How to handle test pieces

What are test pieces?

Test pieces are common across almost every freelance service. Companies want to see that you can do precisely what they need — not just a generic portfolio piece.

This is part of why I tell you not to stress over your portfolio too much when you're starting out. When it comes to test pieces, be honest — but back yourself up with confidence.

When a client asks you to do a test, they'll usually give you a brief and ask you to create a deliverable from it. Some tests are paid, many aren't. Sometimes they'll be abbreviated samples. Other times, a full-length piece or a short strategy exercise.

Be honest about your experience

If you don't have experience with something, be upfront about it. Back yourself up with adjacent experience that would help you get there. You may not land every gig this way — but you might land one and get a valuable learning experience in the process.

You can say something like:

"I don't have much experience with that service/niche yet, but I'm a fast learner and I've done similar work."

(More email templates in the FRL [link to come])

Then offer to meet them halfway: "I'm happy to do a test piece" — this lets you showcase your skills exactly the way they want to see them.

Real example

When I was early in my career, I got an opportunity with a coding bootcamp that wanted email copywriting. I'd never done email copywriting before and was genuinely nervous about it. I was upfront about that.

But I also made the case that I had three years of experience writing exclusively for coding bootcamps and knew their audience inside and out. It worked — they hired me. Email copywriting ended up becoming one of my favorite services. I learned fast, on YouTube, Pinterest, free downloads, Grow With Google, and from the email team at the company itself.

The service doesn't matter — the principle is the same. Adjacent experience plus willingness to learn is a legitimate pitch.

Test piece FAQs

How long should a test be?

Before you accept a test assignment, be wary of scope. Only do a test piece if it's short — 500 words or less, one email, one product description, one short deliverable. Some clients ask for test pieces and then disappear. Unless you're getting paid, keep it as small as possible.

There's a lot of controversy about doing work for free. In my first year, I was okay with doing small free tests to get my foot in the door — but only small tests.

How many tests should there be?

I don't recommend doing more than one small piece of work for free or at a reduced rate for any single potential client. If they say that's not enough for them to make a hiring decision, that's a red flag. Move on.

Should I ever do tests for free?

It depends on where you are in your career — more on that below. If you have another income and the bandwidth, free tests can get you clients and experience faster. If you're changing careers and you need this income to pay your bills, charge your baseline rate. You'll look back later and realize how reasonable those rates actually were.

How to say no to a test

If a client asks for something you're not comfortable with, you don't have to just say no — you can redirect:

"I don't feel comfortable with that, but I could do [X] instead."

Offer what would work for you, or ask to get paid for the test. If they say no to everything, they weren't the right client. And they'd probably be difficult to work with anyway.

Should I do free test pieces?

This is one of the questions I get most often — and the honest answer is: it depends on where you are.

If you have zero experience

Expect to do tests. They're one of the fastest ways to get your foot in the door, which is why I tell people not to overthink their portfolios early on — tests often matter more anyway.

Whether you do them for free, at a discount, or full price is up to you. I did free tests for my first five clients and landed all of them. You can absolutely charge — just know it may take a little longer to land that first client.

If you have some experience

If you have 6 months to a year of experience, or you've just added a new service or moved into a new niche, a paid test at 10–20% off your usual rate is a great way to build your portfolio while still getting compensated. I always think of this as getting paid to learn.

If you have demonstrated experience

If you have solid experience and clear portfolio examples that show what you can do for your ideal client, you shouldn't have to do free tests at all. If they want a trial piece, charge full price before moving into a longer contract.

Other factors to consider

Still not sure what to do? Ask yourself:

→ How urgently do I need a client?

• Free = fastest way to get clients, especially with no experience
• Discounted = second fastest
• Full price = slowest, but you get paid from the start

→ How much experience do I have?

• More than a year in with clear portfolio examples → never do a free test
• Over a year in OR new service/niche → offer a discount
• Brand new → free or discounted test is reasonable

Once you've decided what to charge, here are a few ground rules:

→ Limit the scope. Don't do a 2,000–3,000 word deliverable as a test — that's unreasonable. Aim for 500–1,000 words, one email, one or two product descriptions, one short asset. Not a whole campaign, not a full strategy.

→ Never offer strategy as a test piece. If you sell strategy as a service, build a strong case study or two instead — even a spec strategy for a fictional client works. Show your process, not a freebie.

→ Don't do more than three free tests per service. One test per client, for up to your first three clients in that service. After that, you have enough experience to charge — even if it's just 10–20% off.

Templates

💸 Paid test with a discount:

"Hey [client], I'm not able to do a test for free, but I'm happy to do [scope] at a 10% discount off my usual rate — that comes to [your price]. I hope that works for you! Let me know what you're thinking in terms of deadlines and I'll draw up a quick contract so we can get started. Thanks, [Your Name]"

💵 Paid test, no discount:

"Hey [client], I no longer do free tests, but I'm happy to do an initial [scope] at [your rate] before we move into a full contract together. Let me know what you're thinking re: deadlines and I'll get a contract over to you. Thanks, [Your Name]"

⚡️ Never start paid work without a contract — especially if you're billing over $600.