Situational Judgement Test

Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs - also known as Situational Judgement Questionnaires) are a type of psychological aptitude test that assesses judgement required for solving problems in work-related situations. This type of test presents candidates with hypothetical and challenging situations that employees might encounter at work, and may involve working with others as part of a team, interacting with others, and dealing with workplace problems. In response to each situation, candidates are presented with several possible actions (in multiple choice format) that could be taken when dealing with the problem described.

Most commonly, your task on a Situational Judgement Test will be to select both the most effective and the least effective response to the situation described. However, some tests may ask you to pick only the most effective response, or to list the responses in order of effectiveness.

Background

Situational Judgement Tests have been used for over 60 years, dating back to the 1940s. They have become increasingly popular as tools for recruitment because they can assess job related skills other assessments are unable to measure, such as problem solving, decision making and interpersonal skills.

SJTs are useful for assessing soft skills and non-academic, practical intelligence. They are often used in combination with a knowledge based test to give a better overall picture of a candidate's aptitude for a particular job.

Situational Judgement Test have been used by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the Civil Service Fast Stream, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Transport for London (TfL), Network Rail and the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, amongst many other companies and organisations.

The Test

Unlike most psychological tests SJTs are not usually acquired "off-the-shelf", but are in fact designed as a bespoke tool, tailor-made to suit individual job role requirements. For this reason, and also because Situational Judgement Tests are produced by a number of different firms, tests may differ slightly from one another in terms of length, format and structure.

However, a Situational Judgement Test usually consists of between twenty-five to fifty short descriptions of problem situations. Each description is usually followed by one, two or three questions, which will ask you to select either: the most effective and the least effective responses available; just the most effective response available, or; to rank all the responses in order of effectiveness.

The Questions

Situational Judgement Tests usually consist of a series of work based scenarios that could be faced by someone working in the job position you have applied for. Scenarios may range from ethical dilemmas to difficulties with colleagues or clients, to common everday problems. SJT's usually assess the key competencies companies believe are essential for employees to possess to be successful in the particular job role applied for. In each scenario one or more of the competences from the original job description person specification is likely to be tested.

Each answer is worth one mark. Your score will be the total number of correct answers.

Preparation

No special training, knowledge, or experience is required in order to take this type of test. A candidate's answers should draw on general knowledge and life experience only.

However, candidates will benefit from practising similar questions, such as those below. It would also be useful to familiarise yourself with the key competencies your prospective employer is looking for from candidates, as it is these competencies that are likely to be tested in the Situational Judgement Test questions.

If you are preparing for the "European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) Situational Judgement Tests", it's worth having a look at the practice tests at Online EU Training's site.

Tips

During the test it is important that you read each scenario and each possible response, before answering the question or assigning rankings. The first option available may seem very sensible, but it is important to avoid assigning any rankings until you have considered each option carefully. For example, the last option available may be an even more sensible option and the most effective response.

Bear in mind that you are not being asked to judge if an option is right or wrong, just to evaluate which is the best (and worst) option available to you from those provided. For questions that ask you to rank responses in number order, it is important to note that the ranking is relative. All the available options may be effective, or they may all be ineffective. It is your job to decide on the relative rank, rather than to decide if each option is right or wrong.

Use only the information provided in the question. Do not make assumptions during the SJT.

Sample SJT Report to be used in the Assessment Centre

This sample shows how the "European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)" tests EU job candidates and the competencies it tests: see sample.

Example Questions

Question One

This question is taken from a Situational Judgement Test that asks candidates to choose the most effective and the least effective responses from a list of five.

1) Everyone in your department has received a new computer system except for you.

What would you do?

Please choose the most effective and the least effective responses:

• A - Assume this is a mistake and speak to your manager.
• B - Confront your manager regarding why you are being treated unfairly.
• C - Take a new computer from one of your colleagues.
• D - Complain to Human Resources.
• E - Quit.

Answers to Question One

• A - This is the most effective response available from the list. If you have not been given appropriate equipment to do your job, then speaking to your manager (who has responsibility for ensuring you are given the correct equipment) is the right thing to do.

• B - It is not right to assume you have been treated unfairly, until you have spoken to your manager.

• C - Although you have not been given a new computer and your colleagues have been, it would not be right to take someone else's computer. This does not fix the problem, just moves the problem on to someone else.

• D - Making a complaint would be a good decision if your manager fails to act after you have spoken to them, but you should speak to them first.

• E - This is the least effective response available from the list. Quitting would be ridiculous, after what is effectively only a small problem.

Question Two

This question is taken from a Situational Judgement Test that asks candidates to rank the available responses from most effective to least effective in number order.

2) You are aware that large amounts of company property have been going missing over the past couple of weeks. You have noticed one of your colleagues putting stationary and other equipment from the office into her bag on a number of occasions and suspect that she is responsible.

What is your response to the situation?

Rank the following options in number order from the least effective to most effective response, with (5) being the least effective and (1) being the most effective.

• A - Gather more evidence and catch her red handed.
• B - Confront your colleague and ask her about what you have noticed.
• C - Inform your manager that you suspect your colleague is stealing.
• D - Don't do anything, if guilty your colleague will be caught.
• E - Privately ask some of your colleagues if they have noticed anything suspicious recently.

Answers to Question Two

• 5 (least effective) - D

This would be the worst option from the list. This option does not resolve the issue. You have not addressed why this behaviour is occurring, confronted your suspicions or informed anyone else. This activity is illegal and may now continue indefinitely.

• 4 - A

In this option you are not taking decisive action. Instead, you are spying on your colleague and wasting your own time. In the meantime more hospital property may be stolen.

• 3 - E

In this option, you are at least doing something, but are still not taking any decisive action. Gathering further information will not necessarily bring about a resolution or allay your suspicions, will not prevent further theft and may lead to misplaced rumours being spread about your colleague, who may quite possibly be innocent.

• 2 - C

By doing this you take decisive action and draw your problem to the attention of someone senior, who can deal with the situation through the correct channels. However, you might be wrong and you haven't given your colleague the chance to explain their actions first.

• 1 - (most effective) B

This is the best option from the list as it allows you to discuss the issue directly with your colleague addressing your suspicions and clearing any doubt or ambiguity. On the basis of this outcome you would then proceed to option C.

Question Three

This question is taken from a Situational Judgement Test that asks candidates to choose only the most effective response from a list of four.

3) At the end of a busy day at work, you accidentally send an e-mail containing an attachment with some confidential client information to the wrong person.

Which of the following would be the best thing to do?

• A - Decide to leave the office and deal with any problems tomorrow.
• B - Decide to overlook your error, send the e-mail to the correct person and leave things like that.
• C - Immediately send a follow up email to the "wrong" person, or if possible telephone them explaining your mistake. Then send the email to the correct person.
• D - Find your manager, explain what has happened to them and let them deal with any problems.

Answers to Question Three

• A - This is the least effective decision. In this scenario, you would have sent the wrong person the important email, but not have sent the correct individual the email.

• B - This is not an effective decision. Although you do send the email to the correct person, you do not rectify the error you have made, which you must do.

• C - This is the most effective decision. In this scenario you explain your mistake to your colleague and send the email to the correct person.

• D - This is not an effective decision. If the contents of your email are very confidential then it would be a good idea to explain your mistake to your manager. However, it is not necessary to pass this type of issue to your boss to deal with, when you could quite easily deal with this yourself.

To take practice tests visit this Job Test preparation website.

For further information on Situational Judgement Tests, and any other type of assessment, see Aptitude Tests.