Although 10 minutes does not feel like a lot of time, with lots of practice it shouldn't be an issue because the answers come naturally
What are situational judgement tests?
Situational judgement tests are designed to examine your ability to deal with everyday workplace challenges.
When you take the test, you’ll be faced with a series of different problems or scenarios. Your job is to select the most appropriate answer, or show ‘what you would do’ so employers can get a better sense of how well you’ll fit into the firm you’ve applied for.
The main skills you’ll need to show are good communication, commercial awareness, relationship building and teamwork.
Why do employers use situational judgement tests?
Situational judgement tests are probably the most widely used aptitude test by employers. Why? Because they are a great way to test a candidate’s reactions to commonplace work challenges.
The legal sector is highly competitive to break into, so employers will use this test as part of the hiring process, to ensure they're filtering out any candidates who don’t have the necessary competencies to succeed in the role.
What is the situational judgement test format?
In the test you’ll respond to each scenario from a choice of possible answers. It’s important to read the question carefully and try to determine what skills you’re being tested on.
While your gut reaction is important, you also need to think about the kind of firm you’ve applied for and the competencies your new employer is going to want to see.
You won’t have very long to answer each question, so we recommend practising situational judgement tests before the big day.
What skills does situational judgement test?
Everything from relationship building and communication, to analytical and creative thinking, emotional intelligence and common sense.
Some of the scenarios may seem obvious, suggesting your skills in this areas are already developed, but some may not be so obvious - and those are the areas you need to work on.
With a legal career in mind, it’s important you consider the competencies, skills and values most firms are going to want you to showcase.
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Sample Situational Judgement Test question Test your knowledge!
Score: /5
A client is insisting on an unrealistic deadline. Despite your explanation, they do not understand the time required to ensure quality. How do you proceed?
- Agree to the deadline to keep the client happy, hoping you can meet it by then.
- Refuse to commit to the deadline and recommend they find another service provider.
- Offer a compromise with a more realistic deadline and explain the benefits for the project quality.
- Ignore the client’s request and follow the original timeline.
During a project meeting, you notice two team members have conflicting ideas about the project's direction. The conflict starts to escalate and disrupt the meeting. How do you handle the situation?
- Allow them to resolve their differences on their own.
- Intervene and suggest taking a break before continuing the discussion.
- Direct the conversation back to the meeting agenda and offer to discuss their issues after the meeting.
- Ask the team to vote on the ideas to quickly resolve the conflict.
- Tell them such behavior is unacceptable and ask them to leave the meeting.
Your manager assigns you an urgent task that needs to be completed by the end of the day, but you already have a full workload. What is your response?
- Immediately start working on the urgent task, even if it means staying late.
- Communicate your current workload to your manager and ask for priorities.
- Decline the task, citing your current commitments.
- Delegate the task to a less busy colleague without consulting your manager.
You've noticed that one of your colleagues has been taking credit for your ideas in meetings. What action do you take?
- Confront the colleague in public to embarrass them into confessing.
- Start sharing your ideas through email before meetings to leave a paper trail.
- Stop sharing ideas in meetings to prevent further occurrences.
- Report the incident to HR without speaking to the colleague first.
You are leading a presentation when you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to. What do you do?
- Attempt to provide an answer that seems plausible but you are unsure about.
- Deflect the question by changing the subject.
- Acknowledge you do not know the answer and promise to follow up after the presentation.
- Suggest the person asking the question should look up the information themselves.
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Caitlin used Law Tests to help her secure a position at Allen & Overy
Situational Judgement Test Tips
- Understand the Scenario
Before you answer, take a moment to fully understand the situation presented to you. Remember, situational judgement tests are all about context. Putting yourself in the shoes of the role you're applying for can give you clarity and help you choose the most appropriate response.
- Think Company Culture
For each scenario in the test, consider the company's values and the role's responsibilities. Recruiters are looking for candidates whose decision-making skills are in line with their organizational culture. Reflecting the company's philosophy in your answers can make a positive impact.
- Balance Speed with Deliberation
While you want to work efficiently through the questions, don't rush. Rapid answers might lead to mistakes. Give each scenario the thought it deserves, but also be mindful of not spending too much time on one question. A rhythmic approach can help you pace yourself correctly.
- Stay Calm and Positive
An excellent way to showcase your professional demeanor is to stay calm under pressure, which these tests often simulate. Maintain a positive outlook as you work through the exam to better reflect the attributes of a composed and strategic thinker.
- Review and Reflect
After completing a practice exam on Law Tests, take the time to review your answers. Reflect on the justification for each of your choices and consider alternative approaches. This will deepen your understanding and improve your situational judgement for the actual assessment.
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Situational Judgement Test FAQs
- How are situational judgement tests scored?
Your answers will be grouped according to the skill that’s being tested. Then, the overall picture of your results will be compared to a set of people already successfully instated in the role you’re applying for - a strong overlap in results suggests you’ll also be a good fit for the role you’re applying for.
- What are situational judgement tests used for?
The test can help an employer determine whether you have the right balance of skills needed for the legal job you’ve applied for. It’s also a good indication of what you’re going to be like as an employee, and whether you share the same values as the company you want to work for.
- What do situational judgement tests involve?
The test will involve different workplace challenges and a series of possible responses to that challenge. The response you select will indicate how you think and whether you’re likely to be a good fit for the company you’re applying to.
- What do situational judgement tests measure?
The tests measure skills as diverse as creative thinking and analytical problem solving. The simulated situations offer employers a chance to scrutinise your skills in more detail before offering you a job.
- Where can I practice situational judgement tests?
We have many practice situational judgement tests that you can work through. On the site you’ll also find handy hints and tips and advice on how to prepare yourself for the test.
- Which employers use situational judgement tests?
Situational judgement tests are used across multiple sectors. In the legal world, the tests help employers pick the best candidates and the candidates that are likely to succeed in the face of everyday legal challenges.
Reviews
What our customers say about our Situational Judgement Tests
Anamta Ali
United Kingdom
November 22, 2022
The timing
syifa afiani
Indonesia
November 25, 2022
This trial might help a lot of people to prepare for the real test
This trial test was very useful in many ways. I hope at least there will be 2 free tests but so far 1 is enough to give you a big picture of how the test will go.
syifa afiani
Indonesia
November 25, 2022
Take this test for some tips
These tests are very helpful for a fresh graduate with no experience like me to get a bigger picture of how difficult the real tests are.
Prianka Saha
United Kingdom
December 05, 2022
timed
it's a short test but you are timed and some texts are long so you have to be a fast reader and answer as quickly as possible
Rebeca Burtea
United Kingdom
April 25, 2023
Very helpful SJT test
I have found this test very helpful as it is composed from various scenarios where critical thinking is required.
JOSH AKERMAN
United Kingdom
November 03, 2023
This is a really good way to start thinking professionally
I liked how some of the options for answering the questions weren't necessarily obvious at first glance, you really had to think about them. Some of the questions had multiple answers that could have worked, I think.
Brono bross
India
November 03, 2023
The most important thing I learnt during this test was workplace behaviour.
I liked how this test assessed how we will behave in generic workplace situations that can arise any time in our like of work and disliked how the options to resolve them appeared limited.
Iliana Fragkiadaki
United Kingdom
July 02, 2024
Thought-provoking
I liked that the test provided answers that were all equally plausible and reaosnable but you had to identify the subtle nuances within all the options.
Elaine
United Kingdom
October 28, 2024
Thinking outside of the box it getting ahead
Good selection of reasonable answers that made sense. Questions reflective of real life situations Questionnaire is a manageable size
Gianluca Getchev
United Kingdom
December 17, 2024
The firm's values
I really appreciated how the practice test was very challenging as more options were equally valid and allowed me to pay more attention to the specific details of it and carefully choose the correct answer.