Proofreading looks simple from the outside — until you hire someone who misses errors consistently and the problem surfaces in published work. Hiring a proofreader well requires a structured process that goes beyond CV review and intuition.
Step 1: Define the Role Precisely
Proofreading and copy-editing are often confused. Proofreading is the final check for typographical, grammatical, and formatting errors against a finished document. Copy-editing involves deeper structural and stylistic intervention. Make sure your job description specifies which you need — or whether you need both.
Step 2: Ignore the CV for Skills
A CV tells you where someone has worked. It tells you very little about whether they can reliably catch errors under time pressure. Two candidates with identical CVs can perform at completely opposite ends of the scale on a standardised proofreading test. Test first, then review CVs.
Step 3: Use a Standardised Proofreading Test
Send every candidate the same test under the same conditions. EditingTests.com''s Proofreading Test presents candidates with passages containing deliberate errors — grammatical, typographical, punctuation, and consistency errors — and measures how many they catch and how quickly. Scores are benchmarked against 130,000+ candidates, so you can see whether a candidate is in the top 10% or the bottom quartile.
Step 4: Test Industry Vocabulary If Relevant
If the proofreading role is in a specialist field — medical, legal, financial, academic — add an Industry Vocabulary Test. A proofreader who cannot recognise a misused technical term cannot catch it.
Step 5: Brief Interview, Then Decide
Once you have objective test data, a brief interview to assess communication style and culture fit is sufficient. You do not need to set your own editorial tasks, request portfolio samples, or rely on references for skills verification — the test has done that work.
