Leapforce Agents – Search Engine Evaluators

I’ve heard tell of Search Engine Evaluator positions, but I’ve never taken the time to look into them. So today I hopped on over to Leapforce to check out their work at home position for a Search Engine Evaluator!

Pay & Employment Status

As a Leapforce at home agent you are paid by the hour, though I cannot find a rate on the site! It does say the payment is made by check via snail mail, though. And it appears you determine how many hours you wish to work as well as what times of day you’re able to work. You’ll be an Independent contractor, not an employee, so you’ll be responsible for claiming earned income (anything over $600 for the year) based on the 1099 they’ll send come tax time.

Job Description

You’ll be expected to “conduct in depth internet-based research and provide information evaluation for leading companies from around the globe.” Leapforce has customers and then contracts Independent agents to perform the work. Agents actually invoice Leapforce for the work they do. Search Engine Evaluators “evaluate and improve search engine results for one of the world’s largest internet search engine companies.”

Agent Requirements & Process

You have to be 18, self-reliant, self-motivated, and actively using the internet for more than 3 years (internet savvy). They’re particularly looking for people with a broad range of interests who enjoy online research and evaluation. You will also have to complete an online qualification process and pass an online assessment exam. Leapforce’s FAQ notes that it takes most agents a week to complete those additional requirements.

Equipment Needed:

  • High speed internet access
  • A PC running Mozilla’s Firefox browser (v3 or higher)
  • An up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software

High speed internet access would be cable or DSL (nearly anything but dial-up). You also have to own a computer and work directly from it (not from a computer at your local coffee shop (public access). If you’re not familiar with Firefox, you can download the latest version here: Mozilla Firefox. And most of us online have an anti-virus and anti-spy software of some kind running at all times. If you don’t – you should. Check into AVG for a nice, free edition (as well as their paid versions): AVG Free

Skills Needed:

  • Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities
  • Excellent comprehension and written communication skills
  • BONUS: Fluency in a language other than English

The Registration Application & A Quick Summary

I went through the initial registration process (located here: https://www.leapforceathome.com/qrp/core/register/1) and while most of it is fairly straight-forward, you actually do have to attach a resume in order to submit your information. Believe it or not, I don’t have a current resume! So I abandoned the effort since I’m not exactly looking for another job at the moment and was merely testing the waters to write about the opportunity for telecommuting work here on my blog.

So make sure you have a resume ready to upload in any of the following supported formats (text, word, pdf or open office).

Maybe I’ll put a resume together and then go back through to apply and see what LeapForce is all about. Then again, I’ve got more work than I can do at the moment so maybe I”ll hope that someone who is currently working for Leapforce as a Search Engine Evaluator will leave a comment here to let us all know what it’s like (and whether there are any caveats to getting paid!).

UPDATE – June 1, 2011:
Be sure to read (okay, scan over) ALL of the comments below. There are quite a few. Some folks are happy with the work, some aren’t. It seems most complaints stem from invoicing issues. And apparently robots run the place, so don’t expect to speak to a live person if you need help. It’s all automated. What isn’t these days?? Press 1 if you speak English . . .
Thank you to EVERYONE who contributes helpful comments on this post and others!

151 comments

  1. hmmmmmmm, looks like something i could do while i’m bored to tears at my other job. Thank you for sharing ma’am, you’re a gem. I’m off to apply.

  2. I’ll keep you posted on the Leapforce application procedure as it unfolds.

    I was offered $13.50 hourly and the project is anticipated to last six months. The next step for Leapforce is a two part evaluation that you have a week to complete. They’ll send you the study material too. If you pass both parts of the Search Engine Evaluator exam, you will receive an award of $150! To qualify for the award, you must also complete a minimum of 50 hours of Search Engine Evaluation work at the normal pay rate.

    I’ve done search engine evaluating at home before for another company. Evaluating search engines involves ranking and judging relevance websites. The last place wanted to increase accuracy of artificial intelligence that search engines use by comparing it to decisions made by real people.

  3. Just wondering, did you find the exam hard to do? Or was it pretty easy given they supply the study material?

  4. @Guest: I haven’t actually taken the exam – but I suspect it’s probably not too bad since they do also provide the study material. If you end up giving it a go, stop back by and let everyone know how hard the exam was after studying the material!

  5. I’ll be most happy to do so. I did ask on another forum the same question and someone who took the test did say it was fairly easy. If you take time to read and study, you’ll pass the exam. I will however come back and share my own personal experience as well. It certainly sounds like an interesting job.

  6. I just found out I passed both parts of the exam. More than hard, the second part is exhaustive; using the criteria to classify and evaluate 270 URLs. It takes hours, but they give you a week in which to complete it. The Leapforce FAQ point out that the reason for the exam being so long is partly to see if you have the willingness to do the kind of task they’re asking of you…over and over. As they said, I got the hang of it after awhile, and was really kind of enjoying it by the end. Not for everyone, but $13.50 and my own hours sounds pretty good right now!

  7. Hi –

    I also did the two-part exam. It is no joke! They emailed me last week saying they would get back to me with a starting date. I’d like to know if anybody has already started working for them yet. I’ll be sure to let you know how things go. Fingers crossed!

  8. I also passed the exam last week. I got an email on 3/19 saying they would get back to me with a start date. I need to start right away. Should I contact them or do you think they are working on it?? Anybody already start yet??

  9. I emailed leapforce after receiving the email stating they were working on a start date and I got a very quick response (same day). Anyway the email stated MAYBE sometime in April because they were waiting for more positions to become available. Can’t wait to start!!!!!

  10. I applied to the Leapforce, Search Engine Evaluator, position and found them to be legit with the CA Secretary of State. I couldn’t find any info on the BBB and never connected with a live person or received a call back when I left a message on the 800#.

    It took them a couple weeks to send info. I submitted all the required documents and again waited a couple weeks for a response. I was then notified of my exam dates and the instructions therein. Once received, I was given a week deadline to complete two exams, which included an extensive set of exam guidelines (100pgs) and a predicted 10-20 hrs of my time (said to be compensated once an agent). If I passed the first exam, they said they’d send the second.

    I just took the first exam and didn’t pass. In all, I’d say I gave them 5hrs of my time. I’m a sharp cookie and found the material to be quite complex and not applicable of high retention. Something you will need to study and definitely not for everyone. I’m anxious to hear from anyone who passed both exams and are working agents…getting paid.

  11. I just went through the process, and failed the 1st exam. It was barely a 1/2 second after I pressed the submit button. The material was very exhausting and really not up my alley. I didn’t study the material, but used the keyword find feature in the PDF to search for the answer. I think if you get one wrong answer you are out. It is a lot of work for 13.50 an hour, considering the paperwork etc. You have to bill in minutes. Not a scam I don’t think. But all of a sudden I do have an new virus soon after I opened one of their links.

  12. I’m a little worried about sending off my vital information – in this day of identity theft and all. Has anyone actually received any cash from these people?

  13. Passed the Leapforce tests and was hired an hour after I passed second test. Easy work for good pay!

  14. I got my first paycheck three long weeks after submitting my hours for the first month. This month I am due to receive the bonus for taking the two initial exams.

    As a contractor, the terms are 30 days, which means they have 30 days to pay you for work already completed.

    It doesn’t seem fair to wait so long for hours and hours of work, but it is a legitimate way that many companies do business with contractors these days.

  15. I just passed both exams and are currently waiting for Leapforce to finish final paperwork for me. My two co-workers failed the 1st exam! I will do the Chinese language assignment. Can’t wait – I do need money to support the family as a single mother.

  16. I would like to apply for LeapForce, Never had any experience with Search Engine Evaluator. Don’t you have to pass the first part before you take the quizzes, or do you just apply and they send you the material to study and then you take quizzes. How long do you have to study before you take the test?

  17. I’m currently a Leapforce at home agent, so it is legitimate. The exams are NOT hard. Read the material, have it handy during the exam, answer the multiple choice questions. I am also an engineer, but come on people. I guess it’s a good screening process. $13.50 an hour, as many hours as you want, whenever you want. Well worth the exam process.

  18. Wanted to know if anybody else is having problems tracking their hours. For some reason the working hours tracked by me never match the working hours tracked by them. And you don’t have access to the hours tracked by them. I really do a good job tracking my hours – as a freelancer you have to!
    Thanks!

  19. I just got my invoice back and had the same issue. When I sit down to work, I first started by “punching in” by putting the time in a notepad file. I kept track of this every time I logged in and logged out. Since filing my may invoice, I’ve started using the invoice system on their site to keep track of when I logged in. I know for a fact I actually worked the hours I put in, but my message with my invoice today shows that they have me recorded with about 1/2 to 1/3 the number of hours I know I put in each day. I feel like I must have not been logged into something somewhere or some other big issue. Let me know what happens with you Alison.
    Thanks

  20. I started working for Leapforce in mid-May. Like others, I’ve found the work alternately tedious and interesting, and while not impossible, requiring concentration and discipline. I wanted to hear from others (Erik? Alison?) about their invoiced hours — I, too, kept careful logs (I’ve been a consultant for a decade, so I’m well-practiced) and they only have “recorded” about 2/3rds the time I logged. I have asked for more information on how they record our time, and to see their logs so I can find out what the discrepancy is, but haven’t heard back from them (it’s been three days).

  21. Just curious to those of you already working for Leapforce if they let you work beyond the 6 months that are initially contracted. I’ve been approved and am waiting for my test to be sent.

  22. Somebody got back to me about my invoices but I didn’t really understand their reasons… One thing they told me is that after 15 min their clock stops tracking time you spend on SidexSide tasks. Meaning if you take longer then 15 min, you’re not getting paid =(
    Other than that, I hate to say that I find it really odd that 1/3 to 2/3 of my time never gets tracked by them, no matter how careful I am tracking time on my end…. Please keep me posted!

  23. I applied with Leapforce 2 wks ago and only received an email that they are reviewing qualification. How long does it take before I will no if I make it to step 2- the tests?

  24. Hey guys I just applied with Leapforce and this site has been very helpful. I am going to check back to see how the job is doing. Please keep posting.

  25. about getting paid for the hours you work… I’m refering to the fact that some folks are saying the company pays for less time than they think they worked. I am just applying, but I will want to know that I’ll get paid before I start the work. I don’t have time to throw away! Anyone have a resolution on this?

  26. Have been doing work for LeapForce for 4 months now. I passed the exams first time around. Pretty simple if you read the instructions and use a little logic. They are really not that difficult. It took me about a month from the time I first applied until I started working. The work can be pretty tedious and repetitive. It depends on the assignment. They do keep track of your time, but most important of all, your efficiency and quality of work. It is critical that if you are logging in an hour, you work undisturbed for an hour. No kids, phone calls, snacks… If your efficiency and quality does not meet the standards, you will be booted. You submit your hours the first day of the month, and you usually get a paper check via snail mail within a couple of weeks. It is all legit, but again, it is work. Don’t expect an office or factory environment where you get paid while you socialize. Every minute is accounted for.

  27. I applied and received an acknowledgment email letting me know my info had been received. A month later I received another email telling me that I “do not appear to be a good fit with the Search Engine Evaluation opportunity.” Gee whiz – I have a master’s in library and information science and worked for Google for 2 years! What are they looking for?

  28. Thank for the information. I’m actively looking for online work and will check it out and leave my comments.

  29. I just sat and failed the first exam. I couldn’t believe it – I’m pretty smart and I’m sure I got 75-80% correct, so I guess they are looking for higher than that. I wonder if they also take into account how long it takes you to complete the exam. Bottom line, I am not suitable for this work. But ooh, my ego!

  30. I just faxed my information to Leapforce on Aug 7th and am pending them to send me the exams. How long does it normally take them to send the exams after faxing your information?

  31. I applied to Leapforce back in early July, was almost immediately approved for the next step, and was sent the Independent Contractor Agreement to sign. I did, and returned it to them via both fax and email. Since then, nothing. My profile on their site states that they are still waiting for the paperwork to arrive – unlikely. And no matter how often I email or call, I can never get a live person or response. So how long is this process really supposed to take? Sorry to say, but I am starting to smell SCAM here!
    Any help would be much appreciated…

  32. @Renaldo. I had to fax my Ind Contractor Agreement a second time because I didn’t hear back for 5 days after sending the signed agreement the first time. When I re-faxed, I got an acknowledgement within an hour. So maybe you should fax your stuff again.

    Today I just received the links for Part 1 of 2 quizzes. When I looked at the 6 practice questions it became obvious that you must learn the ‘lingo’ to do well on the 270 test questions. I expect the test to be a challenge (for me anyway).

  33. Thanks for the response back guys! I eventually emailed my Independent Contract Agreement to Leapforce on Aug 24th and they responded back with part 1 of the exam. After reading the material, I passed part 1 on Friday Aug 28th and just finished part 2 today. I should be hearing something back by tomorrow on the next steps.

  34. I have worked for Leapforce for 5 months now and while they are not exactly a scam I will say that they are as shady as all-hell. For one, they will not answer simple questions and only give automated responses (it’s like robots run the place). Secondly and most importantly they are pulling some fraudulent BS with my latest invoice. I am not the only one who has experienced this, please go to http://aboutleapforceinc.blogspot.com/ and read what one worker experienced.

  35. I was able to pass both exams and the process, actually, of signing up was quite easy and painless. Thought that if I worked about 5 hours a day for five days a week, then I would pull back around a thousand a month. But Little did I know that tasks are not available all the time like they make it sound. Today, I was able to work for about 45 minutes. Since then, NO TASKS. The $21 I have earned so far is not cutting it. Anyone else have that problem today?

  36. I have been getting plenty of tasks but now wonder what my pay will be like. I wonder, Joshua, if you got a message about the quality of your work and if the money you have received so far has been close.

    I checked the blog you posted and it is just the opinion of one disgruntled person.

    I will return when I get some information.

  37. So far, Leapforce hasn’t given me any reason to think they’re a scam. I think many people become disillusioned that LF expects us to log in and work steadily with strict adherence to their guidelines. It can get tedious and it’s highly analytical–not something everyone can deal with efficiently over time.

    As for the aboutleapforceinc blog, if he was evaluating sites in English I can see why he didn’t do well. His English is poor and reading and evaluating websites does require a good grasp of the language. This isn’t a job where you get paid just to look at sites.

  38. Well, I got my first pay after a few weeks of turning my invoice in and it was for the full amount I had claimed.

    I’m quite happy about that and recommend those considering this to “go for it”!

  39. Hello everyone, this is a great post and has really helped me better understand and review leapforce. I am a highly educated marketing professional who has been doing this line of work for over 7 years. I am heavy into analytics, landing pages, rankings, algorithms and pretty much anything search engine and web site oriented. I live and breathe this stuff. I have applied for this part time position twice now and keep getting rejected. Does anyone know what specific items they are looking for in your resume? or what we need to do to at least take the test?

    any help would be greatly appreciated.

    DD

  40. I have just being hired but payment is 60 days. Please keep us posted and let us know how it’s going!

  41. Dawn~

    I don’t think it’s anything in your resume. I work for Leapforce and I don’t really have anything as far as educational/work experience-I am just a high school graduate who worked in a call center for a while, but I put in my application and had the first test sent to me within a day. I do know that if you’ve worked for/with Google before they won’t hire you because of a no-compete agreement, so if that’s on your resume that’s probably why you were rejected.

    Also, to address something that several other people have said, I have had no issues contacting a live person at Leapforce. In fact, I emailed them about an issue just today and received a phone call within 15 minutes from a very nice lady who gave me her name, number, and direct extension should I require any further assistance.

    This job is not for everyone-it requires a lot of analytical thinking and you must be willing to work independently, use the provided resources, and provide efficient, quality service. The test is a great indicator of whether or not the job will work out for you.

  42. I read all the comments, I got the mail for acceptance after a week of my initial response, I did’nt check my mail for a while, today I completed the agreement, and received msg straightaway that my agreement has been received , and now wait for the test. After reading the comments it is 50-50 that it is scam or legit. keep posting comments for other to make decision, whether to join leapforce or not.
    thanks

  43. I passed the first part and am waiting for my results on the second part. I have my fingers crossed, this sounds like a legit deal and I’ve done tons of research on work from home gigs, most of them scams! I’ll let you all know when I get the results for part 2!

  44. I worked for them for less for a month and found out I was terminated when I went to log in to work. There were no emails or anything saying my work was substandard. Yet, that is the reason the gave me for the highly unexpected termination. They seem like a brutal and ruthless company.

  45. I have to agree with this post. It is a legitimate job. However, they do mass firings without any rhyme or reason. They will say it is the quality of the contractors work. There is a whole thread on this at very popular work at home blog where more than 10 people were terminated without explanation over a two day period. The way it was done was brutal and chilling. No warning and in the email they tell you to write them if you have a questions about their actions. NO ONE got any reply to their requests for termination and proof of poor quality. In fact, many had received quality reviews from Leapforce. Something is wrong with this company. As for the Better Business Bureau as of December 23, 2009-they had an “F” rating. That speaks volumes.

  46. I as well worked for Leapforce for a period of over 6 months. They actually renewed my contract for an additional 6 months. I never encountered any issues with payment. My check was always received before the 30 day period was up. I also did not have any issues with logging my time, I was always paid for the time I submitted. However, after getting my renewal notification email, within a week I received a termination notice for substandard work. The strange thing is just two weeks prior I received my quality review which was excellent. I was completely shocked but after reading the previous post about mass firings I am thinking this must be the case. The work does get tedious and slightly boring so I am happy with the 6 months I got to complete. It seems after 6 months, they are ready to move on to new hires!

  47. I too has my contractor agreement terminated after two weeks with a form letter stating my work was substandard. And as with the others, no response from “agent support.” I can only surmise that, if there is any rhyme or reason to it, it was because I didn’t log in for five days. HOWEVER, I’d emailed “agent suport” to tell them I would not be logging in as I was going out of town for a job interview. No response to that email either. There are other companies, like Butler Hill Group, that offer the same kind of work where you’re actually interviewd by a live human via phone and get responses to emails that are not form letters. Pay is a bit better too, though you do have to work four hours out of the day M-F. But it IS both legit and well-run. I also curently contract with a virtual library reference service (not currently hiring) that is far, far better run than Leapforce. You can’t do this with bots and blind measurements without actually dealing with contractors as people. And to put people through that 3 days of stressed hell to complete the timed test just to dump them with no notice or communication is ridiculously poor management.

    I’ll be curious to see if I actually receive pay for the work I did accomplish.

  48. Thank you for posting a job opportunity like this on your webpage. But unfortunately i can’t apply for it because i am not from the US.

  49. I filled out the info and sent in my resume yesterday. I have not heard anything back from LF . I was wondering if any of you could tell me how much money you made during the time you worked with LF? ie…if you worked 3 months….how much did you “take home”?

  50. Studied the material and believed to answer most questions correctly. I believe they have a bunch of people take the first portion of the test and the first 10 or 20 or whatever the magic number is that get a certain percentage or more correct on the first part move on to the second part of the test. Those that hand in the tests after the magic number is reached automatically they give you a failing grade because they have reached there magic number……. Same I believe is true for the second part of the test. Not sure if I call that shady but don’t waste your time with this company as the better business bureau gives this company a grade of a “F”. I would make sure next time that I be one of the first people to hand in the test such as same day or second day. If you wait till midweek or late week to hand in the first part of the test you might as well not even waste your time taking the test at all. By then I’m sure they have reached there numbers.

  51. They even say they operate on a Net-30 basis. I just didn’t know what it meant.

    I passed both tests, and have worked today as my first. I did about three hours worth and they don’t have any more ratings for me. Is that a common issue, or is it just one of those times?

  52. It automatically logs you out if you don’t finish a task in 15 minutes, so if it takes you longer than 15 minutes to do an interactive SxS then I guess that’s where the time is going.

    That’s good info. It just means I need to get faster at doing them if I want to be paid for all my work.

  53. The latest pay with Lionbridge was 14.50 per hour. They require a minimum of 10 hours a week, up to a maximum of 20 hours. Another similar company is Leapforce. They have the same requirements to join. I believe I read an article from 06 or 07 stating that they are both contracted by Google to help keep the quality of the search engine high.

  54. I worked for leapforce for three months and they just terminated me. There is sooo much work that they want you to do off the clock, studying new guidelines, learning new tests and there is very little feedback. My experience with this outfit has left a bad taste in my mouth.

  55. Leapforce is a very well-veiled scam. If you are familiar with the Google Rater position that many companies offer (Butler Hill, Lionbridge, Workforce Logic) you know what the practical exam entails. Leapforce is the only company that does not pay for your ‘study time’ and taking the exam. The purported exam (practical one) is the actual work itself. Leapforce produces most of its work output by getting free work from applicants who are not hired but who produce the work through the trial (‘testing’) phase. Applicants are left with a very well-written ‘unfortunately you were not selected’ email and a wasted week of work. They now have an F rating at the BBB. Do yourself a favor and stay away from them, there are plenty of other companies that offer the legitimate version of the Google Rater position.

  56. I applied with this company on yesterday. Seems like interesting work. Haven’t heard from them yet. Glad to know someone pass the test and is working. Great!

  57. I started working for Leapforce in December and I’m very happy with it. I passed the exam. I went into it knowing I wouldn’t be paid for the exam or for reading training materials. I have been paid on time every month and for the full time that I billed, including a couple times where I was slightly short of their standards.

  58. It is so interesting reading the comments about Leapforce. Some are actually funny. I’ve LOL a few times. After reading on the 16 of March, I decided to go ahead with the application process. Believe it or not, I read all of the consent forms and posted them. It was scary, 11:00 p.m. at night, nobody up but me. It was like walking thru a hunted house, and I needed to get rest for the next day’s work. But, my curiosity kept peaking. Each time I read a consent form, I kept thinking, why all of this. I got scared to hit the SUBMIT BUTTON. Then finally, I was at the last page. They say I’m to take tests next. FYI, if you missed it, they pay each agent 0.22 per minute, which adds up to $13.50 per hour and 30-days to clear invoices. After reading comments today, I stratching my head again. But, I’m curious as to what the work is like, maybe it’s something I can use somewhere else. Hey, maybe I won’t pass the test…that’s a way of escape! I’ll let you know. Then again, do I want to spend 5-hours trying to solve riddles? Good luck with your ventures to. Have a wonderful day and LAUGH!

  59. have been working with Leapforce since January. have been pretty satisfied overall. biggest downside I see is that work isn’t always available; it seems to be available in waves. i am unemployed, and do Leapforce when i need a break from searching for work. the pay is $13.5 /hr, billed by the minute. have to keep up minimum amount of work output (average 30 tasks completed per hour) with good quality. got dinged in March as one type of evaluation takes me much longer than normal to complete, which lowered my overall work output. i just quit doing those projects, and my output is fine. $13.5 not enough to live support my family, but is better than playing online games or wasting time.

  60. I just finished taking the Exam and think I flunked it, since I did not see the link for the Exam II. via Lionbridge they gave me 5 days to study and take the exam. I consider that “not enough time” for a first timer. Too many details there to remember.
    Anyway, the position was for 14.50/hr on a 1099, wd be good side income for me.

  61. Any hints to the second part of the exam? i was helping my partner out with the second part, we thought we nailed it but now, got an email minutes after submitting the test and they said we didn’t pass. I’m going to try again. Does any one have any hints for this aweful long test besides reading the material? I’m not stupid, but geez is it really that hard?

  62. I just finished the second part of the tests a few hours ago and sent it in. I passed the first part without much trouble, but ran out of time a little on the last part (my own fault if I don’t do well). I haven’t heard anything yet and it’s been two hours past the due time, so maybe I did okay. Nothing so far seems out of whack, just normal for independent contractors and online work.

  63. I just passed both exams last week, and I must say, they were very difficult. while I was preparing for Part-2, I did about 75 practice questions, and the immediate feedback indicated that I was getting less than half of the questions correct. However, after finishing the test (it took several days, off-and-on), I was notified that I passed both parts. Within about one day, I started receiving assignments. I was able to work when it was convenient for me and put in about 20-hours over the past five days. It’s the end of May, so I will invoice for hours worked thus far, and hopefully, I will see a check in a few weeks.

  64. I studied and passed the first exam, however I did not realize the second exam would take multiple hours to complete. I thought the 5-8 hours they quoted included prep time – I’ve never heard of that much prep time & qualification for what is essentially a low paying job.

    The study guidelines were 101 pages. I recommend reading the entire document once then printing up the last 5 pages of it which summarizes the whole thing and use that during your first exam. Material is easier to find and you’ll pass that way. I read the whole document once, then referred to the 5 page summary once the night before and once the morning of the exam. Sleeping on it combined with the recency effect (morning of) seem to help.

    Unfortunately I ran out of time during exam 2, partly because I misjudged the time necessary to complete the second exam and also due to an unusually busy week leading up to it. I’m very disappointed – though it was clearly a time issue they won’t let me retake the exam despite passing the first one. This seems ludicrous since I am someone with 10 years of web experience, I understood the material and would make a good employee. Leave 5-8 hours for the exam, do it the day before it’s due.

  65. I passed the two, very difficult tests last week and worked a little over ten hours before the end-of-month billing period was complete 5/31/10. I invoiced for my hours on June 1st and quickly received confirmation that the invoice was approved.

    I have received no project work since June 1st (It is now the 4th), but I will keep checking. Hopefully, the down time is not a norm.

  66. Might we risking to work for two months and never receive any payment because the employer may disqualified our work for being under their standards of quality? Remember: you work for a month and send your first bill. Then for another month and send your second bill. You are supposed to get your first bill paid after 30 days which is the day you completed your 2nd month of work.

  67. For those of you that have worked 30 days, how many hours did you work during those 30 days?

  68. [if you print it out] “Material is easier to find”

    This is really incorrect. CTRL-F is much easier to use in a browser, word doc, or pdf than manually flipping through pages of printed text.

  69. About getting a hold of someone there, I just used their directory until I found someone (I typed in the letter J and was connected to a woman named elizabeth)….it’s the only way I could get a hold of anyone there, kind of lame….

  70. To the people mentioning the F rating with the BBB I think that is because the BBB gives an automatic F rating to companies of the work at home variety due to the large number of scams out there and the grade can only get raised through positive feedback or something. However, I didn’t see any actual complaints. The stated reasons for the grade are:

    * BBB concerns with the industry in which this business operates.
    * Length of time business has been operating.

    Of course that doesn’t mean there aren’t complaints with the company but the F rating seems a bit misleading. I just passed both tests and found them somewhat tedious which makes it hard not to start browsing the Internet on some of the more interesting links. That will probably not be a good idea once on the clock but hopefully the tasks can be done in smaller batches than that monstrosity of a test that I tried to mostly do in one sitting (big mistake).

    I’m a bit worried about the pay/time complaints people have had and the mysterious, sudden terminations but hoping for the best since I have no other work at the moment.

  71. Sounds like it could be an interesting way to earn an extra income. However, if you add the total number of positive comments here vs the number of negatives, I think I will pass.

  72. So I have worked for Leapforce for the last 4 months.
    *The Good: It’s a real w@h job. Pays better than most. Totally free to work whenever you want. The work isn’t especially hard once you learn what you’re doing. Ocassional opportunities to earn bonuses, sometimes hundred of dollars.
    *The Neither: You will want to work from a location with excellent DL speed. Sometimes you will deal with porn. No direct deposit available. Requires Firefox and several extension downloads. You will need to track your time down to the minute.
    *The Bad: Net 30 payments=you work all month, submit a bill on the first, and they can take up to 30 days to pay (usually about 3 weeks). They sometimes run out of work for a day or so (twice in my 4 mo). Servers can bog down making it impossible to download work (especially around 2p-5p pacific time). You will have to deal with idjits who don’t agree with you and make more work for you. Sometimes, you will be the idjit. Contracts are no longer 6 months, now “at will”. The testing to be accepted is daunting (consider it unpaid training).
    *The Ugly: After 4 months of good reviews and steady work, they cancelled my contract (fired me) citing “a pattern of substandard and unacceptable work.” I beg to differ. According to online discussions, they pull this stunt from time to time, letting a whole batch of contractors go at once. So don’t count on it being a long term job. It was nice while it lasted.

  73. I have just been scheduled for the Leapforce pre-hire exam…I have also done work for Lionbridge in the past – THEY paid $14.50/hr and was direct deposited…never had any problem receiving pay. The work can be tedious, in that you’re often doing the same type of task over and over, BUT you can also learn alot, if you’re like me and enjoy reading about different things. However, you must be very disciplined…Sometimes I’d get hung up reading something interesting, and have to backtrack to see how much time I actually spent on-task!! It was fun, and Lionbridge gave me plenty of time to get up to speed on my “quality”. They already seemed to have a firm idea of what your rating should be for each task, and when there was a wide variance among raters, there’s a resolution process to be participated in, with a moderator sometimes guiding the session. I imagine Leapforce is very similar and in fact may be related or cooperating w/Lionbridge, as I saw instructions to Leapforce assessors on the Lionbridge home page. Will let you know how it goes.

  74. Just spent an enormous amount of time studying and reading over their info to take the first test, gotta tell you I felt really good about it, only to get an IMMEDIATE email that the evaluator position is not a good fit for me. No exam score, or which answers were wrong, literally took the amount of time for me to close my browser and switch back to email to assume I failed. I would love to argue the results or even see them. Alot of BS to go through to apparently not pass…..

  75. I’m a librarian that does regular web research. I found this part-time opportunity on the ALA joblist. I applied, received an exam date, and took the exams within a two week window. I started working last week, and have invoiced about thirteen hours so far. The big plus, doing this when I want to. The only negative so far, is that several times I’ve logged on, and had no rating tasks in my queu.

    Regarding the test, it is long and tedious. Be sure to study the material that is sent.

  76. I tried to look them up on BBB, but they’re not registered with them. I’m a little hesitant to give out my SS#. Has anyone gotten a paycheck from them?

  77. I applied for the SE Evaluator position from an ad I’d seen on craigslist.
    I passed the first exam and was notified instantly after submitting. First exam was more difficult than I had expected. It’s basically an “open book” test though, as they provide you with the “Evaluator Guidelines” PDF. It is just time consuming and not intuitive. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO READ THE GUIDELINES PDF DOC.
    I just finished the second exam (150 URL evaluations) and am awaiting my results.
    I think this will be a great way to supplement my income in my free time.

  78. Update on previous post.

    I received my first paycheck today. Regarding invoicing, my invoice was accepted without any quibbles from Leapforce. I was notified that my submission was received, and then within a day or two, received another email that my invoice had been approved. On the invoice, you must be very detailed, keeping track of exactly when you log in and out of the evaluator software. I’m keeping track on an excel spreadsheet, and I update my current invoice after every work session.

    I’m a little concerned over the long term viability of this position, considering the posts of others who have worked for them in the past, but it seems to be a good way to earn a little extra money on the side. I would definitely NOT want to do this more than a couple of hours a day.

  79. I took the Search Quality Judge online qualification exam and failed today. I was sure i passed. Everyone is saying It took them hours to complete the first part but this test only took me about 10 min and i did not get any study material. Is the test i took not what everyone else is talking about? It seamed very easy to me but i didn’t pass. I thought i was suppose to take the key word given and then pick the best answer as to what the results should be.

    Any insight would be great.

    Thanks all

    Dan

  80. This is very interesting reading as I have thought about applying for a agent position. It does seem this company has tried to introduce a lot of computerized AI (Artificial Intelligence) automation into it’s procedures which indicates that there may be no where near the amount of employees running this company as indicated by the BBB info. It may be only One or two individuals. When certain parameters are met an automated action is triggered such as Terminate ( with canned reason, no variety implemented). When the hiring quota condition is met Test Fail logic is implemented. Same for termination conditions based on the amount of work vs. agents. They may seem like robots because they may well be robots.

  81. Hi all,
    I just received my invite to take the test, it sounds like this may be time consuming but hey, Im online all the time so why not get paid for it! Thanks for all the insight.
    Tell ya how I did in a week.
    Hal

  82. Has anyone ever worked for more than 6 months with any of the companies as a search engine evaluator? I have just been accepted by LeapForce and I am in the process of signing the documents. Just curious to know if I’m only going to have a job for 6 months.

  83. I have completed and passed both of the tests. I actually didn’t pass the second (150 ques.) test when I originally took it, but after a few weeks they sent me an email saying they were going to give me a second chance(?). I studied and prepped more than I had the first time and this time I passed! I have submitted my EIN, and I am awaiting my first assignment. Tips for the second test: Make SURE to read the Guidelines, especially concerning spam. Most of the info that you will need is in the first 60 pages. Wiki is not always “useful”, and make sure you understand the “didn’t load” guidelines.
    Looking forward to starting work.

  84. Have been working for a little while now, Passed both tests. I’ll let you know when I get my first paycheck.

  85. Here’s my experience with Leap Force. I applied in November of 2010. Heard nothing from them until February 2011. I was invited to take a pre-qualifying test. 15 questions or so. I passed, Then i was invited to take two more tests, The first was 25 questions, took it and passed, Then i was invited to take the 150 question ‘simulation’ exam. Finished the exam and was informed that I was not suited for the job and I could not continue with them, no option to retake the exam. OK.. fine.. then 2 days later, I got an email offering me the opportunity to retake the exam……… What gives ?? LOL after making such a big deal about not being able to retake any exams, they ask me to try again ??? I guess I’ll try it again. Couldn’t hurt anything. has anyone else had a simliar experience with LeapForce ??? I read so many good and bad things about them. makes me wonder about them…..

  86. I am scheduled to take the test on Monday, after reading a lot of these comments I am rather nervous! I am praying for a good outcome, will let you know.

  87. I’m hoping that I’m able to retake the second part of the exam if I fail it. I just turned in all my tasks, and found that I made at least one mistake with a few of the questions. I’m going to be nervous and waiting until Monday for the results.

  88. I spent 10 hours preparing for and then taking the exam. I became an agent. I’m no sucker so I completed the min. required tasks for the month, just to make sure I will get paid.

    On the 1st of the month I filled out my invoice. Then I waited and waited and waited. Finally after 2 weeks I was informed that some errors existed on my invoice. I take a look at the errors as it turns out they do track your time, and according to leapfarce I worked about 55% of the hours I invoiced. Under closer inspection leapfarce has no record of some of the days invoiced for work, and at the same time they credited me for days I did not work. What gives?

    Any way I refilled out my invoice exactly according to what leapfarce claimed I worked. Now it has been 2 more weeks and I am waiting waiting waiting. Good Thing I have a wife with a good paying job. Turns out I may be a Sucker.

  89. I just took both tests and passed both…waiting for them to approve my W-9 and restore my EWOQ! My concern is not the validity of the company…it is the invoicing issues and the unexpected terminations…but I chose to do Leapforce first because they don’t limit the amount of time you can work like the others do…so hopefully I will be able to start working on Monday! Very excited!!!

  90. I worked for them for months. If you submit the invoices properly you get paid. Properly being tracking every search you do and every minute you do them, one by one. The time it takes to do that tracking comes off the time it takes to do the searches, for which you are graded. I am very experienced with SEO, search engines, software and technology, and with all humility, a pretty bright person. It is exhausting work which is timed and you must perform VERY quickly and maintain a minimum quality for which you are graded monthly. They keep adding different kinds of searches and you have to spend your own time learning all the new searches, spending many hours of your own time on an ongoing basis. After working for them for months, my computer crashed and I could not work for 3 weeks, That meant I could not perform the mandated minimum of searches for a 30 day period. They terminated me with the elegibility to re-take the 8 hour exam. I re-took and passed it, did searches for one day, and then they terminated my contract for no reason with no explanation. They did not answer me for 11 days! Their communications is virtually non-existent and I warn people away from them without reservation. They take advantage of people who need to work from home and treat them like slaves because there are so many willing to put up with it. I have never run into a more mismanaged and unfeeling organization in my life. Forwarned is forearmed.

  91. After reading all of these comments I am not sure what to think about this company. I am a 19 year old college student so I was not too sure if they would except my application. However, almost immediately after applying i was given an exam date. I have just finished and passed the first exam and just to provide another prospective on the exam, I only fully read the first 15 pages before I started the exam. Once I had started the exam I just used the keywords in each question to go back and search for the answer. Overall the first exam was time consuming but not real hard. I am getting ready to begin the second exam and am wondering if anyone here can tell me exactly how difficult it is compared to the first exam. I have a tendency to get impatient quickly so while I’ve been taking the practice exam questions for the second exam, I am only getting around 60% completely correct, although I am finishing very quickly. I am not sure if 60% will cut it so I was hoping someone could inform on exactly how good I will need to do.

  92. so is this company still up an going bc i am very interest.. i really need a stay at home job like this!!! please help

  93. @miranda: It looks like they’re still up and running. In fact, they’re already noting the future in their copyright notice in the footer:

    © 2008 – 2012 Leapforce, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy

    Though I don’t have any first-hand knowledge (haven’t worked for them at all), there are many, many comments from folks who have here. And be sure to Google “Leapforce Agents” to learn everything you can before you leap. Pun intended.

  94. Just filled out the initial application ..We’ll see I’m somewhat skeptical about this type of thing but it seems to be legit. Helpful comments people! I’ll keep you posted.

  95. I am currently working for Leapforce… it is not a scam, but it’s not for everyone, either. You have to work quickly and accurately to maintain speed and quality requirements, and because you’re hired as an independent contractor and not an employee, there is no job security/benefits/etc. and they pay invoices as net 30 (meaning that you submit an invoice at the end of the month for the hours worked that month and they have 30 days to mail your check) which is somewhat annoying, but not uncommon with contract work. This is nobody’s dream job, but it pays 13.50-17.40/hour, a lot more than retail/barista/cashier type jobs which is about the only thing available where I live… and you can set your own hours/times that you work, which could be very useful for some people students, parents, etc. but it also means you have to be disciplined and self-motivated to work enough to make a living. I have another job, but I know people who only do Search Engine Evaluation with Leapforce and with similar companies and it pays their bills.

    Also, after working a certain number of hours they reimburses you for the time spent taking the tests, and if you consistently provide high quality work and meet the speed requirements there is an opportunity for pay increase after 6 months.

  96. Has anyone received a check from them? So far I, and my be clueless, but seems as if everyone has put forth a lot of effort. Has anyone been paid?

  97. So, i completed the second of the 2 exams last night. The due date was at midnight last night, so about 11 hours ago…and I still haven’t received the email with my exam results. Is this normal?

  98. If anyone doesnt mind saying how much they were approximately making at the end of the month

  99. I passed the two tests and started working for them exactly 30 days ago. Today, out of the blue, they terminated my contract (and did not pay me as well).
    My TPH (Tasks per Hour) 35 (while they ask you over 25 in the first 3 weeks, it was high coz I didn’t cheat them “killing time”.

    They seemed very serious with all those tests and, in Brazil, they pay (USD 8 / hour). When I had a doubt, a woman answered to me (Jessica Romo) so I thought it was serious. What really bothered me was that according to their GG (General Guidelines) they would send you warning notice if your job was not good. In my case, they just terminated.

    They demand you at least 200 tasks per month, during these 30 days, I had more than 3000 tasks done. I really didn’t got their point, but anyway I’ll be waiting their answer and my money.

    It’s strange, because there are people talking good things and bad things as well.

  100. I have been with LF since April – 2011. I have not had any problems with LF as of yet. Back in June I was unable to perform work for LF because of an illness in my family. They deactivated me, but offered the exam to re-instate me. I passed, and now I’m doing great. I love the job, it gives me time to spend with my family and make income at my own time, in my own home. I know of 2 other people who work for LF, one that has been with LF for over 2 years, and they love it as well. It’s worth the risk to take the exam, if you don’t like it, then you can back out of the contract. They pay me on time each month, and provide my earnings according to my invoice that I submit.

  101. Leapforce is a scam. I worked about 25 or 30 hours a month for them. Only once was I paid what was invoiced, and I carefully tracked my time, so they screwed me, plain and simple. They seemed to randomly pick a time frame to say I didn’t work when I did. There was rarely any work to be done, even when I was able to wade through this or that update or qualifier or whatever. I would not let my worst enemy work for these lying idiots. Just don’t do it!

  102. Hi, any help will do, My General Guidelines and exam was to be sent Monday 17th of Oct But I have not recv themyet. I have emailed Leapforce twice with no response, does anyone have a contact number. It was stated that I had 7 days to finish exam but I have no material to start.

  103. I applied with Leapforce online. I received information immediately after submitting my application. Awaiting link for study material. I will keep you informed.

  104. Hi, everyone. I got invited and will be taking the test for LF this week and next week. I think I will like it fine, because I am an independent thinking with half a masters degree in Psychology (so I’m analytical). Also own a technology company of my own, etc. What I want to know though is how many hours PER WEEK you can claim? I read somewhere you are limited to 20. Is this true, or can I invoice for say 30 a week? Thanks.

  105. I finished the this week, can anyone tell me how many days later after the exam due day that I can receive the result? thanks.

  106. I’ve been working for them since June, and I really like it! I submit my monthly invoice at midnight on the first, usually get my direct deposit within 2 or 3 weeks. Haven’t experienced any problems with getting paid yet. Seems like there is more work available after you’ve worked for a month or two, so hang in there new raters!

  107. I have taken the exam. Because Im pretty skilled with the internet and have worked as a computer tech for 10+ years I figured it would be a no brainer. The first time I attempted I failed because I didn’t really study. I did what someone else said and searched through the document for the answers. They thankfully gave me another opportunity to retake (maybe I was close to passing). So I studied and passed. Now I’ve been an agent for a few months. Though it is not a scam, the work isn’t for everyone. You get paid at a rate of 13.50 per hour and because they say availability of work is dependent upon the client and it seems that there are so many of us agents the work is scarce. On average I probably get about 30 minutes worth of work a day. Its not enough to pay the bills

  108. Does anyone know where one could see a sample resume for a “Search Engine Evaluator”? I cannot find anything like this on the web.
    Rickie

  109. It sounds worth a try, but I have a feeling they will only employ US residents. Anyone know if this is right?

  110. @Andy G: It looks like they’ve got positions in countries other than the U.S., too:
    Search Engine Evaluator
    United States of America – English Language
    United States of America – Chinese Simplified Language
    United States of America – Spanish Language
    United States of America – Persian / Farsi Language
    Canada – English Language
    Canada – Chinese Simplified Language
    Canada – Persian / Farsi Language
    Brazil – Portuguese Language
    Egypt, Arab Republic of – Arabic Language
    Germany – German Language
    (http://www.leapforceathome.com/qrp/public/jobs/list)

  111. @Ricki H: You can find lots of nice samples (generic), but you don’t want to copy one verbatim anyway. You want to be original – focus on what you have to offer in relation to the job opening to show that you meet the requirements and responsbilities of the position.

    Make sure you have a clear cut objective and then list your qualifications and skills as they pertain to the job at hand, as well as your past experience (jobs) and education (school). Try to speak speicifically to the skills needed after reading the job description. In this instance, you might want them to know you’re a web enthusiast, how long you’ve been online, any Internet research skills you have, how familiar you are with current events and the online culture, how self-reliant and detail oriented you are, how many languages you speak, etc. The basic skills are in the article above.

    And since there are equipment requirements for the job, you’ll want to note those, too. Maybe go right from the list noted on the Leapforce list:

    Leapforce’s List

    • High speed internet access (Cable Modem, DSL, etc.)
    • A personal computer running Mozilla’s free Firefox web browser, version 10.x or 11.x.
    • Up to date anti-virus and anti-spyware software

    You will want to have up to date anti-virus software on your personal computer. Any commercial ant-virus software package will do fine. As well, there are several high-quality widely available software packages that you can use for free.

    Good luck!
    Stop back by and let us all know how it goes.

  112. hi just wondering if you live in australia and work for them do you have to pay tax in the us as i already have to pay tax here

  113. I am currently trying to complete the application and testing process for LeapForce. I have heard both good and bad things about this company, but I am willing to give it a try. If anyone who has worked for this company can give me any pointers, I would greatly appreciate it.

  114. Has anyone had experience with Appen Butler Hill, Lion Bridge, or Work Force Logic? From what I can see they offer the same work as LeapForce and was wondering if any one is better than the other? I’m considering trying LeapForce but it has a lot of mixed reviews.

  115. I hardly write responses, however I browsed a few remarks on this page Leapforce Agents
    – Search Engine Evaluators – Telecommuting Journal.
    I actually do have a couple of questions for you if you do not mind.
    Could it be just me or does it look like a few of these comments look like they
    are left by brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are posting on
    other sites, I would like to follow everything fresh you have
    to post. Would you make a list of the complete urls of your public sites like
    your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?

  116. Wow, Edwin – calling others who left comments ‘brain dead’ isn’t exactly the nicest way to start a comment here . . . and the link you’re trying to leave to squidoo returns a 404, so I’ve taken that out. I’m somewhat active in social media, I’ll definitely think about connecting my accounts here in the near future.

  117. I applied, took the first test and failed. I do not know why I failed, it is not straight forward on how you need to answer the questions. For example they have a URL that is about “ABC’s” and the query is ABC’s, and I check the page and it’s down or the site moved or the page is not relevant anymore, so I would mark it as being ‘unhelpful’, there were a few questions like this. I think that the test is checked automatically and they have obviously not looked at the url’s lately to see if they are functioning anymore or even live, because as soon as I hit submit, they said I failed with no explanation, maybe I took to much time, I do not know, but after reading the comments, it seems like it would be a great deal of headaches to get paid or do the work. I have been doing SEO for years and have been working online for over 8 years, so they obviously do not care or read my application or resume, and their test is outdated and automated. A big waste of time and getting my hopes up for a job, I was excited and told my wife about it, but now I have to tell her I failed, maybe it is for the best.

  118. To the poster that was asking about other companies: I had nothing but bad luck with lionbridge a lot of the same communication issues. However I have been with Appen Butler Hill (formerly Butler Hill) for 3 and half years and love it. They promote from within which has been great for me. You have phone numbers and emails for team leads and they are superb at paying on time!

  119. I personally do not work for them, but I have a friend who does. She said she does get paid, (13.50 hr) and that the work is easy….She has suggested to me that I try it, but after reading all these comments I am somewhat leery.

  120. I studied all week for the exam, and somehow thought my exam was Tuesday, when it was Monday. They sent me a notification saying they didn’t think Leapforce was a good match for me. They said, even though illness was a part of the mixup, that there would be no chance to take the exam. Bummer, bummer, bummer. That is so very arbitrary.

  121. I failed in my first comment to add that early on the day I thought I was to have the test, Iogged in to find that I had two reminders from Google that I was to take the exam on Monday that were never there up till the time I went to bed at 9 p.m. I tried to communicate with Leapforce regarding the errors, got one message saying wait for further info re a retake, followed by the one saying I failed the test I never took, and would not be allowed a retake. Pretty strict. Not much of a chance to explain overcome honest errors. Wilma C

  122. I’ve been evaluating & assessing this company, trying to figure out what service it is actually providing its clients. It claims that the clients are search engines, and that you are hired to be an evaluator. I know what Google evaluators do. And this is not what they have their contractors doing. What every good SEO knows is how to train the dragon to respond to a keyword with the result they want. This is achieved by a large and random number of IP addresses entering a given query and clicking the link desired to rank at the top. Evaluators, you are helping some very rich clients to game the search engine results. You are to spend a certain amount of time looking at certain pages, bouncing quickly from the results that are meant to be demoted and staying longer at the “relevant” ones. The reason people are suddenly “fired” for no apparent reason is because your IP cannot be caught doing this activity or the Search Engine’s AI will catch on. So guess what that means? If the client is a search engine at all, it is targeting a rival search engine’s algorithms to muck up the works. And they are more than willing to pay you to get that job done. If you’re going to work from home and do this job, at least be intelligent enough to know what you’re doing. Black Hat SEO is what you’re doing. Just sayin.

  123. What eKnows says is a bunch of bunk. It makes no sense. I’ve been working with Leapforce for well over a 2 years now. They provide solid and well varied work. The non-disclosure agreement prevents me from speaking about specific tasks, but if you were to see the actual queries you will know that this is not companies hiring for clicks.
    There are also a lot of very fun and interesting tasks involving other projects such as products and maps as well as work for you individually based on your locations and if you travel.

  124. I’m in the registration process right now. I just took the 15 question Skills Assessment. Once I completed that, it said that my application is NOT yet complete. Then, it went on to a Language Proficiency Test: Simplified Chinese. I didn’t click on anything saying that I can speak or write a foreign language. It says the Leapforce At Home independent agent position you are applying for requires the ability to read and write Simplified Chinese. Anyone else have this problem? What should I do? Try to skip the test, or just pick random answers (then they would know that I don’t understand Chinese)?

  125. This may examine your leadership skills too : because
    you must take in charge in certain of the moments associated with the game, specially
    when your character promises to really do that.

  126. Not at all, Mariia. Search Engine Evaluators are independent contractors that are paid by search engines (like Google and Bing) via providers like Leapforce/RaterLabs/APPEN to rate, analyze, evaluate, and/or provide feedback on the outcome of sample searches. SEO Consultants, while also often independent contractors, are paid by their clients to offer advice and guidance for getting their business more visibility in organic search results.

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