Free Practice Situational Judgment Test

Situational judgment tests – or SJTs – are psychological aptitude tests that are commonly used by employers when recruiting new staff members. The objective of testing is to assess the judgment of individuals when it comes to problem-solving in workplace situations.

Because employers will often require different things from their employees, situational judgment tests are often tailored to the needs of an individual business or industry. 

For this reason, it’s important to be as prepared as possible ahead of your assessment. Careful research and preparation can help to familiarize you with the test and enable you to achieve the results you need to be shortlisted.

This guide has been created to make preparing for your situational judgment test as easy and stress-free as possible. Here, you will find a range of practice tips and advice designed to provide you with everything you need to excel. You will also find free situational judgment test questions and answers.

Why Should You Practice SJTs?

Before taking any kind of assessment, it’s a good idea to run through some practice and preparation techniques. These will help to familiarize you with the format of an assessment and the style of questions you can expect.

If you have been asked to complete a situational judgment test, it is likely to be a core component of a recruitment process.

This means that performing well will be vital for you to move forwards into the next stages. Because of this, preparation is key in ensuring you are able to perform to the best of your ability on the day.

By selecting free SJT tests that also provide answers and explanations, you will gain insight into how the test evaluates your answers and how the scoring system works. 

Free situational judgment test questions and answers can help you to develop strategies for identifying the best options out of a range of potential answers. 

Practicing free SJT test questions can also have a significant impact in alleviating feelings of stress and anxiety ahead of the assessment. You will feel more comfortable about sitting the test as you will understand what is expected of you and what the requirements of testing are.

Sample Situational Judgment Test Questions

Scenario 1: Teamwork and Collaboration

You are part of a team working on an important project that has a tight deadline. One of your colleagues is struggling to complete their part of the work, and it's affecting the progress of the entire team.

What would you do?

a) Ignore the issue and focus on your own work to ensure your part is done well.
b) Offer to help your colleague with their work, even if it means staying late.
c) Inform your manager about your colleague's struggle and ask them to intervene.
d) Take over your colleague's work to ensure the project is completed on time.

The correct answer is: b) Offer to help your colleague with their work, even if it means staying late.

Offering to help your colleague demonstrates teamwork and a willingness to support others, which helps the team meet the deadline. Ignoring the problem (A) or taking over their work (D) may create resentment or further complications. Going straight to the manager (C) should be reserved for situations where the issue cannot be solved collaboratively.

Scenario 2: Conflict Resolution

A colleague often interrupts you in meetings, and it’s starting to frustrate you. You feel like your contributions are being overlooked.

What would you do?

a) Speak to your colleague after the meeting and explain how you feel in a calm, constructive way.
b) Raise the issue during the meeting in front of everyone.
c) Complain to your manager about your colleague's behavior.
d) Do nothing and hope the issue resolves itself.

The correct answer is: a) Speak to your colleague after the meeting and explain how you feel in a calm, constructive way.

Addressing the issue privately and calmly (A) helps maintain a positive working relationship while directly addressing the problem. Raising it in front of everyone (B) might embarrass your colleague and escalate the situation. Going to your manager (C) before speaking with the colleague is premature, and doing nothing (D) is unlikely to solve the problem.

Scenario 3: Time Management

You have several important tasks due by the end of the day, but your manager suddenly asks you to complete an additional task, which is urgent but not critical.

What would you do?

a) Politely explain that you have several deadlines today and ask if the task can wait until tomorrow.
b) Stop working on your current tasks and complete the new task immediately.
c) Prioritize the urgent task and try to rush through the other tasks.
d) Delegate your current tasks to a colleague and focus on the urgent task.

The correct answer is: a) Politely explain that you have several deadlines today and ask if the task can wait until tomorrow.

Politely communicating the situation to your manager (A) demonstrates good time management and prioritization. Stopping your current work (B) without discussing it might lead to missed deadlines, and rushing through tasks (C) could lead to mistakes. Delegating your work (D) could be inappropriate unless you have the authority to do so.

Scenario 4: Customer Service

A customer is frustrated because they received the wrong product and are demanding an immediate solution. The item they want is out of stock for the next two weeks.

What would you do?

a) Apologize, offer a refund, and inform them they'll have to wait two weeks for the correct product.
b) Apologize, offer a refund, and provide a discount on their next purchase.
c) Apologize, offer a refund, and suggest an alternative product that is in stock.
d) Apologize and explain that you can't do anything about the situation.

The correct answer is: c) Apologize, offer a refund, and suggest an alternative product that is in stock.

Offering a refund and suggesting an alternative (C) provides the customer with a possible solution. Apologizing and offering only a refund (A) doesn't address the immediate need, while offering a discount on the next purchase (B) may not resolve the current issue. Saying you can't do anything (D) doesn't reflect good customer service.

Scenario 5: Decision Making

You are leading a project, and two team members strongly disagree on how to proceed with an important task. Both have valid points, but the disagreement is slowing down progress.

What would you do?

a) Decide on the best approach yourself and tell the team how to proceed.
b) Arrange a meeting to discuss both ideas and come to a collective decision.
c) Choose one person's idea to avoid further delays and implement it.
d) Ask your manager to make the final decision.

The correct answer is: b) Arrange a meeting to discuss both ideas and come to a collective decision.

Arranging a meeting to discuss both ideas (B) fosters collaboration and ensures everyone's input is considered. Making the decision alone (A) might alienate team members, and choosing one idea without discussion (C) could cause further conflict. Involving the manager (D) is unnecessary unless the issue remains unresolved after the discussion.

Scenario 6: Leadership and Responsibility

You are a team leader, and one of your team members has made a significant mistake on a project. The client is upset, and the project is delayed as a result.

What would you do?

a) Apologize to the client and explain that the mistake was the responsibility of the team member.
b) Apologize to the client, take responsibility for the mistake, and work to resolve the issue quickly.
c) Ask the team member to apologize to the client and explain what went wrong.
d) Ignore the situation and hope it resolves itself.

The correct answer is: b) Apologize to the client, take responsibility for the mistake, and work to resolve the issue quickly.

As a leader, it’s important to take responsibility (B) for the team's actions and focus on fixing the problem. Blaming the team member (A) damages trust, while asking the team member to apologize (C) avoids leadership accountability. Ignoring the situation (D) would make the situation worse.

Tips for Practicing SJTs Effectively

It’s important to have a consistent and level-headed approach when it comes to practicing and preparing for the situational judgment test.

This will often include a number of different factors.

Research the Employer 

Situational judgment tests are usually tailored to the needs of a specific employer or industry.

Because of this, it’s a good idea to start by researching the company you are applying to work for.

Consider their values and ethos. This will provide insight into the things they look for and value in employees.

Find Good Practice Tests 

There are plenty of free online situational judgment tests for you to choose from, but some will be better than others.

Free situational judgment practice tests are available from TestHQ along with answers and explanations.

This additional information can help you to see where your answers can be improved and offer insight into what an employer might be looking for.

Read the Questions Carefully

This might sound obvious, but practicing reading questions carefully can help you from making easily avoidable mistakes.

Make sure you fully understand what a question is asking of you before answering it.

Trust Your Instincts

It’s easy to second-guess yourself in test situations, but often your gut feeling about a question will be the right one.

Take a Practice Test Under Timed Conditions

Situational judgment tests are administered under strictly timed conditions. Practicing under similar conditions with free SJT tests will help you to answer both quickly and accurately. 

This will mean you are more likely to complete the test within the time limit and have a better chance of performing to the best of your ability.

Manage Your Anxiety

If you feel stressed or anxious about tests, it’s a good idea to find techniques that work to alleviate these symptoms. 

Mindfulness and breathing techniques can be useful, but you may need to try a few different methods before finding one that works for you. Alleviating feelings of anxiety can improve focus, response times and judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a situational judgment test (SJT)?

Situational judgment tests are psychological aptitude tests that are designed to assess an individual's judgment and problem-solving skills.

Where can I find free SJT practice tests?

There are several websites offering free situational judgment practice tests and sample questions. TestHQ offers free SJT practice tests and answers, as well as explanations and additional tips for improving your performance.

What types of questions are on a situational judgment test?

Situational judgment tests contain a number of multiple choice questions that ask candidates how they would respond to hypothetical situations. There will usually be four potential responses to choose from. 

Many of these situations will be workplace-related and designed to assess skills such as problem solving and people skills. 

How can I improve my performance on an SJT?

One of the best ways to improve your performance is through the use of free situational judgment tests. TestHQ offers free practice situational judgment tests with explanations and insight to help you familiarize yourself with the assessment and improve your performance.

Are all SJTs the same across industries?

No. Although all situational judgment tests measure similar things, different employers will be looking for different traits within their employees. This means that tests are tailored to the individual needs of the company using them. 

Questions may be made more specific for a particular industry, or answers may be scored differently depending on the characteristics an employer is looking for.

Final Thoughts

If you have been asked to complete a situational judgment test as part of a recruitment process, you will want to make sure you perform to the best of your ability on the day. Your answers will help employers decide whether or not to move your application to the next stage of the process.

Taking the time to work through free situational judgment tests under timed conditions will mean you are familiar with the format of the test and style of questions. You will be able to tailor your responses by thinking about what your potential employer is looking for in their staff, and considering how well your responses match with this ethos.

Simple steps can help to improve your chance of success and mean you’re one step further along the path towards your dream career.