Situational Judgement Test

Situational judgement tests are designed to assess how candidates approach scenarios they may encounter in the workplace.

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  • What is a situational judgement test and what does it measure?

    A situational judgement test (also known as an SJT) is employee assessment that presents candidates with a series of hypothetical scenarios based on common workplace challenges. The SJT format is often used to assess someone’s ability to evaluate the given situation and respond in the most effective manner.

    While situational judgement tests usually consist of multiple-choice questions, the scoring approach might differ depending on the constructs they measure. In most assessments using the SJT format, candidates are asked to select the response that, in their opinion, would be the most effective action to take, and also the one they feel would be the least effective.

    The scoring key is typically developed using aggregated input from professionals and other experts close to the topic, who rate the effectiveness of each response.

    Many test providers use the SJT format to measure a multitude of work-related concepts, such as decision making, communication, teamwork and customer orientation. A high score on the test is an indication that the candidate has strong skills within the area and the potential to apply those skills on the job.

Jump to a section on this page:

  1. What is a situational judgement test and what does it measure?
  2. Why should you use a situational judgement test for recruiting?
  3. The format of Pickeds situational judgement test
  4. Situational Judgement Test FAQs

About the Situational Judgement Test

SJTs are used to gauge a candidate’s response to workplace scenarios, to help predict their performance within a particular role. These tests are used across many industries and job roles, since they are effective at measuring work-related soft skills such as problem-solving, leadership and time management.

Hiring managers can use these assessment results to better understand which candidates meet the requirements of the position. This helps companies make more informed hiring decisions that are based on data, reducing the potential for bias during recruitment.

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  • Why should you use a situational judgement test for recruiting?

    It can be difficult to predict how a candidate will perform on a job based on their resume or application alone. An SJT can reveal a candidate’s potential across a number of key competencies, such as interpersonal skills and accountability.

    By using one or even a few of these tests early on in the recruitment process, you can see how candidates would behave in certain situations and gauge which of them are more likely to perform well in the position.

    The test is easily administered to a large pool of candidates to give you insight by providing comparative data, which can help you to make more informed hiring decisions.

    A score is given for each candidate so you can compare and advance only the strongest candidates to the next stage. This allows for an efficient process that saves time and hiring resources.

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Picked Sample Report

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Results for the Situational Judgement Test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.

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The format of Pickeds situational judgement test

Picked’s platform lets you send candidates tests once they’ve applied for a role. They will then have a few days to complete them.

Once a candidate has completed the required test or tests, you will be notified and will receive their raw score, which you can compare to a global average as well as other candidates in the talent pool.

Picked offers situational judgement tests that assess the following soft skills:

Each of these SJTs is 10 minutes long and is crafted to accurately assess your candidates’ skills within the area or areas that are important to the job or your organisation as a whole.

The questions each present a unique scenario for the candidates to review, and then they select what they believe to be the most and least effective actions to take in response. The scenarios vary in terms of their context and problem, to reflect the range of situations an employee is likely to encounter in the workplace.

Aside from the answers that are most and least effective, the other options are moderately effective actions that could understandably be taken in that situation, which makes the test challenging and realistic, and helps measure a candidate's ability more precisely.

A candidate scores maximum points when they correctly select both the most and least effective responses.

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Picked provides evidence-based recommendations for tests to use for over 750 jobs. Our recommendation engine leverages data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

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    All our Situational Judgement tests are written by accredited psychologists and fully validated.

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    We offer Situational Judgement tests for all levels so you can assess all roles within your organisation.

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“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Situational Judgement Test expert

Written by a Situational Judgement Test expert

This test was created by our team of assessment experts, made up of I/O psychologists and psychometricians who are dedicated to making all of our tests as reliable, valid and fair as possible. They strictly adhere to best practices in the industry and stay on top of the latest innovations to ensure job candidates’ unique profiles of characteristics, abilities and knowledge are being measured accurately while minimising bias. They leverage decades of research and advanced predictive analytics to build assessments that link to outcomes that matter, such as job performance, turnover, engagement, culture fit and more.

“Personality profiling allowed us to perform lookalike modelling of our most successful employees and use this as a blueprint for new hires.”
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain

Situational Judgement Test FAQs

Can I try the test for free?

Yes. Simply sign up (no credit card is required) and we'll give you unlimited access for seven days. Create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you want; you won’t be charged a penny.

How long do the situational judgement tests last?

The situational judgement tests normally last 10 minutes. In that time, candidates will need to answer 8-10 questions.

Can I mix the situational judgement tests with other tests?

Yes. You can choose to combine our situational judgement tests with any other test we offer to best suit your hiring needs.

What is the cost for Picked’s situational judgement test?

Picked offers monthly or annual subscriptions for businesses of all sizes, so choose one that best fits your needs. You can also contact us to discuss the possibility of a custom plan suited to your specific needs. You can check out our subscription plans here.

Which jobs are the situational judgement tests relevant for?

Situational judgement tests are used in the recruitment process for a number of roles, from retail to accounting. These tests can be relevant to so many roles and industries because they measure key soft skills that are typically required in the workplace such as leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.

“Focusing on data reduced the subjective decision making from our hiring process and allowed us to reduce bias and make better hiring decisions.”
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden

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