Workplace scenarios covering communication, teamwork, decision-making and professional judgement, in the formats employers actually set. Every scenario below comes with the scored key explained.
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A situational judgement test measures how well you handle realistic situations at work. Employers use it to sift graduate applicants before interview. You are given a short scenario and several possible responses, and you judge how effective each one would be. There are no calculations; the test is about the decisions you would make and the reasons behind them.
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One test tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: batches under time pressure, marked, with the working shown.
Every scenario ends with an instruction, and the same scenario can ask four different things of you. Each guide below covers one format.
Pick the single most effective response, or the least. The classic mistake is answering most when the question asked least.
How most and least questions workRate every response from very effective to very ineffective, each on its own merits.
How rating questions workOrder the responses from best to worst. The middle positions are where the marks go.
How ranking questions workThe elimination habits that narrow any format: rule out the unethical, the passive and the political first.
How to choose the best responseA situational judgement test, or SJT, is a psychometric test that presents hypothetical workplace scenarios and asks how you would respond. Unlike aptitude tests that measure a concrete skill such as numeracy or verbal reasoning, an SJT assesses judgement and behaviour: how you handle a difficult colleague, a demanding client, a missed deadline or an ethical dilemma.
There is rarely one perfect answer. Your responses are compared against the behaviours the employer values for that role, usually drawn from an internal competency framework, which is why understanding the employer and how the job works in practice matters as much as the scenario itself.
An SJT does two things at once. It shows the employer how your judgement is likely to hold up in the situations the role involves, and it gives you a preview of the kinds of decision you would face if you took the job.
Most employers score you against other candidates, not against a fixed pass mark: your raw score becomes a percentile. Competitive graduate schemes commonly sift at around the 70th to 80th percentile. Attempting questions matters, because most tests are built so few candidates finish, and guessing usually pays: negative marking is rare, but check the instructions.
Results from our situational judgement test.
Source: Practice Aptitude Tests
Based on 801 completed practice sittings, all time. Checked 11 September 2026.
The 75th percentile marks the boundary of the top quarter of recorded scores; tied scores can share that boundary. These are our practice results, not employer pass marks.
We use all-time completed, scored attempts at this practice test. Repeat attempts count separately, so the sample is sittings rather than unique people.
The average is the mean score across those sittings. The 75th percentile comes from their recorded score distribution. The “checked” date is when we retrieved the figures, not the period when the tests were taken.
Sharing these figures? Please credit Practice Aptitude Tests and link to this page.
Situational judgement tests are used wherever an employer needs to compare large numbers of candidates fairly, especially when grades, CVs and interviews do not separate them well. They are most common in graduate schemes and internships, professional services, banking, finance and law, the Civil Service Fast Stream, and healthcare training pathways.
Most employers license their tests from a small number of publishers, and the timing and question style vary between them, so find out which publisher your employer uses before you prepare seriously. It is usually named in the invitation email. Our test publisher guides cover each format, and the employer guides cover specific companies’ processes.
SJTs also appear as situational strengths tests and inside e-tray exercises, which have their own guides.
The methods behind the questions above, from our team
What candidates ask us most often
There is rarely a fixed pass mark, but you can still be screened out. Your responses are ranked against other candidates and against the employer’s preferred behaviours, so scoring well below the group can end your application at that stage, even without a formal “fail”.
Answer honestly, as a professional would. SJTs are built to detect responses chosen to impress, because those tend to be inconsistent across scenarios. A genuine, considered answer that stays consistent throughout scores better than trying to second-guess a model candidate.
Most employers do not share your score. You will usually just hear whether you have progressed, often within a week or two. Some publishers provide a candidate report on request, so it is worth asking at the point of application.
Usually you get one attempt per application, and retakes are at the employer’s discretion. Policies vary, so do not count on a second try. Use practice tests beforehand to make your one real attempt count.
An SJT asks how you would respond to specific workplace scenarios and scores those responses against the competencies a role needs. A personality test profiles your general traits instead. They are related and often sit in the same assessment, but an SJT is about judgement in context, not a personality profile.
Practise under the real time limit from the start, and review every answer you got wrong; untimed work builds accuracy but not the speed the test measures. Our situational judgement tips covers the full sequence. The complete situational judgement guide goes deeper.
Behavioural competencies, not academic ability: communication, teamwork, customer focus, decision-making, integrity, planning and prioritisation, and for senior roles commercial awareness and leadership. A useful habit in practice is to ask which competency each scenario is really testing; the wording usually points to one.
Typically 25 to 50 short scenarios, usually with no strict time limit but an expectation of about a minute per scenario, so a 30-scenario test takes roughly half an hour. All the information you need is in the scenario itself; no outside knowledge is required.
Rated 4.8 out of 5 across 1,791 reviews. A selection:
The test was well-structured, and the scenarios felt realistic and relevant to the role. Some situations required careful thought, but overall, the questions were clear. Managing time was a bit challenging, but it helped me think quickly and prioritize decisions.
This test provided a well-rounded evaluation of analytical and decision-making skills. The numerical reasoning questions were challenging but well-structured, and the situational judgment scenarios felt realistic and relevant to workplace challenges. It helped me identify areas where I need to work on. Great test!
they give you a timed option and the practice option for the test. They also let you know which of the answers are correct/incorrect when you're taking a practice test
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