A situational judgement test (SJT) is a common assessment used by employers to understand how candidates are likely to behave in real workplace situations. Rather than testing technical knowledge or intelligence, SJTs focus on judgement, decision-making, and alignment with workplace values.
Candidates often encounter situational judgement tests during early screening stages, assessment centres, or professional recruitment processes. Because the scenarios are realistic and there is not always a single “perfect” answer, these tests can feel subjective or confusing without proper context.
By the end of this guide, you will understand what a situational judgement test is, how situational judgement tests work, what employers are looking for, how scoring is typically handled, and how to approach example questions with confidence. You’ll also see realistic examples and practical advice to help you make stronger decisions under time pressure.
The key thing to remember is this: situational judgement tests are designed to measure how you apply judgement in context — not whether you memorise the “right” response.
What is a situational judgement test?
A situational judgement test is an assessment that presents candidates with realistic workplace scenarios and asks them to choose, rank, or rate possible responses. The goal is to evaluate how you apply judgement, values, and behavioural skills when faced with common work situations.
How SJTs differ from other assessments
Situational judgement tests are distinct from other common recruitment tests:
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Personality tests measure preferences and traits, not decision-making in context
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Cognitive ability tests assess reasoning speed or accuracy, not behaviour
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Interviews explore past behaviour, while SJTs simulate future situations
SJTs may overlap with these tools, but they are designed to capture consistent judgement patterns across multiple scenarios.
Why employers use situational judgement tests
Employers use SJTs because they:
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Allow fair comparison across large candidate pools
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Focus on job-relevant behaviour rather than background or experience
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Predict workplace performance and values alignment
Research shows that how someone handles everyday work situations — prioritisation, communication, ethics — is often more predictive than technical skill alone.
Where SJTs are used
Situational judgement tests appear across many sectors and stages of hiring, including:
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Graduate and internship screening
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Public sector recruitment (e.g. NHS, police, law)
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Customer service, leadership, and regulated roles
Common scenario themes include teamwork, conflict, time management, customer issues, communication, and ethical decision-making.
You can explore sector-specific examples in guides such as the NHS Situational Judgement Test, Police SJT, and Law SJT.
How situational judgement tests work
Understanding how situational judgement tests work can remove much of the uncertainty candidates feel going into them.
The typical test experience
Most SJTs follow a similar flow:
- You are shown a workplace scenario
- A prompt asks what you should do (or what is most/least effective)
- Several response options are presented
- You select, rank, or rate those responses
- You move on to the next scenario
Some tests are strictly timed; others allow more flexibility. Instructions can vary by employer or test provider, so reading them carefully is essential.
Types of situational judgement tests
There are several common SJT formats:
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Best answer / worst answer: select the most and least appropriate responses
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Ranking questions: order options from most to least effective
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Rating scales: rate how effective or appropriate each response is
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Video-based SJTs: scenarios acted out on screen
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Text-based SJTs: written descriptions of situations
Each format measures judgement slightly differently, but the underlying principles remain the same.
How employers score situational judgement tests
Situational judgement test scoring is usually based on pre-defined scoring keys aligned to the role’s competencies and values. These are developed using subject-matter experts and job analysis.
Key points about SJT scoring:
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Some tests award partial credit for reasonable responses
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Others use benchmark comparisons rather than raw scores
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Results may be reported as percentiles, bands, or pass/fail thresholds
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Detailed scoring breakdowns are often not shared with candidates
A situational judgement test score reflects how closely your responses align with what the employer considers effective behaviour for that role — not whether you are “right” or “wrong” in absolute terms.
For more detail, see our overview of situational judgement tests and how to prepare for situational judgement tests.
What are situational judgement tests looking for?
Situational judgement tests are ways of reviewing potential workplace behaviour and the quality of decisions that candidates would make in the role. They do not score personality or technical skills.
Core competencies commonly assessed
Most SJTs are designed to evaluate a combination of:
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Communication
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Teamwork and collaboration
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Integrity and ethical judgement
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Customer or service focus
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Resilience and professionalism
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Prioritisation and time management
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Accountability and ownership
What “good situational judgement” typically looks like
Strong SJT responses usually show:
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Calm, proportionate action
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Constructive communication
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Awareness of policies and boundaries
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Appropriate escalation when necessary
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Consideration of long-term impact
Role and context matter
The best response often depends on seniority and authority. A junior employee may be expected to escalate issues sooner, while a manager may be expected to resolve them independently.
A quick decision checklist
When reviewing response options, ask:
- Is it legal and policy-compliant?
- Does it maintain safety and fairness?
- Does it respect others and communicate clearly?
- Is escalation appropriate at this stage?
- What are the long-term consequences?
Always align your judgement with the organisation’s stated values, particularly in regulated roles like law and healthcare (see the Law SJT and NHS SJT).
Example of a situational judgement test
Below are realistic situational judgement test examples, along with explanations of why certain responses are stronger than others.
Scenario 1: Prioritisation under pressure
You are working on two urgent tasks when a colleague asks for immediate help on their project, which has a looming deadline.
What should you do?
A. Ignore your tasks and help them immediately
B. Tell them you are too busy and cannot help
C. Clarify deadlines, explain your constraints, and agree on a plan
D. Escalate the issue straight to your manager
Best option: C
This response shows communication, prioritisation, and shared ownership without unnecessary escalation.
Scenario 2: Teamwork and conflict
A colleague repeatedly misses deadlines, affecting team performance.
What is the most effective response?
A. Complain about them to other colleagues
B. Address the issue privately and discuss solutions
C. Report them immediately to management
D. Redo their work without mentioning it
Best option: B
This approach is constructive, proportionate, and respects professional relationships.
Scenario 3: Ethics and customer expectations
A customer asks you to make an exception that conflicts with company policy.
What should you do?
A. Agree to keep the customer happy
B. Refuse without explanation
C. Explain the policy, show empathy, and offer alternatives
D. Ignore the request
Best option: C
This balances empathy with integrity and policy awareness.
Advice for situational judgement tests
If you’re looking for advice for situational judgement tests or wondering how to pass situational judgement tests, keep these principles in mind:
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Read the scenario for role level and constraints
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Avoid extreme actions unless safety or ethics demand it
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Prefer options that communicate, collaborate, and resolve sustainably
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Eliminate illegal, unsafe, or unprofessional responses first
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Don’t overthink — consistency matters more than perfection
For more tips, see our guide on taking a situational judgement test.
Situational judgement tests assess how candidates apply judgement, values, and workplace behaviour in realistic scenarios. By understanding what SJTs are, how they work, how scoring is handled, and what employers are looking for, candidates can approach these assessments with greater confidence.
There is rarely a single perfect answer. Strong performance comes from recognising role expectations, applying sound decision-making principles, and responding consistently under time pressure.
A practical next step is to practise SJTs in realistic conditions, reflect on which competencies each scenario is testing, and review how different responses align with organisational values. You can start by exploring our full range of situational judgement tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do situational judgement tests have right or wrong answers?
Situational judgement tests rarely have one absolute correct answer. Instead, responses are scored based on how closely they align with the employer’s preferred behaviours and values.
How do employers use situational judgement test results in hiring decisions?
Employers use SJT results to compare candidates objectively, identify behavioural strengths, and assess values fit alongside other assessments.
How many questions are usually in a situational judgement test?
Most situational judgement tests contain between 15 and 40 questions, depending on the employer, role, and test format.