Royal Mail Tests

Royal Mail verbal reasoning test

The Royal Mail verbal reasoning test is an assessment of a candidate’s ability to read, understand and apply information presented in text to answer questions related to the text.

Two or three passages with facts, figures and information are provided. These might be business-related or not (there is no necessity to have learned anything beforehand). All of the information needed to answer the question is provided in the given text; you just have to find it.

Royal Mail personality test

The personality test is the only Royal Mail test that is untimed, and there are no right or wrong answers.

Here you will be provided with a number of statements describing personality traits and behaviours, and you’ll have to mark them on a scale depending on how much you agree with them. The scale is marked from “Completely Disagree” to “Completely Agree”.

Every candidate will take a personality test, and the answers given are compared to an ‘ideal candidate’, a persona based on the behaviours and personality traits that Royal Mail seeks in its employees.

Royal Mail error checking test

An eye for detail is what is being assessed here; hence the Royal Mail error checking tests are usually used for posting and sorting office roles.

In this assessment, you will be provided with a postcode or address, and need to find the one that matches it amongst a number of very similar options. Performed under test conditions and time pressure, this skill is something that is vital for certain positions.

Royal Mail assessment centre

The assessment centre is the final part of the application process. Around a dozen applicants are invited at a time to one of the Royal Mail offices, to complete several in-person assessments.

The assessment day lasts between four to six hours, and the contents of the day will depend on the role you have applied for. Listed below are some of the activities that you might take part in:

Royal Mail group exercise

Assessing teamwork and leadership, the group project is usually based on a case study where a problem needs to be solved. This might involve a Royal Mail-related issue or something else, and candidates will be assessed on how well they work with others and take control to find a solution.

Royal Mail individual exercise

Following the group exercise and using the same case study, each individual needs to prepare and present their solution to the group. This is an assessment of public speaking and communication, as much as it is a way to see how each candidate motivates themselves.

Royal Mail role play

Depending on the job description, dealing with the public (and colleagues) means being able to provide excellent service. Through a role play task, the assessor can get an idea about how you might approach a complaint or a difficult question.

At the start of the exercise, you will be provided with a packet of information about the scenario that you will be dealing with.

Royal Mail interview

The final interview of the Royal Mail application process usually takes about an hour, and is led by a hiring manager as well as a senior member of the team you have applied to.

The majority of the questions asked in the interview will be competency-based, but you can also expect some job-specific and technology questions too. This is a great time to ask considered questions that demonstrate both your interest in the role, as well as the research you have completed about Royal Mail in general.