Hit the Highest Levels of the Talent Q Test (Korn Ferry) With Tips From Our Experts
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Talent Q aptitude tests are very challenging by their tight time-limit and adaptive questions. The assessment is given to evaluate how well test-takers analyse and comprehend numerical, logical and verbal information. For this reason, practising to take Talent Q tests is an essential step when aiming to succeed!
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Why are Talent Q Elements Tests so Challenging?
Before we begin, if you are looking for the Talent Q Aspects Test, click here.
Now, returning to Talent Q Elements Tests, our customers tell us the two most challenging factors are the strict time-limit and the adaptive format.
In an adaptive test, the level of difficulty increases each time a question is answered correctly and decreases every time a question is answered incorrectly. This means that the more answers you get right, the more difficult the test becomes. Talent Q tests are notorious for being extremely challenging in the higher difficulty levels - and in order to achieve the best score, you must reach the highest difficulty level. That's your only way to outperform the other candidates.
There is not enough time to read through the question and answer choices in-depth. Each question has its own time-limit, which is never more than 90 seconds long. For the more difficult questions, you may need to spot a minor detail that does NOT appear in a 500-word passage, or you may need to choose the correct answer out of 20 choices, all within 90 seconds.
The test can be composed of only 12 or 15 questions. Thus, it's quick and can become difficult quickly. This is yet another reason why answering correctly is essential.
Practice as Much as You Can
A strong Talent Q score is essential to get a job offer and receive a generous compensation package. Only about 0.6% of applicants obtain professional positions. Thus, the best advice is to study for the short and high-pressure test beforehand. Practising will help you reach the highest difficulty levels.
Remember, Talent Q Elements tests are broken into three separate tests: numerical, verbal and logical. However, these tests are not necessarily taken at the same time and sometimes only one or two of the three tests are administered.
4 Expert Tips for Talent Q Elements Tests
It's no surprise that Talent Q tests are incredibly stressful. In fact, they are among the most nerve-wracking tests in the market. However, letting the pressure of the test affect your concentration can impact your scores immensely. As a result, you will want:
- Pay attention to the smallest details found within the questions. This way you can answer more questions correctly.
- Answering just one easy question incorrectly will limit your opportunity to answer harder questions correctly and thus get a high score.
- Important: Once an answer is submitted – it is not possible to go back and change it.
- Familiarise yourself with the format and have strategies beforehand.
Note: Find additional tips and tricks at the end of each sample question below.
JobTestPrep offers a tailored full PrepPack™ that include tips, strategies and practice exams which simulate the actual time-limit of the real test - however, the simulations are not adaptive. Our customers tell us how confident and at-ease they felt during the test after using our preparation materials.
How are Talent Q Elements Tests Scored?
Your score is based on both the number and level of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for answering a question incorrectly. However, there are usually so many answer choices that process of elimination is an ineffective strategy, and a lucky guess of the correct answer is highly unlikely. How quickly you answer a question does not affect your score as long as you submit your answer within the time limit.
Talent Q Elements Tests' Sample Questions
Let’s go through each of the three tests to better familiarise with the structure of the questions:
1) Logical Test
The logical test evaluates your ability to discover abstract rules and patterns and apply them to find the continuation of a sequence. In this test, you are required to discern patterns from complex sets of symbols ordered in 3X3 matrices. You will have a total of 15 minutes spread over 12 questions. This means you have over a minute per question.
--------
Sample Question:
Please identify the missing symbol:
The correct answer:
In each row the right cell consists of a duplication of the right symbol from the middle cell and an addition of a new symbol between the two identical symbols.
The complete logic:
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 right symbol in the middle cell is identical to the outer symbols in the right cell.
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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: Although this test doesn’t give you much time to answer each question, doing so quickly will not add on more time for the next question either.
Therefore, use every second of your 75 seconds to answer each question as best as you can.
2) Verbal Test
Assesses your ability to interpret verbal information, draw conclusions and make inferences. You will be asked to state which of the given statements are correct based on a long text passage. The total 16 minutes will be split among the 15 questions, a minute per question.
--------
Sample Question:
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
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Which one of the following is NOT given as a cause of the labour market recession?
The correct answer is C.
The question asks us to identify 5 causes (or potential causes) of the recession and 1 that is not a cause. Let us go over the distracters and find the corresponding sections in the text that relate to them:
A) Given as a cause: ’the shift to austerity measures has further deteriorated labour market conditions’.
B) Given as a cause: ’job loss can increase severely as businesses tend to decrease expenditure’.
C) 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) Given as a cause: ’a prolonged labour market recession is in the making as...many workers are becoming excluded from the labour market’.
E) 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 effects the labour market.
F) Given as a cause: ’a prolonged labour market recession is in the making as long-term unemployment is on the rise’.
The only answer that is not a cause or a potential cause of the labour crisis is: answer C.
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Expert Tip: First, look over the initial 5-6 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 not able to return to skipped questions. Once you click next, that will be it. You will not be able to revisit a question.
3) Numerical section
Measures your ability to understand and analyze numerical data, presented in data-packed tables and graphs. This test includes multiple-choice questions with a large number of answer options to choose from. You will have 16 minutes to answer 12 questions.--------
Sample Question:
* 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
The correct answer is (H).
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 thousand 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 it in the end). In a similar way, 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
Thus, the correct answer is 721,000.
Expert Tip: Use a handheld calculator with which you are comfortable. from our experience, for most test takers a hand-held calculator is more effective than the calculator built in to your computer or smartphone. Getting familiar with your calculator's memory functions can give you a significant advantage.
We can Help You Ace the Test
We can help you ace the test with our Talent Q Elements PrepPack™. This package includes tailored practice materials that will teach you the exact skills needed to succeed on this challenging exam.
- Our simulated test mimics the look and feel of the real Talent Q Elements test so you’ll know what to expect on test day. However, the simulations are not adaptive.
- We write full solutions and explanations for every practice question. You'll learn Talent Q-specific expert tips and tricks and how to handle the time pressure.
- We include video tutorials and study guides so you can review in-depth material.
Talent Q Elements FAQs
Yes, they are considered one of the most difficult pre-employment assessment tests.
They are considered so for 3 main reasons:
1) Talent Q tests present you with many options to choose your answer (sometimes up to 30 options).
2) These test provide a very limited time frame to complete each question.
3) These tests are adaptive - meaning they become more difficult with every correct answer.
There are 2 more reasons these tests are harder than many others:
1) They offer a lot of data to be processed (in tables, graphs, long text sections or matrices).
2) Some questions require 2 right answers instead of 1, which means that you will have to pay extra attention to the instructions given in each question.
In adaptive tests, every question may have a different level of difficulty.
The level of difficulty you will encounter will be determined by the answer you gave to the previous question.
If you answer correctly, the test will automatically increase the difficulty level. If you answer incorrectly, the test will decrease the difficulty.
This means that no two people will likely take the exact same test.
Note: Talent Q tests are built so that it would be very difficult to answer all questions in time. So don't beat yourself up if you aren't able to answer every question in the short amount of time per question.
Of course! With proper practice and resources, you can enhance your logical and analytical skills. You might even locate the underlying pattern in each sequence of cells within the given period of time.
Korn Ferry, the company that administers the Talent Q tests says on their main website,
'Putting time into practising the kinds of questions you may face in ability tests is the best way of maximising your performance and boosting your confidence.'
You will most likely not get a chance to ask questions during the actual test.
When you are invited to take the test, you will have an opportunity to ask questions about it before your testing day.
Most tests do not allow breaks during the test. Take care of everything you need before you begin.
Typically, no. If you are applying for a specific role, you will only have one chance to take the tests during the hiring process.
You will either be required to take the test on-site at the company’s location or online at home.
There are a variety of employers who use these tests as part of their recruitment process to choose which candidate to hire.
Several well-known companies who use this test include: SAB Investments, Frontline and Alinta.