Mercer Mettl vs ExamSoft - Hiring Tests vs Pro Exams
Mercer Mettl is a browser-based assessment platform used heavily for pre-employment testing, IT certification, and enterprise hiring. ExamSoft (Examplify) is a desktop app used for high-stakes professional exams. Their overlap is essentially zero, which is the point of comparing them.
Mettl runs everything in the browser: a Chromium-based "Mettl Secure" wrapper or a Chrome extension. Live proctoring is delivered through a partner integration, recording is browser-WebRTC. ExamSoft's Examplify is a thick desktop app that handles encryption, lockdown, and (with ExamMonitor) recording all in-process. Two different architectures, but on Mac both rely on the same OS capture stack and both honor the same per-window privacy mechanism. The overlay is invisible to either.
Key points
- Mettl: enterprise hiring (TCS, Wipro, Cognizant) and entry-level certs.
- ExamSoft: bar exams, USMLE, MCAT, dental boards, nursing boards.
- Mettl is browser-only; Examplify is a thick Mac app.
- Both honor window privacy on Mac when proctoring captures the screen.
- You do not face both for the same exam.
How it works
┌── Mettl (browser) ┐ ┌── Examplify (app) ┐ │ │ │ │ └────────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────┘
Compatibility on Mac
| Use case | Mettl: hiring/cert / Examplify: pro boards | ~ |
| Architecture | Mettl: browser / Examplify: native app | ~ |
| Overlay invisible | Yes (both) | ✓ |
Common questions
My company uses Mettl for hiring assessments. Is the overlay needed?
It depends on whether the assessment is proctored. Many Mettl hiring tests are unproctored honor-code only; in that case no overlay is needed.
Does Examplify support Mac M1/M2/M3?
Yes - Examplify ships universal binaries. The overlay also runs natively on Apple Silicon.
Can the same exam use both Mettl and ExamSoft?
No - they are separate vendors with separate exam delivery contracts.