Project Management Test

Project management tests assess an individual's ability to manage a project from start to finish. Selecting the right project manager is critical to delivering projects on time, within budget, and in line with the project requirements. The project management test evaluates a candidate's ability to effectively manage a project from concept to completion.

  • What is a project management test?

    A project management test is an assessment of the various skills required to successfully manage any given project from start to finish. Rather than focusing on a particular methodology, it looks at a candidate's ability to make strategic decisions that ensure a project remains on the right path.

    Test takers must competently respond to a range of hypothetical project-based scenarios. Questions cover various tasks such as budgeting, risk management, scheduling, team leadership and communication.

    Those that perform to a high standard have strengths in skills like decision making, problem-solving, time management, critical reasoning and strategic execution. The test also covers people-focused skills such as interpersonal and leadership qualities.

    As well as an effective recruitment tool for project management roles, the test can also be used in selection for any post that involves overseeing critical aspects of business activity.

Jump to a section on this page:

  1. What is a project management test?
  2. Why should you use a project management test for recruitment?
  3. How our test assesses project management skills
  4. Project Management Test FAQs

About the Project Management Test

It takes a diverse skill set to be a good project manager. From initiation, planning and execution through to closure, those taking on PM roles must be able to meet complex demands at every stage of the project management lifecycle.

It is because of the role's complexity that recruitment in project management is such a challenge. Hiring teams must identify those with the right aptitude, abilities and behaviours, often from a large pool of applications. Using a project management test, you can assess essential skills at speed, and confidently select the best talent to interview.

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  • Why should you use a project management test for recruitment?

    Project management is not so much a skill as it is an art form. Those who excel at it know how to get the best out of both people and situations to ensure that whatever task they're overseeing is completed to the highest possible standard.

    Talented project managers are adaptable, able to restructure plans based on ever-shifting variables, and capable of staying calm under pressure. They are strong negotiators, take a logical approach to problem-solving, and are unafraid of taking ownership of often high-stakes decisions.

    They are also skilled leaders, able to motivate and encourage others to achieve their goals, even in times of low morale.

    Project management talent is highly valuable to a business but incredibly hard to identify. A candidate's resume may cover the phases of the project management lifecycle, but it doesn't give you proof of their skills in action.

    That's where a project management test comes in. As a multiple-choice pre-employment test, it challenges an applicant on essential skills in a practical way, so you can better determine how they're likely to perform in the future.

    It also brings increased efficiency to the selection process and provides objective comparable data for candidate shortlisting. That means that, no matter how large your applicant pool is, you can quickly narrow it down to the most promising talent.

    Whether hiring for a one-off project, or for a PM to oversee ongoing business activity, our project management test will help you pick the right candidate the first time round.

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Sample Project Management Test question

You've just been assigned a project designing an internal software solution for your company. You've only received a little bit of information about what's required but are clear on the purpose and have been given the autonomy to approach the project as you see fit. You need to have the solution in place by the end of the quarter which seems like plenty of time to complete the work. You know who will be using it and they tend to be pretty busy. However, a few colleagues are available to help if you need more support as well.

Where would you start?

  • Meet briefly with some of the end users to define the final deliverable and what success will look like before laying out a plan for how to get there.

  • Build prototypes for some potential solutions then ask a few end users to trial each of them in turn and give you feedback on which one they like best.

  • Take advantage of the autonomy and the time available to independently build something really innovative that will be sure to wow the end users.

  • Pull your colleagues in to brainstorm what the solution could look like and get their advice on what to include in the project to incorporate a few expert perspectives.

Picked Sample Report

View a sample report

Results for the Project Management 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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How our test assesses project management skills

In Picked's project management test, candidates will need to answer a range of questions designed to indicate how well they can lead a project from start to finish based on a final test score, which can then be compared to the scores of other applicants.

The test presents a scenario for the candidates to review before selecting what they believe to be the most and least effective actions to take in response. The other response options are mostly generic mistakes or misconceptions, which makes the test challenging and helps measure a candidate's ability more accurately.

During the development process, the test was rigorously analysed to maximise reliability and validity in line with industry best practices. It was created and tested by psychometric experts, and designed to assess interpersonal skills in a sample of job applicants who have varying professional experience.

Each test is reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues. This ensures each test-taker has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of interpersonal skills and feels the test is high quality.

Our project-management skills test is monitored to ensure it is up-to-date and optimised for performance.

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Predictor of job success

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 Project Management tests are written by accredited psychologists and fully validated.

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    We offer Project Management 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
Project Management Test expert

Written by a Project Management Test expert

Our team of assessment experts is 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

Project Management Test FAQs

How can you test for project management skills?

Hiring teams can employ a range of techniques to test for project management skills, including cognitive ability tests, soft skills tests, practical and role-play exercises, group activities, presentations and interviews. An effective recruitment strategy will use a combination of these for a well-rounded candidate profile.

Is the project management test difficult?

Written by subject matter experts, the test is set at an intermediate level and covers the core skills needed for successful project management. It requires no prior knowledge, but rather looks at natural abilities and awareness, resulting in a fair and objective selection process.

What is the cost for Picked’s project management skills test?

Picked operates on a monthly or annual subscription basis. We have several plans to suit your hiring needs, which you can check out here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to discuss a custom plan.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, sign up (no credit card required) and we'll give you a 7 day trial completely free. You'll get unlimited access to create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you like. You can cancel any time and you won't be charged anything.

“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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