4.7
35 Minute Time Limit
216,400 Have Taken This Test
10 Questions included

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What is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT)?

SJT tests are a popular psychological tool used to evaluate your behavioural and cognitive abilities when presented with hypothetical work-related situations. You will be required to choose the best course of action from a list of actions.

The tests are designed to measure your fit for a company and role based on cognitive abilities, personality traits and social skills.

Situational Judgement Tests do not have a specific format and often have different criteria. They are often tailored to a company's specific needs, like assessing leadership skills using Korn Ferry Tests. 

Why are Situational Judgment Tests Important?

Employers want to make sure they hire suitable employees, because hiring the wrong people is expensive and time-consuming. Being well-qualified for the job isn't enough—you also need the right temperament and interpersonal skills. Situational judgment tests give employers an idea of your ingenuity, sociability, integrity and other crucial traits. They do this by observing your conduct in a simulated work scenario.

Unlike aptitude tests, situational judgment tests do not have answers that are 100% correct or incorrect due to rules of logic, maths or language. Rather, you must demonstrate the knowledge, experience and intuition necessary to respond to situations according to the employer's corporate culture and priorities.

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Test Time 35 min (no real time limit)
Questions 10
Pass Score 8

SJT Question Types

The skills and abilities the SJT evaluates are formally termed Competencies. These divide into 2 groups: Core Competencies and Secondary Competencies.

The core competencies are considered to contribute to professional success and essentially include:

  1. Cognitive ability
  2. Social intelligence
  3. Specific job-related skills and knowledge
  4. In managerial SJT leadership skills are also examined

Secondary competencies are essentially practical skills, abilities and personality traits that are linked to certain core competency like shown in the diagram below.

Free Situational Judgement Test (SJT) Practice Questions

So, to sum it up, you can expect each scenario on the test to assess you on one core competency while examining at least one secondary competency.

Your answers should therefore reflect a certain secondary competency or a balance between two or more.

We go much more into this in our in-depth Study Guide that you get access to as part of your full prep pack

The general test format is made up of 3 question types:

  1. Scenarios – where you’re faced with a hypothetical problem in a work environment
  2. Responses - where you are faced with 4 alternative courses of action that require you to exercise judgment in evaluating their desirability
  3. Instructions – this bit differs between companies (this is why we made you tailored solutions). Generally, this type of questions have 2 sub-types: Behavioral Tendency and Knowledge. In the first you will be asked to identify how you would be likely to behave in a given situation; and in the second you will need to evaluate the effectiveness of possible responses to give situations. Fun stuff.

Fun Fact: research indicates that tests with more knowledge instructions correlate with cognitive ability while tests with behavioural tendency instructions correlate with desired personality traits

- So knowing the specific test you are facing can help you choose the right practice tests and get better results for your time and effort!

You can use the free sample test on this page to get a feel of these in a realistic setting.


Situational Judgement Sample Questions and Answers With Explanations

If you are still uncertain by the paragraph above, check out a few of our SJT practice test example along with our answer explanations:

Situational Judgement Question 1

Situational judgment question 1

Explanation

Primary Competency: Teamwork, responsibility Secondary

Competencies: Problem-solving; working under supervision; integrity; thoroughness/attention to detail.

Correct response: B

Response (B) employs the practice of admitting mistakes and sharing responsibility. Although Travis played a larger role in committing the mistake while gathering the data, by sharing the responsibility for the mistake, you are showing that you are a team player (teamwork). By telling the supervisor that both of you have made an error you are showing that you are responsible and have the integrity of admitting your mistakes – thus allowing your supervisor to take the possibility of being late for the deadline into account. By working together to amend the mistake – your team has the potential of solving the task effectively by the deadline.

Further Explanations:

This question tests for the ability to share responsibility in a team and the ability to admit mistakes while having the willingness to correct them. The trick for solving the question is to choose the response that employs both integrity and teamwork- while solving the problem effectively.

Response (A) may seem like the correct response as Travis is certainly responsible for the problem. However, by dropping all the blame on Travis and not offering to work together on solving the problem- you show that you are unwilling to share the responsibility- thus showing low teamwork competency. Also, by criticizing Travis behind his back you might cause unnecessary damage to his relationship with the supervisor- as he should be given a chance to explain himself.

Response (C) lacks responsibility and problem-solving. Handing the supervisor notes is only a partial solution if the supervisor hasn't agreed to this solution- and is not prepared in advance for this solution. The quality of your work here is diminished – so you are also showing a lack of thoroughness and attention to detail.

It is difficult not to choose response (D), as willing to work together with Travis in order to solve the problem on time shows a high level of teamwork. Since the intention communicated in this answer-choice is to “not bother” the supervisor- choosing this question reveals a low level of being responsible and a problem with working under supervision- as you are not allowing your supervisor access to valuable information which could affect his decision-making regarding the presentation and the deadline.


Situational Judgement Question 2

Situational judgment question 2

Worst response: B

Subject: Dealing with upset customers Competencies: Problem-solving, self-control Explanation

Explanation:

When interacting with angry customers, you want to show empathy at first, then as quickly as possible direct the conversation to problem-solving. Empathy makes the customer feel cared for and removes some of the heat. Now, when your customer is less emotional, you can take the conversation in a more rational direction and focus on solving the problem.

Answer choice A involves listening to the customer, which shows empathy.

In answer choice B you are asking the customer to calm down, instead of helping him to do so. The request itself could sound impatient (demonstrating a lack of self-control) and rude.

Answer choice C is not the best response in this situation as it seems as if you are handing the problem to your manager because you don’t want to handle it yourself, or don’t feel competent enough. However, it’s not harmful to call the manager and in some situations, it could be a good response.

Answer choice D is a good response to this situation as it focuses the conversation on problem-solving.

Answer choice E is also good as it shows proactivity and responsibility in problem-solving. 

 

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✓ 6 management SJT’s

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✓ 4 supervision SJT’s

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How do I Study for The SJT and Get the Most Out of It?

  1. Before taking the test, read about the employer. Companies usually publish an agenda or highlight their views of service and sales in their publications. Try to determine the competencies that are highly valued by the employer in the position you are applying for.
  2. Know what personality traits the employer is looking for. In reality, the situations that appear on a situational judgement test questionnaire don't have right or wrong answers, however, there are preferable answers. Remember that you are being asked to choose the response that best suits the situation and demonstrates competencies that are valued by the employer.
  3. Keep in mind the context of the test and the scenario. Choose the answer that best suit your position and the situation described.
  4. Assume that the optional answers are all possible; you will not be presented with impossibilities.
  5. The solutions listed may not reflect all potential responses. What you believe is the best or most appropriate may not be listed.
  6. Explanations may only be appropriate in the short term versus the long-term or vice versa. It is important to consider your response regardless of the timeframe as a response may be appropriate, even if it is something that cannot be done right away.

Note: Particular tips differ depending on the profession you are applying for. You can find these tips plus more by choosing one of the distinguished PrepPacks™. Each page has additional tips to help steer you in the correct direction to upper your chance at hiring success.

Click the box below to see tailored PrepPacks™ we've made for specific tests.

Tailored SJT PrepPacks™:

 

General Test Taking Advice

These 5 general test-taking tips can help you succeed on both SJTs and other exams you may be asked to take:

  1. Choose only the MOST appropriate answer. Read each of the given scenarios and each possible response carefully before answering. Though one answer choice may seem correct, there may be another one that is more appropriate.
  2. Use only the given information and do not assume any information that is not provided in the question.
  3. Treat each response individually. Think about what each response says about you as an employee and consider whether choosing it represents your qualities.
  4. Use the SJT to present your best self. When responding, choose what you should do and not what you are likely to do.
  5. Be sure to read all instructions carefully, as with any important test. If there is a question you are unsure of, mark it and move on. If you have time at the end of the test, you can return to it.

 

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23 Full Situational Judgment Tests & Prep Guides

✓ 6 management SJT’s

✓ 6 customer service SJT’s

✓ 4 administrative SJT’s

✓ 4 supervision SJT’s

✓ 3 graduate SJT’s

✓ 3 SJT study guides and video tutorials

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How to Understand Test Results

Understanding your test results vary depending on the company you are applying for. It is recommended to look at your chosen company and compare their core values and see how your answers line up.

In this way, you will further drill how to score correctly according to the company's policy.

The results basically tell you where you stand in comparison to other test takers. This is measured on a great number of people and the score you receive reflects the place (or percentile) where your results fall on the distribution curve.

Sounds complicated but its easy to understand. Just take a look at the 2 following examples based on scoring feedback reports from real test providers.

Here is an example of a candidate’s feedback report adapted from TalentLens

Overall performance - your score is as follows:

Your responses were scored, and you result was compared with that of other UK graduate and junior managers. In comparison with this group, your test score suggests tour awareness to judge the appropriateness of responses to situations is average. Your percentile score means you equal to or greater than 36% of UK graduates and junior managers.

Free Situational Judgement Test (SJT) And Guide

Here is another example from a feedback report adapted from Saville Consultancy

 

Free Situational Judgement Test Results

 

FAQs

What is the SJT Time Limit?

Good news! in most cases, there is no time limit to SJTs.

The reason is that your answers are more important than snap responses typically given during timed examinations.

Thus, it is imperative that you answer correctly according to the specifications of the prospective employer.

What Is the Pass Mark?

It's best to reach an 80% in your SJT.

Bear in mind that your overall score will also be compared to other job candidates.

Also, as the score represents the company's core values, if you score high you are likely to be more in sync with your future employer's corporate culture, and you'll likely be more satisfied with your new job.

The opposite is true if you score low.

What Are the Question Types in an SJT Test?

The scenarios presented on Situational Judgement Tests always ask for a resolution of a given conflict which, although being hypothetical, might very much rely on, or represent, realistic situations that occur in a workplace.

You are asked to choose a preferred method of action out of many possible options. You are encouraged to choose your responses spontaneously, based on intuition.

What are Employers Looking For?

Employers are looking to measure how you compare to an ideal candidate based on their core competencies.

The usage of SJT helps ensure that they are hiring individuals who are inclined to problem-solving.

Therefore, it is crucial that you research the company you are applying for and practise for your SJT beforehand.

What Is a Correct Response in the SJT?

The correct response really relies on the behaviour your would-be employer is looking for.

Before your test, sit down to think over the type of person or behaviour the post you're applying for would require. This may help you recognise the most appropriate answer.

Remember, though one answer choice may seem appropriate, there may be another one that is more sensible.

How Many Scenarios Can I Expect to Encounter in the SJT?

You can expect to find between 25 – 50 scenarios on any given SJT. The scenarios are usually engaging and challenging.

After you are presented with a scenario you will then have to either find the most (or least) suitable response to the scenario or rank/rate the responses in order of effectiveness.

Why Are Situational Judgement Tests Used?

The situational judgement test is a popular pre-employment psychological test that allows an employer to assess your judgement and decision-making abilities.

Being able to quickly identify and come up with solutions to issues in the workplace is a highly sought-after skill for a variety of roles.

What's Most Difficult in the SJT Test?

There are a number of difficulties you face when encountering an SJT:

First and foremost is the fact that the companies using SJT’s often want you to act in a spontaneous fact.

If we think about this for a second, we know that this isn’t the case. When you are asked as an employee to decide about a certain thing you are not making spontaneous decisions.

You should be thinking about your answer, even for a few seconds, before following it through. There are questions in the SJT that need careful thought and are designed to catch you out.

However, with careful preparation and our expert guidance, you will gain the skills needed to show the employer that you are the one for the job.

 

We can help you get the score you need in order to get the job. We've helped countless job-seekers before.


More Free Practice

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