Attach an assessment to a section so learners can test out. If they pass, the section is marked complete and they move on without working through the content. If they fail, they complete the section the normal way. This article covers when test-outs make sense and how to configure them.
The setting
Inside the Section Builder, the Section Test-Out Assessment option lets you pick an existing Continu Assessment as the section’s test-out path.
When a learner enters the section, they see two paths:
- Take the assessment to test out
- Work through the content normally
Either path leads to section completion.
How it behaves
Pass the assessment. The section is marked complete immediately. The learner moves to the next section (or completes the Journey if this was the last required section). They don’t need to interact with the section’s content at all.
Fail the assessment. The learner falls back to the standard completion path — they work through the content according to the section’s completion requirements (All / Some / Optional rule).
Skip the assessment. Learners can ignore the test-out and go straight to the content. The assessment is an option, not a gate.
When test-outs make sense
Veterans of the topic. Long-tenured employees taking a refresh program may know the material cold. A test-out respects their time.
Mixed-experience cohorts. When one Journey serves learners at different levels, a test-out lets advanced learners breeze through familiar sections while newer learners get the full content.
Compliance refresher cycles. Annual compliance content where most employees already know the rules. A short pass-or-fail check lets people demonstrate they still know it, without re-watching the same video every year.
Mandatory training where some have it covered. New regulation that some teams have already learned through other channels. The test-out is the path for “I already know this from my last role.”
Continued education credit. Programs where a learner just needs to demonstrate competence to receive credit, regardless of how they got the knowledge.
When NOT to use test-outs
Skill-building content. When the goal is to develop a new skill through deliberate practice, test-outs let learners bypass the actual learning. Don’t offer a test-out if the value is in doing the work.
Sequential prerequisites. If Section 2 requires knowledge from Section 1, skipping Section 1 via test-out could leave the learner unprepared. Either remove the dependency or skip the test-out option.
Onboarding fundamentals. New hires generally benefit from the company’s framing, terminology, and context — even if they “know” the topic from a prior role. Skip the test-out on culture, brand, or company-specific material.
Content with social or cohort value. When the point is shared experience (a cohort all watching the same kickoff video), test-outs break the shared experience.
Configuration steps
- Create or identify the Assessment you want to use as the test-out. The Assessment lives in the Content library and can be a quiz, knowledge check, or any graded check.
- Open the Journey in the admin
- Open the Section Builder for the section that should offer a test-out
- In the Section Test-Out Assessment field, select the Assessment from the dropdown
- Save the section
The test-out is now active for new learners entering this section. (In-progress learners stay on the version they started.)
Retake behavior
How retakes work depends entirely on the Assessment’s own settings — not on Journey logic.
- Assessment allows retakes — the learner can attempt the test-out again later if they failed the first time. Pass behavior on a later attempt is the same as on the first.
- Assessment is one-attempt only — if the learner fails, that’s their one shot at the test-out. They complete the section through the content path.
If you want a “you have one shot” experience, configure the Assessment for one attempt. If you want learners to be able to come back, configure the Assessment for multiple attempts.
For more on attempt settings, see Resetting Attempts on an Assessment.
What learners see
When a learner opens a section with a test-out:
- A clear option to take the test-out assessment, framed as “demonstrate competence”
- The section content below, available as the standard path
- After passing the test-out, a visible confirmation that the section is complete and the learner can proceed
Common patterns
Veteran-friendly compliance. Section is annual compliance content. Test-out is a 10-question quiz. Most employees pass and move on; new hires or those who fail work through the videos and the quiz.
Skills certification. Each section corresponds to a competency. The test-out is the competency check. Learners who already have the skill pass and skip; others build it through the section content.
Cohort + flexibility. A cohort onboarding Journey where Week 3 covers a tool many already know. The test-out lets experienced learners skip past it; new-to-tool learners walk through the materials.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Test-out assessment is too easy | Learners pass without actually knowing the material | Set a pass threshold that reflects real competence |
| Test-out assessment is too hard | Even competent learners fail; the test-out is useless | Calibrate against the section’s actual learning outcomes |
| Test-out on a skill-building section | Learners skip the practice they actually needed | Don’t offer test-outs on content where doing the work is the point |
| Forgetting to set up the assessment first | The dropdown is empty when configuring the section | Create the Assessment in Content before configuring the section |
| Assessment retake setting doesn’t match intent | Learners get more or fewer chances than you meant | Verify retake behavior on the Assessment itself, not on the Journey |