Detailed Validately Review – Read This Before You Apply As A Tester 

In this Validately review, you will discover if the job to find any possible errors in a website or app is a worthy side hustle. Validately is one of the many companies where you could join as a user experience or UX tester. 

Requirements For Joining Validately

There is a minimum age of 18 years old and also the required tools for user testing:

• computer with microphone
• smartphone or mobile device and
• a reliable internet connection. 

You can head over here to make a recording that will tell you that your microphone works properly.

One browser is required - Google Chrome. However, as you read other entries from the FAQ section, you'll know that MS Edge is also an allowed browser for desktop testing tasks.

Make sure you have the latest version of either browser.

You need good English communication skills to be a Validately tester. After all, you must voice out and express your insights about the website you are testing.

How Do I Use Validately?

Let us tackle the "moderated" and "unmoderated tasks" - the two types of tasks you can do at Validately.

1. Moderated

A moderated session is one where the client will set up a live face-to-face interview with chosen participants. The client may also share the screen of his prototype or website with his chosen participants.

In Moderated studies, researchers will recruit you from the Validately panel if you qualify for the tests they will conduct. Researchers could choose you to test desktop software and Android native apps.

As a moderated test participant, you can see/hear the moderator and text or chat with a moderator. The moderator will prompt you to have a screen share with him.

The moderator could see you in the face-to-face interview, so this means you should have a webcam to qualify as a moderated test participant. You may leave the session anytime by closing the tab.

To ensure your success in moderated sessions, you need to show up on the date and time that the moderator sets. Read and follow the best practices for panelists.

Contact Validately if you will be late for any reason.  You may use the cancel button and reschedule link in the confirmation email for respective purposes.

Validately will receive a notification from the client if your participation was a success and you can expect to get your payment after 7 days.

 2. Unmoderated

This is the usual user testing that involves thinking out loud about the website/app you are reviewing. The system will record your session and the client will receive your video as you complete the task and answer questions.

This task involves answering some screener questions.

You would receive an email with a link to the study. Once you click the link, you will see a webpage where you can take the screener questionnaire.

Questions vary according to the specific requirements that a researcher looks for in the test participant.

If your answers are not what the researcher looks for, you cannot proceed. You can move forward if your answers are correct. Your next step is to go through a tutorial about the task button.

Next, you will need to install the Validately Chrome extension. Then, you will go through a tech check to determine if your microphone works properly. They limit tests to 15 minutes by default and could include 3-5 tasks.

Researchers can rate your response. Star ratings of  3 (good), 4 (very good) or 5 (excellent) means that the researcher accepted your work.

Validately Signup

There is nothing mentioned about registration fees for testers.

You must state what mobile device and type of computer you own. You must indicate the version of Windows you use.

You need to tell your

• gender
• year of birth
• education level
• employment status
• industry
• job title
• annual household income
• full name
• email
• PayPal email
• password and
• time zone.

Validately Payment

Unmoderated studies, as mentioned earlier, last 10-15 minutes.

You can get $10 if you complete it and if the researcher gave you a high rating. If researchers need more time for the study, they will need to set up moderated studies, instead. 

Moderated studies last 30, 60 or 90 minutes. You might not receive any payment, such as when the researcher gave you a low rating for your work.

To ensure that you will submit a work that will earn money, there are several things you can do prior to the test.

• Check your internet speed.
• Use the latest browser version.
• Check the audio quality of your microphone.
• Be sure to talk continuously while doing the test.

The researcher wants to hear about what he asked you to do, what you are about to do or try to think about your thought process during the test.

Speak audibly. Answer the follow-up questions after the test.

Validately Review

Work Schedule

Researchers may screen participants according to their demographic information like age, gender, education, location, marital status, number of children, employment status and income.

Therefore, not all registered testers at Validately will qualify. Although there are tests available every day, expect not to get any invitation for a test.

Just like with other microtask gigs, you have a flexible work schedule as a Validately tester.

Yet, when you do receive an email invitation to an unmoderated study or when the researcher chose you as a participant in a moderated study, allot a substantial amount of time to finish your task efficiently.

Unmoderated study may last 10-15 minutes while a moderated study could take 30, or 60, or 90 minutes to complete.

Benefits

The benefit from checking out Validately is that you will gather a substantial amount of information about what the job entails.

You will also find useful resources there to use for ensuring you will get your payment for completing tests.

Conclusion

PROS

CONS

I find Validately a good website to join for user testing tasks. The way it presents useful information to testers made me decide it is a reliable company.