What are situational judgment tests?

Situational judgment tests are psychological tools used to evaluate candidates’ behavioural traits, social intelligence and cognitive abilities, with a view to measuring each candidate’s suitability to the employer and the role for which they are applying. 

These types of tests might assess, for example, a candidate’s ability to work in a team, motivate others, prioritise tasks, delegate effectively, support supervisors and senior colleagues, interact with clients, problem solve and think laterally, whilst offering an insight into their thought processes (including their judgment and approach to decision-making).

Why do firms incorporate situational judgment tests into their assessment processes?

For many employers, qualifications and educational achievements alone are not enough; they want to hire candidates who can also demonstrate the temperament, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, intuition, integrity and resourcefulness needed to fit in with the firm’s culture and succeed in the relevant role. And this is what situational judgment tests are designed to assess.

So how do these tests work? Well, situational judgment tests are typically designed to give employers insights into how you are likely to handle or respond to certain scenarios or circumstances that you might encounter if you were to secure an internship or graduate role at the firm, and these insights can shed light on a broad range of your attributes and capabilities.

As firms tend to have different cultures and expectations, situational judgment tests are often tailored to each employer’s specific requirements, so - unlike with certain other types of psychometric tests - you’re less likely to face the same scenarios and questions from different employers.

What do situational judgment tests involve?

Situational judgment tests typically present you with a hypothetical work-related scenario, followed by, for example:

• A list of proposed actions that you could take in the given scenario;
• A list of potential responses to the circumstances presented; and/or
• A list of potential behaviours that could be adopted in light of the situation.

You will then usually be expected to choose what you deem to be the most or least suitable option from the list in light of the scenario (i.e. the option that best correlates with how you would act or respond in the particular circumstances), or to rank the proposed courses of action, responses or behaviours by their level of appropriateness or effectiveness.