An SJT score is worked out by comparing each of your answers with a scoring key that rates how effective every response is. You earn marks for each answer that matches the key, and often partial marks for answers that come close. Those marks are added up into a raw score, which is then usually compared with a group of other candidates to give a percentile or a band. There is rarely a fixed pass mark: each employer decides the level it needs for the role.
You can see how this works in practice in a free situational judgement test, which shows the scored answer for every scenario.
Where the scoring key comes from
Unlike a numerical test, an SJT has no answer you can prove with a calculation. Instead, the test designers decide how effective each response is. The usual approach is to ask people who know the job well, such as experienced staff and their managers, to rate every response. Where they agree, that rating becomes the key. Responses they disagree about tend to be rewritten or dropped.
Some keys are built around an ideal candidate profile for a particular employer, which is why the employer’s values and the job description are such useful clues. Either way, the key rewards the responses that experienced people in the role think work best, not the ones a candidate thinks sound impressive.
How each question format is scored
The exact rules differ between tests, and publishers do not always explain them. The methods below are common and show the logic most SJTs follow. The figures are illustrations, not the rules of any particular test.
Most and least effective
You choose the best and the worst response. A simple method gives one mark for picking the keyed most effective option and one mark for picking the keyed least effective option, so each scenario is worth two marks.
Example. A test has 10 scenarios, so the maximum is 10 × 2 = 20 marks. You pick the keyed best response in 7 scenarios and the keyed worst in 8. Your raw score is 7 + 8 = 15 out of 20, which is 75%.
Some tests also give partial credit when you choose an option that is close to the keyed answer, such as the second best response, and some deduct marks if you pick the best response as your least effective.
Rating each response
You rate every response on a scale. Marks usually depend on how far your rating is from the key, so a near miss still scores.
Example. Responses are rated from 1 (very ineffective) to 4 (very effective), and each response is worth up to 3 marks. You lose one mark for every point your rating is away from the key.
| Response | Key | Your rating | Difference | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| B | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| D | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Your score for the scenario is 3 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 9 out of 12. Response D cost the most, because you rated an effective action as very ineffective.
Ranking the responses
You put every response in order. A common method compares where you placed each response with where the key places it.
Example. The key ranks four responses A, C, B, D. You rank them A, B, C, D. A and D are in the right places. B and C are each one place out. If each response is worth up to 3 marks and you lose a mark for each place it is out, you score 3 + 2 + 2 + 3 = 10 out of 12.
Compare that with swapping the ends. If you ranked them D, C, B, A, the middle pair would be right but A and D would each be three places out, scoring 0 + 3 + 3 + 0 = 6 out of 12. Getting the best and worst responses right protects most of your marks.
From raw score to your result
A raw score on its own says little, because some sets of scenarios are harder than others. Most employers compare your raw score with a norm group, which is a large group of people who have taken the same test, often at a similar career level.
Your result is then given as a percentile or a band. A percentile tells you what share of the comparison group you scored above. If you are at the 70th percentile, you scored higher than 70% of that group. A band groups percentiles together, for example “above average” or a grade from A to E.
The employer then sets a cut-off. It might invite everyone above a certain percentile to the next stage, or it might use the result alongside your other tests and your application. The cut-off varies by employer and by how competitive the role is, so there is no single “good” SJT score.
Can you see your SJT score?
Sometimes. Some employers send a short feedback report showing your band for each competency, and some share nothing beyond whether you progressed. If you are not offered feedback, it is reasonable to ask the recruitment team politely, but they may not be able to share it.
How to raise your SJT score
The scoring methods above point to the same habits.
- Read the instruction every time. Answering “most” when the question asked for “least” turns a correct judgement into zero marks.
- Fix the extremes first. In ranking and most and least questions, the best and worst responses carry the most weight.
- Rate each response on its own merits. Several responses can be effective, and several can be poor.
- Learn the pattern of strong answers. Proactive, honest, direct and respectful responses tend to score well. Passive responses, blaming others and office politics tend to score badly.
- Answer consistently. Some tests check whether your judgements hang together across scenarios, so aim to apply the same reasoning throughout.
Our situational judgement test examples show this reasoning applied to real formats, and our situational judgement test tips cover how to prepare.
Practise and check your score
The quickest way to understand how your judgement compares with a scoring key is to take a situational judgement practice test and study the explanation for every answer you lost marks on.
