The HSBC Situational Judgement Test is a pre-employment CEB SHL assessment commonly given to applicants of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC). HSBC is an international banking group initially founded in British Hong Kong in 1865. The company is headquartered in London, England, with nearly 220,000 employees worldwide.
HSBC gives several assessments to candidates of all levels, including the situational judgement test (SJT). The SJT is typically given early in the hiring process and provides the company insight into how their candidates behave in workplace scenarios and how they would likely handle various workplace situations. The SJT is also a way to ensure that candidates’ values align with the company’s values.
The SJT simulates a workplace environment similar to what the candidate would experience during their role. The test will tailor the specific situation and questions to the person’s position so that the exam will apply to each candidate. For each question, the test-taker will receive a scenario that includes a workplace conflict, and the applicant will need to decide how to respond to the situation. Some issues that you may encounter include:
While the HSBC Situational Judgement Test can be given to candidates at any level, the most common use of the exam is in the Graduate Talent Screener. This assessment is given to current students applying for internships and recent graduates applying for entry-level positions.
Each question on this test will come with a text paragraph describing a situation you may encounter in your new role as an intern or recent graduate. You will then be given a few different courses of action that you may take, and you’ll have to find the most and least effective responses in the specific situation.
It is important to note that this exam is untimed, so you can take as much time as needed to figure out which answer would be the best and worst course of action.
To do better on the SJT, you can follow these tips:
The best way to prepare for the HSBC Situational Judgement Test is to take sample practice tests, work through example questions, and research test-taking tips online that you can use during the exam.
HSBC is looking for candidates who exhibit the behaviors required for the role and embody the company’s values. The company uses the situational judgement test to screen applicants that may not be a good fit for the position or the company.
To ensure that you move forward in the recruitment process, you must do well on the situational judgement test.
Online resources such as the full-length practice tests are a great tool because they give you a sense of what types of questions you will be asked. Though HSBC will tailor the test to the role for which you are applying, the style of the questions and how you want to approach the test will be similar to the practice exams.
Properly preparing for the assessment using these resources will significantly increase your chances of doing well on the exam.