McQuaig Word Survey Practice Test

Practise a free behavioural test in the style of the McQuaig Word Survey. Answer 24 quick questions and see your four work drives, with the kinds of role each one suits. No sign-up.

What is a McQuaig word survey practice test?

The McQuaig Word Survey is a short behavioural assessment that employers use to understand how someone is likely to work and what kind of role suits them. It looks at your natural work drives: how you pursue results, how you deal with people, the pace you prefer, and how much you rely on rules and detail. This is a free practice test in that style, using our own questions and a rating scale, so you can get a feel for the kind of drives it measures. It is not the official McQuaig Word Survey and is not affiliated with the McQuaig Institute.

McQuaig word survey practice test at a glance
Questions 24
Typical time limit Untimed
Format 24 short statements, rated on a 5-point agreement scale
Skills tested Insight into your natural work drives and the roles they suit
Used by Employers and recruiters, as part of hiring and job fit

The test below is a full-length example with worked solutions for every question. It is free, and there is no sign-up.

Written by Guy Thornton Updated

Free McQuaig Word Survey Practice Test

Statement 1 of 24
01 / 24

I go after challenging targets at work and push to hit them.

Statement 2 of 24
02 / 24

I am happy to take the lead on a project when no one else will.

Statement 3 of 24
03 / 24

I stand my ground in a work disagreement when I believe I am right.

Statement 4 of 24
04 / 24

I would rather set the direction than be told what to do.

Statement 5 of 24
05 / 24

I prefer to follow someone else’s lead at work than take charge.

Statement 6 of 24
06 / 24

I tend to give way when a colleague pushes back on my idea.

Statement 7 of 24
07 / 24

I enjoy working closely with lots of different people during the day.

Statement 8 of 24
08 / 24

I find it easy to build rapport with new colleagues or clients.

Statement 9 of 24
09 / 24

I would rather talk an idea through with others than work it out alone.

Statement 10 of 24
10 / 24

I am comfortable presenting or speaking up in front of a group.

Statement 11 of 24
11 / 24

I do my best work on my own with few interruptions.

Statement 12 of 24
12 / 24

I keep conversations at work brief and to the point.

Statement 13 of 24
13 / 24

I stay patient and unhurried even when work piles up.

Statement 14 of 24
14 / 24

I am happy to keep at a steady task for a long stretch.

Statement 15 of 24
15 / 24

I would rather work at a measured pace than rush to finish.

Statement 16 of 24
16 / 24

I keep a calm and even pace through a busy day.

Statement 17 of 24
17 / 24

I feel a constant sense of urgency to get things done quickly.

Statement 18 of 24
18 / 24

I get impatient when a task moves too slowly.

Statement 19 of 24
19 / 24

I like to work to a clear plan and set procedures.

Statement 20 of 24
20 / 24

I check the details carefully before I sign off on my work.

Statement 21 of 24
21 / 24

I prefer clear rules and guidelines to work within.

Statement 22 of 24
22 / 24

I keep my work organised and in good order.

Statement 23 of 24
23 / 24

I am happy to make it up as I go rather than follow a set process.

Statement 24 of 24
24 / 24

I am relaxed about small errors as long as the job gets done.

What each trait means

Each trait is a spectrum with no better or worse end. Once you finish the test, your own result on each trait is highlighted in the table below.

Trait Higher Lower
Drive Assertive. You are assertive and results-driven, and comfortable taking the lead. Accommodating. You are accommodating and cooperative, and happy to support others' direction.
Sociability Sociable. You are outgoing and people-focused, and energised by working with others. Reserved. You are reserved and self-contained, and do your best work with focus and quiet.
Pace Patient. You are patient and steady, and comfortable keeping an even pace. Urgent. You work with urgency and drive, and like to move quickly.
Structure Methodical. You are methodical and detail-focused, and like clear plans and rules. Flexible. You are flexible and adaptable, and happy to work without a fixed process.

What your work drives mean for your career

The McQuaig approach is all about job fit: matching your natural drives to the kind of work where you will do well and feel at your best. A strong Drive suits target-led and leadership roles; high Sociability suits people-facing work like sales, recruitment or account management; a patient Pace suits roles that reward steadiness and follow-through; and high Structure suits detail-critical, process-driven work like finance, operations or quality. Most people are a blend, and there is no right profile. If you have a McQuaig assessment coming up as part of a job application, employers usually pair it with scored aptitude tests, so it is worth practising those too.

What is the McQuaig Word Survey?

The McQuaig Word Survey is a short behavioural assessment created by the McQuaig Institute. Employers and recruiters use it during hiring to understand how a candidate is likely to behave at work, and whether their natural temperament fits the demands of a particular role. Rather than measuring ability, it looks at your work drives: how strongly you pursue results, how much you engage with people, the pace you are comfortable with, and how much you rely on structure, rules and detail.

In the official survey you are given a list of words and asked to pick the ones that describe you, which usually takes only a few minutes. The result is a behavioural profile that a recruiter reads alongside the demands of the job. It is one of the more common behavioural tools in recruitment, particularly for sales, customer-facing and management roles.

Is this the official McQuaig Word Survey?

No, and it is worth being clear about that. This is a free practice test built in the style of the McQuaig Word Survey, using our own original questions. It is not the official survey and is not affiliated with the McQuaig Institute, and it does not use any of the official survey’s words or content.

There is one deliberate difference in format. The official survey asks you to choose words that describe you, whereas our version asks you to rate how much you agree with a set of statements. We use the rating format because it is a clear, familiar way to measure the same underlying work drives without copying the real survey. If you have a genuine McQuaig assessment coming up as part of a job application, this is a good way to get familiar with the kind of behavioural traits it looks at and to reflect on your own profile beforehand.

What does the McQuaig Word Survey measure?

Our practice test reports four work drives, each a spectrum with no better or worse end.

  • Drive: how hard you push for results and how readily you take the lead, versus a more accommodating, supportive style.
  • Sociability: how outgoing and people-focused you are, versus reserved and happiest working with focus and quiet.
  • Pace: how patient and steady you are, versus working with urgency and a preference for moving quickly.
  • Structure: how methodical and detail-focused you are, versus flexible and comfortable without a fixed process.

Your results below explain what a higher or lower score on each drive tends to mean at work.

How should I read my results?

Look at all four drives together rather than picking a single label. Most people are a blend, and there is no right or best profile. A high or low score is not a strength or a weakness on its own. It simply points to the kind of work and environment where you are likely to be at your best, and the situations that may take a little more effort. Because the McQuaig approach is about job fit, it is most useful to think about how your drives line up with the roles you are drawn to. And because the result reflects how you described yourself, the most useful thing you can do is answer honestly rather than how you think an employer wants you to come across.

Prepare yourself for leading employers

  • BBC
  • Deloitte
  • HSBC
  • Amazon
  • Google
  • NHS
  • Civil Service

Within two hours of practice I have improved my score from 50% correct to 88%.

Joseph used Practice Aptitude Tests to improve his numerical reasoning scores.

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McQuaig Word Survey Practice Test FAQs

Is this practice test free?

Yes. All 24 questions and your full results, including your score on each of the four work drives and what it means, are free with no sign-up and no payment. You can take it as many times as you like, and nothing is stored against your name.

How long does the test take?

Most people finish in around four to five minutes. There are 24 short statements and you simply rate how much each one sounds like you, so there is nothing to work out and no time pressure. Your results appear the moment you answer the last one.

Is this the official McQuaig Word Survey?

No. This is an original practice test in the style of the McQuaig Word Survey, using our own questions and a rating format. It is not the official survey and is not affiliated with the McQuaig Institute.

What does the McQuaig Word Survey measure?

It looks at behavioural work drives rather than ability: how you pursue results, how you deal with people, the pace you prefer, and how much you rely on rules and detail. Our practice test reports these as four drives: Drive, Sociability, Pace and Structure.

Why do employers use it?

Employers and recruiters use it to understand how you are likely to behave at work and whether your natural temperament fits a particular role. It is about job fit rather than passing or failing, and it is common in sales, customer-facing and management hiring.

Does the real survey use this rating format?

No. The official McQuaig Word Survey asks you to pick words that describe you, while our practice test uses rating statements to measure similar work drives. The experience differs, but the drives you see are comparable.