Smashing The Situational Strengths Test

In some application processes, you may have to complete a situational strengths test. In this article in my “Journey to Becoming a Degree Apprentice” series, I will be answering these questions you may have:

?? What is a situational strengths test?

?? What tips do you have for situational strengths tests?

?? How could a situational strengths test benefit me?

?? What is a Situational Strengths Test?

In an application process, the company may be looking for how you would react in given situations, as well as your literacy and numeracy skills. All of these questions may be in multiple choice, meaning you may rank situations for the situational strengths questions and select what you consider to be the correct answer for literacy and numeracy questions. This stage in the application process will be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the company and the situations you could be in if you do an apprenticeship with them, as well as them getting to know you!

?? What Tips Do You Have For Situational Strengths Tests?

·      ?? Have a Positive Mindset

Don’t feel that this stage is a “test” as such – I know that there are negative connotations around that word – consider it as an opportunity for the company to get to know you more so they can see the skills and values you have that would fit well in their company, such as being a team-player and skilled communicator, it’s not testing your knowledge! As I mentioned above it is also an opportunity for you to find out about the situations you could be in during the apprenticeship!

·      ? Practice Questions

Since the company could be looking at your literacy and numeracy skills in a situational strengths test, I would recommend practising these skills beforehand. https://www.assessmentday.co.uk/ has some examples of some literacy and numeracy tests and try to find opportunities in everyday life where you can practise the skills as well. I personally didn’t do much preparation in terms of literacy and numeracy skills prior to the situational strengths test I did, and I hadn’t done much maths since I left school, so I didn’t feel completely confident when I was completing these questions as I was questioning myself on whether or not I was actually doing what I was doing correctly! Perhaps doing some preparation beforehand on literacy and numeracy could have made me feel a bit more secure over those questions.

The website also has some examples of situational strengths tests, perhaps look through these and see if you can find anymore online so you get an understanding of what you might be asked. I did this because I like to have an idea of what to expect! If you do some Googling (or whatever floats your boat ??), you may find more information about the company’s situational strengths tests, but don’t expect exact questions!

·      ? Time

The situational strengths test may or may not be timed, so make sure you find this out! Either way, make sure to not rush through any of the questions as you need to make sure you have fully understood them to ensure that you have represented yourself truly in a situational-based question, or that you’ve given the correct answer for a literacy or numeracy-based question. Be careful not to spend too much time on a single question either, especially if the test is timed! There’s no point getting to bogged down with a single question and then rushing through the others because there isn’t enough time. If there is a time-limit, look at the amount of time you have and the number of questions, and perhaps allocate some time to review your answers if this is possible. Try not to go over the amount of time you have allocated for each question.

·      ?? Stay Calm

I remember how anxious I was about completing the situational strengths test as I really wanted to prove I was the right candidate for the company and land the offer, and I recall there were times where I massively overthought questions because of this. Make sure you’re in an environment where it is quiet and there are no distractions and try to be calm about it. Remember to breathe! It’s not as scary as you think and all you can do is do your best!

Just. Be. You!

?? How Could a Situational Strengths Test Benefit Me?

The company may give you feedback on the situational strengths test, and this could be useful because you may have a reminder of your strengths, and perhaps ways you can stretch those skills further, which you could use for other application processes and help you to grow as a person! Hence why you should be completely honest with your answers in one of these – don’t get bogged down with what you think they would want you to say, because there aren’t any right or wrong answers!

If the company doesn’t give you feedback on the situational strengths test, no need to worry! Perhaps ask for feedback to give you an idea of what strengths they identified and advice on how you can improve them further. Asking for feedback shows you are taking your personal development seriously and looking for ways to improve, so don’t feel like you are being a hindrance!

One Final Note…

I hope this article has helped you if you are about to be doing a situational strengths test. I must admit, this article was the trickiest to write because what it really boils down to is you being honest with your answers and doing your best! Feel free to leave any questions or thoughts in the comments below. If you are an apprentice or employer, I would really appreciate it if you could leave any advice regarding this topic too!