Our Science

The Science Powering Sova’s Assessments

At Sova, science is the foundation of everything we do. Our assessments are built on the principles of rigour and practical relevance. They are designed to support every step of the recruitment process, helping you to make smarter, fairer hiring decisions.

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I’m incredibly proud of the team of psychologists we have at Sova. They bring deep scientific expertise, creativity and pragmatism to every assessment we deliver — ensuring our tools are fair, relevant, and impactful for both organisations and candidates.

Nicola Tatham

Chief IO Psychologist, Sova

Our Assessment Design Process

Every Sova assessment is designed through a rigorous, science-led process to ensure it is fair, reliable, and predictive of job performance.

Define & Design

We start by defining what we’re measuring and creating a large pool of questions (or items) based on proven psychological theory and strict design criteria.

Test & Refine

We pilot test extensively, using statistical analysis to identify and improve unclear, biased, or ineffective questions.

Benchmark

We run the assessment with a large, diverse group to set meaningful benchmarks (or norms), showing what low, medium, and high performance looks like.

Evolve

We regularly review and update our assessments to reflect the latest research and evolving job requirements.

Science You Can Trust

We take a rigorous, evidence-based approach to ensure our assessments are both reliable and valid - giving you results you can trust.

Reliability

Producing consistent, repeatable results

Our assessments are designed to produce stable, consistent outcomes across time and test versions.

Internal Consistency — Cronbach’s alpha ~0.80–0.84 for our personality & motivation scales.
Test–retest Reliability — PQ ~0.78, Cognitive assessments ~0.77.

Validity

Measuring What Matters

We ensure our assessments measure the skills and traits they claim to.

Criterion-related Validity — BPS standard: ≥0.25 correlation is significant.
PQ correlation — 0.41 correlation with task performance.

What about custom assessments?

Bespoke assessments are always piloted for reliability and validity before launch, ensuring they’re fair, accurate, and effective.

Built for fairness, bias‑mitigation & accessibility

Anti-cheating measures

Sova protect fairness without disrupting the candidate experience.

Integrity Guard features:

Adaptive testing adjusts in real time to prevent answer sharing

Randomised questions for unique tests

AI monitoring for suspicious behaviour (eg browser switching)

Time-stamped scoring and refreshed question banks for ongoing security

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Equal access for all

We’re committed to inclusive assessment experiences for all.

Accessibility features:

One-click toolbar to adjust text, colours, fonts, and backgrounds

Available at the point of use - no disclosure needed to activate

Ongoing updates towards WCAG 2.2 AA compliance

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Bias & Legal Defensibility

Sova assessments are built on rigorous science and ethical standards.

Fairness & compliance features:

Adverse impact studies to monitor fairness across demographics.

GDPR compliance, SOC-2 certification, and EFPA alignment for legal defensibility

Skills-based design reduces reliance on CVs, reducing bias and improving hiring accuracy

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From Pre-Built, to Fully Custom

Ready-to-Deploy Assessments

Our library of pre-built assessments, designed by in-house psychologists, measures the skills proven to drive success in certain roles or levels.

Flexible & Customisable

Choose an off-the-shelf solution or tailor it to your existing skills framework. You can also partner with us to design assessments aligned to your organisation’s unique needs.

Blended, Engaging & Precise

We combine diverse question types into one concise, engaging experience - accurately assessing the skills that matter most.

Meet Our Team of Psychologists

Claire Mitchell

IO Solutions Lead

Claire is IO Solutions Lead at Sova Assessment with nearly 20 years’ experience in occupational psychology. Since 2022, she has led large-scale assessment projects and new product launches, bringing a calm and practical approach. A Chartered Psychologist and BPS member, Claire previously held senior roles at SHL in the UK and Sydney.

Grace Scott

Principal Psychologist

Grace is a Principal Psychologist at Sova, specialising in evidence-based, tailored assessment design. Since 2018, she has led major recruitment projects across industries, helping organisations hire fairly and enhance candidate experience. She holds an MSc in Occupational Psychology and is a BPS-registered psychometrician.

Nicola Tatham

Chief I/O Psychologist

Nicola is Chief I/O Psychologist at Sova, leading the psychology team and shaping innovative, evidence-based assessment solutions. With almost 30 years’ experience across consultancy, corporate, and public sectors, she has developed assessments still widely used today. Nicola combines innovation, pragmatism, and scientific rigour in her work.

Jason Furneaux

Principal I/O Psychologist

Jason is a Principal I/O Psychologist at Sova, advising on assessment strategy and leading complex talent projects. He brings expertise in psychometric test development and consultancy, translating data into practical insights. Jason holds an MSc in Occupational Psychology, is HCPC-registered, and is pursuing a doctorate on personality and workplace behaviour.

Tony Li

Expert in psychometrics

Tony is Head of Analytics at Sova, driving innovation in AI-powered and gamified assessments since 2019. With nearly 20 years in psychometrics, he has held senior roles at Korn Ferry, Hay Group, and Talent Q, and co-authored the UK adaptation of the NEO PI-3. He holds an MPhil in Work Psychology from Sheffield.

Feedback on the recruitment journey has been really, really, positive. Candidates feel more connected to Vodafone. They are kept informed, they can contact us at the touch of a button, they can really see how the questions reflect what we are looking for. The online assessment also sets them up for success at the assessment centre.

Aidan McCarthy

Head of Workplace & Talent Acquisition

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