Moderated Testing Tips

Occasionally, UserTesting may ask you to join us for a moderated test. This means that another person (called a moderator) will help you complete the test.

Moderated testing often requires you to call in to an online conferencing tool (most commonly Zoom or GoToMeeting) and share your screen with the moderator. The moderator will talk you through the tasks, observe your screen, and ask follow-up questions.

If you want to get a high rating on a moderated test, do the following things:

• Be available. Keep an eye on your inbox, in case there are updates, and have your phone handy in case we need to call you. Don’t accept a moderated test if your schedule is tight. If something is preventing you from joining a session, send an email to the person you’ve been communicating with or contact Support.

• Be patient. Sharing your audio and video with the moderator requires more technical setup than an unmoderated study, and you or the moderator may hit some glitches along the way. We’ll do our best to compensate you for your time if that happens, but we appreciate your patience and flexibility. 

• Be honest. Most moderated tests will earn you double the money than you make with an unmoderated test, and it’s tempting to misrepresent yourself in order to take part in the study. Avoid that temptation. Moderated testing is more time consuming for both you and us, and clients are often listening in during sessions. If you don’t truly qualify for the test we are running, your test will have to be replaced, and you won't get paid and you will receive a 1-star rating.

• Be prepared. UserTesting will always provide you additional instructions before completing a moderated test. Read those instructions carefully, and be sure that you understand what is needed from you, and when. Don’t be afraid to reach out with questions or concerns if anything is unclear to you.

• Be considerate. We know that you are probably testing on a personal computer, but it’s possible that the recording of your test will be shown to Directors, CEOs, and other bigwigs at a company. Be sure to hide or minimize any sensitive materials on your screen, and consider using an “incognito” window or an alternate browser to keep your browsing history private.

Note: Payments for moderated tests are processed manually, so you won't see them immediately on your UserTesting dashboard. We appreciate your patience in this regard, too!