Arctic Shores

Arctic Shores is a task-based psychometric assessment service for employers evaluating candidates and developing existing staff. It suits talent-acquisition teams that want behavioural evidence and structured interview follow-through rather than question-only tests. The trade-off is a custom-priced, employer-focused platform that requires checking its task-based method against your hiring process.

Overview

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Manchester, Arctic Shores measures how people behave while completing interactive tasks. Its stated focus is candidate potential for recruitment, with use cases extending to current and prospective employees. The platform covers cognitive, personality, behavioral and job-fit assessment types, giving teams more scope than a single-purpose screening test.

This is a service for organisations willing to shape an assessment programme, not a self-serve consumer quiz. Employers can connect it to recruitment workflows, obtain campaign-level results and carry findings into interviews. Buyers should expect to discuss requirements with the provider before they can judge the final configuration or cost.

Key features

Task-based measurement

Arctic Shores observes behaviour during interactive activities instead of relying on a sequence of conventional questions. It assesses Personality and Workplace Intelligence, which the company presents as its approach to Cognitive Ability. That can add behavioural context to selection decisions, while teams that depend on familiar question banks may prefer a more traditional assessment format.

Assessment creation and support

Recruiters can assemble assessments with drag-and-drop tools, select psychologist-designed assessments or ask Arctic Shores’ specialists to help. Custom assessments and benchmarking are supported. The combination suits both experienced assessment teams that want control and employers that need help translating role requirements into success criteria.

Reports and interviews

Candidate reports, campaign dashboard scores and interview guides connect test output with the next hiring stage. Branding options allow an employer to present the assessment within its own process. Instant candidate feedback reports and round-the-clock user support address candidate questions and provide feedback promptly, rather than leaving applicants without an immediate result.

Integrations and security

Named integrations include Greenhouse, SmartRecruiters, Teamtailor, Tribepad, Willo and Eploy. Where an ATS marketplace connection is unavailable, a standard API is offered. Arctic Shores states that it is ISO 27001 certified, follows GDPR, UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and encrypts customer data at rest with AES-256. Its infrastructure is hosted in geographically redundant AWS locations in Ireland.

Business psychologists and programme managers support success criteria, interview processes and campaign data, alongside candidate and technical support. Candidate guidance covers Windows and Mac desktop or laptop computers plus iOS and Android phones or tablets, with supported browser and operating-system versions to verify before launch.

Pricing

Arctic Shores uses paid, custom pricing. The Arctic Shores assessment platform has no published price; prospective customers are directed to contact the team for a demo and pricing discussion. The plan includes cognitive, personality, behavioral and job-fit assessments, custom assessments, API access and benchmarking.

That model is appropriate for an organisation planning a defined hiring campaign and wanting configuration or programme support. It is less suitable for a small team seeking an immediately priced, low-commitment test. There is no stated free plan, trial duration, seat allowance or usage quota, so those commercial terms should be agreed before purchase.

Platforms

Arctic Shores supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web and API access. The broad coverage helps employers accommodate candidates using phones, tablets or computers, while the supported browser and operating-system requirements still need to be checked for each campaign.

Who it's for

Talent-acquisition teams and employers hiring or developing staff are the core audience. It is a strong fit when behavioural observation, bespoke assessment design, benchmarking and interview guidance matter, especially where an organisation already uses one of the named ATS integrations or can work through the API. It is a weaker fit for buyers who only want a transparent monthly price, a free tier or a conventional question-led screening workflow.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Interactive behavioural assessment: observes candidate behaviour through tasks and covers Personality and Workplace Intelligence as well as several assessment types.
• Flexible creation: drag-and-drop building, psychologist-designed tests, custom assessments and specialist assistance accommodate different levels of in-house expertise.
• Hiring follow-through: campaign scores, candidate reports, interview guides and branding help carry results beyond the initial assessment.
• Enterprise safeguards and connectivity: stated ISO 27001 certification, AES-256 encryption, AWS hosting in Ireland and ATS/API options support governed deployments.

Cons

• Custom commercial process: pricing, seats, quotas and trial terms are not published, making quick cost comparison difficult.
• Method may not suit every process: interactive tasks differ from question-based tests, so recruiters must ensure the format matches their selection criteria.
• Device administration remains necessary: candidates need supported browsers and operating-system versions across desktop, laptop, phone and tablet devices.

Alternatives

Choose CodeSignal instead when a freemium option with a free Individuals plan and Android, iOS, web and API platforms is more useful.

HackerEarth Assessments is the better comparison for teams wanting a freemium service with a Free plan capped at five test invites, three interview invites and two admins.

Pick TestGorilla when a published free tier with monthly credits and a full-access seat, or its annual Core pricing, fits your budgeting needs.

TalentClick suits buyers seeking a free basic account, limited free uses and a free trial.

Choose TestUP for a web-based freemium route with unlimited mini tests on its free plan and credit-based paid usage.

Mercer | Mettl is an alternative paid assessment service with customized assessments and pay-as-you-go pricing.

Pick HackerRank when technical screening is the priority and a paid Starter plan provides screen and interview functions, 2,000-plus questions and 120 yearly attempts.

SHL is another paid assessment option available on Android, iOS and web.

Verdict

Arctic Shores is best for established hiring teams that want task-based behavioural evidence, custom assessment design and interview-ready reporting in a supported programme. Its main reason to choose it is the combination of interactive measurement, specialist guidance, integrations and governance features. Look elsewhere if you need upfront prices, a free tier or a straightforward question-led assessment product.