Every situational judgement test scenario ends with an instruction, and reading it correctly is half the battle: the same scenario can ask four different things of you. This guide covers each response format and how to approach it.
Practise the real thing: these formats all appear in our free situational judgement test, with the scored key explained for every scenario. No sign-up.
Most and least effective questions
Each scenario is followed by an instruction, and reading it correctly is half the battle. The common formats are:
- Choose the most effective response, or the one you would most likely do.
- Choose the least effective response, or the one you would least likely do.
- Rate each response on a scale, from very effective to very ineffective.
- Rank the responses in order from best to worst.
The single most common avoidable mistake is answering “most” when the question asked for “least”, or the other way round. Under time pressure it is easy to skim the instruction, so confirm what each question is actually asking before you weigh the options.
Rating questions
When asked to rate each response on a scale from very effective to very ineffective, judge each response on its own merits rather than against the others: several responses can be effective, and several can be poor. Keep your standard consistent from scenario to scenario, and rate the response as written, not the improved version of it you would actually carry out.
Ranking questions
When asked to rank the responses from best to worst, anchor the extremes first: the strongest response and the clearly worst are usually the easiest to place, and most of the marks lost in ranking questions are lost in the middle positions. Separate the middle pair with the elimination habits below.
How to choose the best response
Judge each response against the competency the scenario is testing, and against the behaviours a professional employer rewards. Certain kinds of response are almost never what the employer is looking for, and spotting them quickly narrows the field:
- Unethical responses, or anything dishonest or that shifts blame.
- Responses that go against the company’s stated values.
- Passive responses, the equivalent of doing nothing and hoping the problem resolves itself.
- Responses that rely on workplace politics rather than on addressing the issue directly.
Strong answers tend to be proactive without overreacting: they gather information when it is appropriate, involve the right people, take responsibility, and keep the interests of the team, the client and the organisation in view. When two responses both look reasonable, the better one is usually the one that resolves the issue most directly while respecting everyone involved.
More on situational judgement tests
Go back to the full situational judgement tests guide, or try the situational strengths variant and e-tray exercises.
