A Korn Ferry test usually combines short, timed ability tests, such as verbal, numerical and logical reasoning, with a personality or behavioural questionnaire, all taken online. The ability tests are often adaptive, so the questions get harder as you answer correctly. Below are sample questions in the Korn Ferry style for each type, with answers and the working, followed by what to expect from invitation to results.
These samples are written in the style of Korn Ferry’s assessments; they are not Korn Ferry’s own questions. For a full timed set, try a free Korn Ferry-style test.
What to expect from a Korn Ferry assessment
The details depend on the employer, but most candidates see a similar pattern, whichever organisation invited them.
- The invitation. An email with a link and a deadline. It usually says which tests are included. If it does not, ask the employer.
- Instructions and practice questions. Each test normally opens with instructions and a few example questions, which are not usually timed. Use them to learn the controls.
- Timed ability tests. Each test is timed. Because the tests are often adaptive, you may not be able to go back to an earlier question, so give each one proper attention.
- Questionnaires. Personality or motivation questionnaires are usually untimed or loosely timed.
- Results. Your results go to the employer, who decides what happens next. Some employers share a feedback report with candidates.
Some employers combine several sections into one session. Allow enough time to finish in one sitting, in a quiet room with a reliable connection.
Numerical reasoning sample
Numerical questions give you data and ask for one or two calculations. A calculator is usually allowed.
Question 1. A department’s travel budget for the year is £48,000. By the end of September (nine months in), it has spent £37,800. If it keeps spending at the same monthly rate, by how much will it be over or under budget at the end of the year?
A) £2,400 under B) £1,200 over C) £2,400 over D) £4,200 over
Answer: C, £2,400 over.
- Monthly spend: £37,800 ÷ 9 = £4,200.
- Spend for the full year: £4,200 × 12 = £50,400.
- Compared with the budget: £50,400 − £48,000 = £2,400 over.
Option D is the monthly figure, a common slip when you stop one step early.
Question 2. A company had 240 staff last year and has 270 this year. What is the percentage increase?
A) 11.1% B) 12.5% C) 30% D) 88.9%
Answer: B, 12.5%. The increase is 270 − 240 = 30. Divide by the starting figure: 30 ÷ 240 = 0.125, which is 12.5%. Option A divides by the new figure (30 ÷ 270), which is the classic mistake.
Verbal reasoning sample
Verbal questions give you a short passage and ask what follows from it. Base your answer only on the passage.
The company will replace its paper expense forms with an online system from 1 June. Claims submitted on paper after that date will be returned unpaid. Staff who travel frequently will receive training in May; all other staff will receive a written guide.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
A) All staff will be trained in the new system in May. B) A paper claim submitted on 3 June will not be paid as submitted. C) The online system will make claims faster to process. D) Staff who travel frequently will not receive a written guide.
Answer: B. Paper claims after 1 June will be returned unpaid. A is wrong, because only frequent travellers get training. C may be true, but the passage does not say it. D is not stated: the passage says other staff get a written guide, not that frequent travellers do not.
Logical reasoning sample
Logical questions ask you to find the rule in a sequence of shapes. Here is one described in words.
- Frame 1: one triangle pointing up.
- Frame 2: two triangles pointing right.
- Frame 3: three triangles pointing down.
- Frame 4: ?
Answer: four triangles pointing left. Two rules run together. One triangle is added each step, and the direction rotates 90 degrees clockwise (up, right, down, then left). Work out each rule on its own, predict the answer, then look for it among the options.
Situational judgement sample
You lead a small team. A team member who is usually reliable has missed two deadlines in a fortnight and seems withdrawn.
Which is the most effective response?
A) Raise it with them in the next team meeting so everyone understands the impact. B) Quietly give their work to others until they improve. C) Speak to them privately, ask how things are going, and agree together how to get their work back on track. D) Report the missed deadlines to HR straight away.
Answer: C. It addresses the problem directly, gives the person a chance to explain, and ends with a plan. A risks embarrassing them in front of colleagues. B hides the problem without solving it. D escalates before you have spoken to them.
Personality questionnaire sample
Personality questionnaires describe how you prefer to work. Some ask how far you agree with a statement. Others give you a small group of statements and ask which is most like you and which is least like you, for example:
- I enjoy meeting new people.
- I like to have a clear plan before I start.
- I stay calm when things go wrong.
There are no right answers, and different roles suit different preferences. Answer honestly and consistently, and think about how you actually behave at work or study rather than how you would like to be seen.
Tips for a Korn Ferry test
- Practise timed. The pace is usually the hardest part. Timed practice makes it familiar.
- Read before you calculate. Many wrong options are built from one common slip, such as dividing by the wrong figure.
- Do not rush the early questions. In an adaptive test, accuracy matters throughout, not just speed.
- Use the practice questions. They are there to show you the controls, so do them properly.
To learn more about the firm behind these assessments, read what Korn Ferry is and where its tests came from. When you are ready to practise, start with a timed Korn Ferry-style practice test.
