SJTs present a workplace problem and ask you to judge responses. Learn how they are generally keyed and a calm way to reason about each option.
SJT answers are usually compared with a key that experts agreed in advance, so the aim is to judge which responses are more and less effective in the workplace described. Read the instruction carefully, since formats vary between choosing best and worst and rating every option. Assess each option on its own merits and think about consequences.
A situational judgement test describes a realistic work problem and lists possible responses. You decide which response is most effective, which is least effective, or how effective each one would be. The scenarios may be text, short video, or a mix, according to the public guidance of the UK Civil Service, which uses the format in its own tests.
This guide is about the reasoning side of SJTs, the part that looks like any other judgement task. It does not cover personality questionnaires, and ReasonEra does not cover those either.
Scoring methods differ between tests, and the exact key is almost never published. Public descriptions of the field agree on a few broad approaches.
| Approach | How it works in general |
|---|---|
| Expert judgement | A group of experts decides which responses are best, and candidates gain credit for matching or approaching that view. |
| Expert versus novice | Items are scored in the direction in which experienced people differ from inexperienced people. |
| Target scoring | The test author sets the correct answer. |
| Consensual scoring | Each option scores according to how many people choose it. |
The first approach is the one most often described for employer tests: experts propose effective and less effective responses, and a separate group ranks them. Higher-ranked options earn more credit. This is a general description based on public sources listed below, not a statement about any specific employer or publisher, and a specific test may use a different method.
| Format | What you do | Reasoning focus |
|---|---|---|
| Best and worst | Choose the most and least effective response from a list | Compare options against each other and find extremes |
| Rank order | Put all responses in order of effectiveness | Place every option relative to the others |
| Rate each option | Give each action a rating on a scale | Judge every action independently |
| Choose the best one | Select a single most appropriate response | Find the response that best resolves the situation |
The UK Civil Service Judgement Test is a public example of the rating format. According to its official guidance as of 12 October 2026, you rate four actions per scenario as counterproductive, ineffective, fairly effective or effective. The guidance says to judge each action separately, and that more than one action can get the same rating. Other tests use best and worst or ranking instead, so read your own instructions.
Reading across public descriptions and practice material, effective responses in workplace scenarios tend to share a few features. These are patterns in reasoning, not a promise about any particular key.
Employers also differ in what they value, which is why the same scenario can be keyed differently from one test to another. If the employer publishes its values or competency framework, reading it tells you what the scenarios are probably measuring.
This is an original scenario with a reasoned rating on the four-point effectiveness scale used in the public Civil Service example. The ratings below are my reasoning, not an official key.
Scenario. You notice a colleague has sent a client a report with a wrong total. The client has not yet acted on it. Your manager is away until tomorrow.
| Action | Reasoned rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tell your colleague about the error so they can correct it with the client | Effective | Direct, quick, proportionate and keeps the client informed. |
| Wait until your manager returns tomorrow and mention it then | Ineffective | The client may act on the wrong figure in the meantime. |
| Quietly correct the file on the shared drive and say nothing | Counterproductive | The client still holds the wrong version and your colleague learns nothing. |
| Email the client yourself with the corrected total, copying your colleague | Fairly effective | It fixes the issue but bypasses your colleague, who owns the client relationship. |
Notice that two options could reasonably be debated. That is normal. The reasoning, not a memorised answer, is what carries over to other scenarios.
ReasonEra covers situational judgement as one of its supported question types across 50+ tests. Upload a screenshot of a practice scenario from a free sample or your own study set, and Tutor Explanation sets out the reasoning for each option, so you can compare it with yours. A free account gives 3 free trials, then a 14-Day Pass costs 49 € for unlimited use. If an employer process also includes a questionnaire about working style, ReasonEra does not cover that part.
You can also try the free situational judgement practice test, which has 10 original questions with explanations.
Employers and test publishers change their processes, so rely on your own invitation where it differs.
This tool is meant for the weeks before an assessment, but conditions for a real test are set by the employer and are often strict, so ask the recruiter if anything is unclear.
Most are compared with a key built from expert judgement about which responses are more or less effective, though methods vary by test. The exact key is usually not published.
In best and worst you pick the most and least effective option from a list, while in rating you judge each option separately on a scale. Read the instruction carefully because the same scenario can be asked either way.
In rating formats the official Civil Service guidance says you can give more than one action the same rating. Check the instructions for your own test.
Each item has a keyed answer or ranking, but the key reflects expert judgement and can differ between tests and employers. Reasoning about consequences is a more reliable guide than memorising rules.
Yes, by practising scenarios and reviewing why options rate higher or lower. Knowing the format and the employer's published values helps you read each scenario more calmly.
Upload a practice question and compare the reasoning with your own. A free account starts you with three trials.
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Notes. The details above were taken from pages anyone can read, as listed above. This page was written by ReasonEra without involvement from the organisations it mentions.