Talent-Q Assessment: Free Samples & Full-length Practice Tests
Avia Author

Avia, Korn Ferry Talent-Q tests expert at JobTestPrep.

Have a question? Contact me at: ask_the_team@jobtestprep.co.uk

 

What Are the Talent Q Tests?

The Talent Q Tests are a collection of pre-employment tests that assess the skills, abilities, behaviours, and traits required from employees in their jobs.

Since 2014, Korn Ferry has been administrating the Talent Q tests, and the names of the Korn Ferry/Talent Q tests are interchangeable. This means that as part of your screening process, you may face a bundle of assessments that can include both Talent Q and Korn Ferry assessments.

There are two types of Talent Q assessments –

  • Cognitive ability assessments – evaluate your cognitive abilities, such as verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning. These include the Talent Q Elements and its constituent sections and the Talent Q Aspects and its sections.
  • Personality assessments – evaluate your work-related behaviours, traits, motivations, and goals. These include the Talent Q Dimensions and the Talent Q Cultural Appraiser.

To summarise, Talent Q's assessment tests are –

Talent Q Elements Tests

The Talent Q tests - Elements is a series of 3 cognitive ability assessments designed to evaluate different reasoning competencies required in the workplace.

Watch this video for a quick summary of each of these tests and the questions and challenges ahead of you:

 

  • Talent Q Elements – Numerical Assessment

The Talent Q Tests Elements Numerical test assesses your ability to understand numerical data and make deductions and analyses from that data.

You will be presented with tables that include numerical information followed by multiple-choice questions. You will need to make the necessary calculations to reach a correct answer.

The test has 12 questions. There is no overall time limit, but rather an individual time limit for each question: 90 seconds for the first question on each table (or set of tables) and 75 seconds for subsequent questions. The average completion time is 12 minutes.

Let’s see how it looks – 

Talent Q Elements Numerical

* OS = Overseas ** Percent out of full tuition fee

How many BA overseas (OS) students study in the UK?

A.   156,000
B.   210,725
C.   236,700
D.   301,000
E.   339,750
F.   342,500
G.   571,975
H.   721,000
I.   874,000
J.   1,021,200
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The table is plentiful with different types of data; however, the only information that is relevant for answering the question is the number of students studying for a BA in each department (2nd column from the left) and the percentage of OS students out of it (6th column from the left).

To answer the question, you need to calculate the number of OS students for each department. For instance, in the History department, there are 250.000 BA students, of which 10% are OS students. So, the number of OS students in the History department is: 250,000 x 10% = 250,000 x 0.1 = 25,000 (for simplicity, you can omit the thousands throughout the calculation and add them back at the end). similarly, you can calculate the number of BA OS students in each of the departments:

Finally, sum up all the departments to get the total number of OS students (remember to add the thousands):

(25 + 135 + 354 + 17 + 124 + 63 + 3) x 1,000 = 721,000

The correct answer is H

note

Expert Tip: Use a comfortable hand-held calculator. In our experience, most test takers find a hand-held calculator more effective than the calculator built into their computer or smartphone. Additionally, familiarizing yourself with your calculator's memory functions can give you a significant advantage.

💡 Learn more about Talent Q Elements Numerical test
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With JobTestPreps’ Talent-Q Elements PrePack, you can Improve your ability to quickly solve questions loaded with details and learn how to extract the most relevant information for answering. 

 

  • Talent Q Elements – Verbal Assessment

The Talent Q Tests Elements Verbal test assesses your understanding of written information and your ability to draw conclusions based on this information.

The assessment is adaptive, which means that the difficulty of the questions varies according to your answers – they become harder when answering correctly and easier when answering incorrectly.

You will be presented with a short written passage followed by six statements based on the text. After each question, you will be given a range of possible answers.

Sometimes you will need to choose two answers and sometimes only one; in some cases, you will nemusted to decide which one of the arguments presented is true or false based on your understanding of the text.

The test has 15 questions. There is no overall time limit for the test, but there is a time limit for each question: 75 seconds for the first question on each passage of text and 60 seconds for subsequent questions. The average completion time is 12 minutes.

Let’s view an example – 

Labour Crisis

A prolonged labour market recession is in the making as long-term unemployment is on the rise and many workers are becoming excluded from the labour market. The shift to austerity measures has further deteriorated labour market conditions in countries hit by the debt crisis. The depressed employment situation has been accompanied by growing job precariousness for those who have a job. The incidence of part-time work has risen significantly as has that of temporary employment.

Given the significant slowdown in economic growth, job loss can increase severely as businesses tend to decrease expenditure, leading to higher unemployment. At the same time, the crisis has resulted in the contraction of bank credit for small and medium-sized businesses and this, in turn, has reduced the growth in self-employment.
Measures that will increase employment and speed up economic growth should be taken promptly. Given the impossibility of financing expenditures with deficits, one can realistically suggest budget-neutral increases in training programmes and subsidies to businesses. This must be coupled with government programmes to facilitate credit to small and medium-sized businesses, financed with increases in taxes in other areas such as environmental or tourist taxes that will not distort the economy adversely.

Adapted from europa.eu

Which one of the following is NOT given as a cause of the labour market recession?

A.   The application of austerity measures
B.   Reduced business expenditures
C.  The proliferation of part-time jobs
D.   Employment instability
E.   Lack of financial support for small and medium-sized businesses
F.   Increased unemployment
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The question asks us to identify five causes (or potential causes) of the recession and one that is not a cause. Let us go over the distracters and find the corresponding sections in the text that relate to them:

A is given as a cause: "the shift to austerity measures has further deteriorated labour market conditions".

B is given as a cause: "job loss can increase dramatically as businesses tend to decrease expenditure".

C is given as a symptom: "the depressed employment situation has been accompanied by… part-time work has risen significantly..." In other words, the proliferation of part-time jobs is a symptom of increased unemployment, not a cause of it.

D is given as a cause: "a prolonged labour market recession is in the making as...many workers are becoming excluded from the labour market".

E is given as a result and a consequent cause: "at the same time, the crisis has resulted in the contraction of bank credit for small and medium-sized businesses and in turn reduced the growth in self-employment," which in turn negatively affects the labour market.

F is given as a cause: "a prolonged labour market recession is in the making as long-term unemployment is on the rise".

C is the only answer that is not a cause or a potential cause of the labour crisis.

The correct answer is C

note

Expert Tip: First, look over the initial five to six words in the paragraph, to get an idea of the topic presented. Afterwards, read the question-and-answer options, to understand what information you need to find. Finally, finish reading over the paragraph to ensure your answer is correct.

Remember, you will be allowed to return to skipped questions. Once you click next, that will be it. You will not be able to revisit a question.

💡 Learn more about the Talent Q Elements Verbal test
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JobTestPreps’ Talent-Q Elements PrePack provides reading strategies and practice tests that improve your ability to fully answer questions on time.

 

  • Talent Q Elements – Logical Assessment

The Talent Q Tests Elements Logical test assesses your logical and analytical skills.

The test is based on Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. 

You will be presented with a 3x3 table in which each cell contains 1 or more symbols. The symbols create a logical sequence across the rows and columns of the matrix, with 1 square missing so that the fuentirell pattern remains unclear.

You must recognise the pattern that makes the sequence and complete the missing piece out of up to 14 options.

The test has 12 questions to answer in 15 minutes (75 seconds per question).

Let’s take a look –

Talent Q Elemets Logical

Identify the missing symbol: 

1   
2  
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The best way to start answering questions of this type is to quickly scan the matrix. If you have keen intuition, or if you have practised turning your attention to the kind of details the test-makers like to use, something will likely "pop up". In this case, you might notice the cells on the right and left have two identical outer symbols, which encase a second, single symbol. You might also notice, for example, that the outer symbols of the right cell in each row are the same as the rightmost symbol in the middle cell. Or, that the middle symbol is always unique for that row.

After noticing a pattern, it's helpful to formulate it as a rule in your head:

In each row, the symbols in the middle cell are a combination of the symbols from the left and right (i.e. outer) cells so that:

✻ The left symbol in the middle cell is identical to the outer symbols in the left cell.

✻ The right symbol in the middle cell is identical to the outer symbols in the right cell.

✻ The middle symbol in all three cells is different from all the other symbols in the row.

The correct answer is C

note

Expert Tip: If there is more than one symbol in a cell, the way they’re ordered inside the cell might matter. Be sure to consider this possibility before answering a question.

Use your time wisely: Even though this test doesn’t allow you much time to answer each question, doing so before your \allotted time is up will not add more time for the next question either. You are better off using every second of your 75 to answer each question as best as you can.

💡 Learn more about the Talent Q Elements Logical test
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With JobTestPreps’ Talent-Q PrepPack, you can sharpen your logical reasoning and improve your ability to identify complex patterns and choose the correct answer on time.

How to Crack Your Talent Q Elements Assessment?

The Talent Q Elements tests are among the most difficult cognitive assessment tests out there. Since these tests measure cognitive skills, practising similar questions can quickly improve solving time. With professional study materials, you can improve your skills and boost your Talent Q score. Our Talent Q Elements preparation includes everything you need to do just that:

  • Accurate Talent Q practice tests

One of the most important things to be on guard against is the accuracy of your practice material. There are so many online preparation courses with basic numerical drills that don’t simulate any specific thing you will face on the assessment.

Our test experts have refined our Talent Q PrepPack™ using customer feedback to help you bring the most accurate practice there is.

  • Timed tests

Our full Talent Q tests PrepPack™ incluincludedes only timed practices with the same time constraints as on the actual test. That way, you can both get to know the test better, reduce your problem-solving time while practising, and reduce anxiety during the real test.

  • Thorough guides and explanations

The Talent Q Elements tests are less about knowledge and more about assessing your skills. That means you need to improve your skills as you practice. In our full Talent Q Elements PrepPack, you’ll find detailed score reports for every practice test, with explanations for every question. That’ll help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses and focus your practice rounds accordingly.

Talent Q Dimensions Personality Assessment

The Talent Q Tests Dimensions is a personality assessment that aims to understand and analyze your traits, behaviours, leadership qualities, problem-solving skills, and strategic thinking.

The test focuses on three domains –

  • People and Relationships – your approach toward your colleagues and how you handle work-related relationships, how comfortably you communicate with others, and how supportive and effective you are when it concerns other people.
  • Tasks and Projects – your way of thinking and working style preferences – how you organize your tasks, analyze data, and execute assignments.
  • Drives and Emotions – your approach when dealing with emotions and feelings – how you act in stressful situations, adapt to new situations, and what motivates you to do your best work.

You will be presented with statements regarding workplace behaviours, decision-making, and relationships. You will need to rate each statement according to how accurate it is to you on a scale of ‘very true’ to ‘completely untrue.’ If you give the same rate to more than one statement, you will be asked to rate those statements compared to each other.

The test has 13 questions with no time limit.

💡 Learn more about the Talent Q Elements Dimensions personality assessment
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The Talent Q Dimensions personality test is often taken together with the Talent Q Elements & Aspects assessments. A Talent Q Dimensions guide and personality sample test are also included in JobTestPreps’ Talent-Q PrePack

Talent Q Aspects Tests

The Talent Q tests Aspects are a series of 3 aptitude assessments designed to evaluate your reasoning abilities when performing under time pressure.

The assessments are adaptive, which means that the difficulty of the questions varies according to your answers – they become harder when answering correctly and easier when answering incorrectly.

  • Talent Q Aspects – Numerical Assessment

The Talent Q Aspects Numerical assessment evaluates your ability to analyze and interpret numerical information and use mathematical procedures to solve numerical problems.

You will be presented with numerical data in the form of tables. You will need to make calculations to reach the correct answer.

The test has 12 questions to answer in 10 minutes.

 

  • Talent Q Aspects – Verbal Assessment

The Talent Q tests Aspects Verbal assessment evaluates your ability to understand textual information and make inferences.

You will be presented with a written paragraph. You will need to read the text and answer a multiple-choice question referring to the text's information.

The test has 12 questions to answer in 8 minutes.

 

  • Talent Q Aspects – Checking Assessment

The Talent Q Aspect Checking assessment evaluates your comparison competencies and ability to identify minor shifts and changes.

You will be presented with two tables that include similar data. You will need to compare the tables and check if there are any changes between them.

The test has 8 questions to answer in 6 minutes.

Talent Q Cultural Appraiser Assessment

The Talent Q assessments Cultural Appraiser assessment is a Situational Judgment Test designed to evaluate your work-related behaviours and approaches to examine if you match the characteristics of the job you applied for and if you fit the organization’s culture.

You will be presented with workplace scenarios, followed by various reactions and responses. You will need to choose the options that are most and least effective.

The Talent Q assessments Cultural Appraiser assessment has two versions – one with only text and the other with video and audio.

Both versions of the test have 15 questions.

FAQs

What Is Talent Q Assessment?

The Talent Q assessment, administrated by Korn Ferry, is a generic term that refers to a selection of cognitive and personality tests used by employers as part of the screening process of candidates. 
What Is Talent Q Elements?

Talent Q Elements is a series of tests designed to assess the abilities required in the workplace – logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, and verbal reasoning.
What Is the Difference Between Talent Q Aspects and Elements?

Both Talent Q Elements and Talent Q Aspects are pre-employment tests that assess various reasoning abilities needed in the workplace. However, they differ in two main respects –

Tested skills:

  • Talent Q Elements – Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, and Logical reasoning
  • Talent Q Aspects – Verbal Reasoning, Numerical reasoning, and Checking abilities

Assessment goal:

  • Talent Q Elements – assesses your skills
  • Talent Q Aspects – assesses your performance under a strict time-limit
What Is Talent Q Dimensions?

The Talent Q Dimensions is a personality assessment designed to profile your traits, characteristics, and work-related behaviours and skills. This assessment examines whether you are a good match for the job and the organization’s environment.
Are Talent Q Tests Hard?

Each of the Talent Q tests can be quite challenging and has unique obstacles you need to overcome to receive a good score. However, the most difficult of them all is the Talent Q Elements assessment –

  • These questions are probably very different from anything you’ve experienced before. That means your university or high school experience will not help you here. There aren’t many difficult calculations but specific skills that need to be sharpened.
  • The questions include a lot of unnecessary information, which makes the questions much harder to understand. Extracting the relevant data from a specific question is one of the main challenges you'll face.
  • Every question is timed. That means that once you’ve answered a question, you can’t change your answer, and you can’t go back to previous questions you struggled with.
  • In the Logical assessment, there are up to 14 answers to choose from. Thus, it is almost impossible to guess (and not very recommended).
How to Pass Talent Q Tests?

The best way to ensure you pass the Talent Q tests is to know which assessment you are about to take. Talent Q offers several pre-hiring tests, as well as Korn Ferry, which administrates the Talent Q tests.

Once you figure that out, you need to familiarize yourself with the test’s structure and types of questions and be prepared for its unique challenges by practising as much as possible accurate practice tests.
Can I Fail the Talent Q Tests?

Korn Ferry does not set a passing or failing score for the Talent Q assessments. However, the organization you are applying for may have a benchmark score needed for hiring. Reach out to your recruiter to find out more.

Other Korn Ferry Assessments and Information

More Free Practice

We at JobTestPrep find the assessment tests world highly diverse and fascinating. If you are looking to deepen your knowledge in the aptitude tests world, or you want some extra practice before your test, we've got you covered!

Check out these fantastic free practice tests (all are completely free):

Free Aptitude Test | Free Psychometric Test | Free Numerical Reasoning Test | Free Verbal Reasoning Test | Free Cognitive Test | Free Critical Thinking Test | Free Abstract Reasoning Test | Free Spatial Reasoning Tets | Free Personality Test | Free Inductive Test | Free Mechanical Reasoning Test  

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