduate resumes only provide basic information like education and internships, failing to demonstrate problem-solving skills or resilience. For example, AI interviews may observe candidates’ body language (e.g., distracted eye movements as a sign of “cheating”) and analyze their logical thinking. Written tests may include general knowledge questions (similar to those for civil service exams) or industry-specific challenges (e.g., asking new graduates to write an industry report in 3 hours, a task typically reserved for those with 3–5 years of experience), all aimed at identifying candidates who can handle work effectively.
- Low cost and the ability to assess compliance: AI-based assessments are almost cost-free (half the price of hiring agencies) and can also reveal whether applicants are willing to follow company rules. If they can’t withstand these assessments, companies suspect they won’t adapt well to the workplace.
The Job Seeker’s “Assessment Nightmare”:
For young people, these assessments feel like endless exams:
- Time-consuming practice: Yang Liu, a graduate from a 211 university, spends hours practicing for written tests and recording videos for AI interviews. She submitted 100 resumes and took 20 written tests before finally getting a job. Li Xin, an international student, applied for 15 internships and faced assessments 12 times, but only made it to one interview, where she was questioned about the relevance of her experience. Even passing the assessments might be in vain.
- Assessment content unrelated to job requirements: Many assessments serve as a form of screening based on preconceived criteria (e.g., personality tests that require applicants to appear more ambitious or professional). The content of these tests often has little to do with the actual job requirements, but not practicing means no chance of success.
- Lack of feedback increases anxiety: Li Xin spent 2 hours on a professional assessment but received no score and had to wait for further updates. Even after making it to an interview, she was told her skills didn’t match the position, leaving her unsure about her chances.
The Rise of Gray Market Services:
The more intense the assessments, the more opportunities for profit:
- Selling question banks: Platforms like Beisen and Zhiding offer fixed sets of assessment questions. A “comprehensive” set from Beisen can be sold for around 4.9 yuan to over 2,000 applicants, who often buy them in fear of failing due to low scores.
- AI-based cheating: Many small and medium-sized companies don’t use video surveillance during assessments, allowing applicants to use AI to find answers. Even with monitoring, some use virtual machines or anonymous browsers to cheat. Although caught, some view it as a gamble for a better chance.
- Paid assistance services: Job placement agencies offer “guaranteed success” packages for large companies, costing 36,800 yuan, including job referrals, one-on-one guidance, and review of real exam questions. Middle-class families are more willing to pay because they lack connections and see these services as a way to gain an advantage. Other services, like “background enhancement” (e.g., buying fake project experiences or internships), can also cost thousands of yuan to improve resumes.
The Impact on Career Plans:
The pressure of assessments forces young people to change their life goals:
- Abandoning doctoral studies: Yang Liu wanted to pursue a PhD but was advised that the career prospects for humanities doctors are limited, so she decided to focus on finding a job instead.
- Changing study abroad plans: Li Xin planned to study for a one-year master’s degree in the US but changed her course to the UK to graduate in December 2026 and gain an extra year to apply for jobs.
- Compromising on career choices: Li Xin’s friend wanted to become a travel blogger but had no success with her applications, so she took a job as an internet salesperson, which, although not ideal, was necessary to secure a starting point in the job market.
A Vicious Cycle That No One Wants
Companies need more stringent assessments to find capable candidates; applicants rely on cheating to improve their chances; and gray market services profit from the situation. This creates a vicious cycle:
- Companies: “We can’t hire effective employees without these assessments.”
- Applicants: “We can’t get an interview opportunity without passing the assessments.”
- Service providers: “Your anxiety means more profits for us.”
- Young people: “We use AI to write papers, companies use AI for assessments, and then we work with AI-assisted systems—it’s all just a game of mutual manipulation.”
This cycle of assessment-driven competition leaves no winners, only young people caught in its midst and an increasingly competitive job market.