Is the strategic thinking test hard?

It is moderately difficult for those who would be applying for roles that require significant strategic thinking. This often means more senior positions so junior or early career professionals may find the test difficult.

What is strategic thinking?

Strategic thinking is the ability to analyze complex situations, identify long-term goals, and develop innovative approaches to achieve those goals. It involves a forward-looking, holistic mindset that considers various factors, anticipates future challenges, and adapts to changing circumstances to achieve desired outcomes.

When should I use a strategic thinking test?

When strategic thinking is critical to a job, its associated hiring process benefits from this test being used in an early stage. This limits the candidate pool down to those who have the required skills for further evaluation, saving time and improving the quality of hire.

Can I pair the strategic thinking test with other tests?

Yes, we recommend that you use a few (3-5) different tests together to provide a more holistic profile of each candidate. For example, pairing a soft skills test like strategic thinking with numerical reasoning and our HEXACO personality test would comprehensively assess candidates for a financial advisor position.

See how candidates connect decisions to the bigger picture.

Explore how candidates approach strategic thinking at work. Use the same questions to compare their judgement and focus your interviews.

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Alex MorganStrategic Thinking profile

Completed

JUDGEMENT BY TOPIC

See how they approach it.

Explore strengths and the topics to discuss further.

Long-term prioritiesStrong judgement

Evaluating informationSound judgement

Considering wider effectsExplore further

The judgement behind the response.
A conversation you can focus.

WHAT THE TEST EXPLORES

Workplace judgement, made visible.

Explore candidates’ choices before you ask how they would put them into practice.

8questions10minutesSituational judgementquestion format

Long-term priorities

Consider how candidates approach the situation.

Evaluating information

Explore the judgement behind their choices.

Considering wider effects

Focus a follow-up conversation on their response.

A RANGE OF DIFFICULTY

One test. Different abilities.

Explore different situations and the judgement behind each choice.

The Strategic Thinking test presents workplace situations to explore candidates’ responses. Use the results to shape follow-up questions about relevant experience.

TESTS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES

English, plus 13 languages.

Assess candidates in the language they work in.

English
Chinese (simplified)
Japanese
Korean
Thai
Vietnamese
Indonesian
French
German
Spanish
Portuguese
Italian
Dutch
Arabic

Languages available across our test suite. Options vary by test and level.

TRY AN EXAMPLE QUESTION

Try a Strategic Thinking question.

Explore a workplace situation and consider the available responses. The full test uses a consistent set of situations to help you compare candidates’ judgement.

Strategic ThinkingWorkplace scenario

You are the CEO of a software development company, and your flagship product, which was once highly popular, has been losing market share to competitors. You are facing a critical decision about the product's future.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE

Using Strategic Thinking in recruitment.

What does the Strategic Thinking test assess?

The Strategic Thinking test presents workplace situations involving long-term priorities, evaluating information and considering wider effects. Candidates consider possible responses, giving you a consistent starting point for exploring their judgement and the reasoning behind their choices.

How can you use the Strategic Thinking results?

Use the Strategic Thinking results to focus follow-up questions on the situations that matter for your role. Ask candidates to explain a choice and describe a relevant experience. Their selected responses provide discussion points; they do not establish how someone will act in every real situation.

Which situations matter for your role?

LeadershipConnecting decisions to longer-term priorities.
Business planningConsidering wider effects and available information.
ManagementExplaining a response to a changing business situation.

SEE THE RESULTS FOR YOURSELF

See the person behind the score.

Explore a complete sample report, from test results and candidate comparisons to focused interview questions.

View sample report

Skills breakdownCandidate comparisonInterview prompts

BEFORE YOU START

Your Strategic Thinking questions, answered.

Does the Strategic Thinking test show how someone will behave at work?

It shows how candidates choose to respond to workplace situations. A selected response does not establish how they will behave in real work. Ask for a relevant example at interview.

Which Strategic Thinking topics should matter for my role?

Start with the work the person will do. This page covers long-term priorities, evaluating information, considering wider effects. Decide which of those areas matter for your role before reviewing results, and explore any specialist requirements separately.

Can I combine Strategic Thinking with other tests?

Yes. Add Strategic Thinking alongside other relevant tests in one assessment. Choose the combination for your role and review the total time before inviting candidates.

Can I assess real candidates for free?

Yes. Create your account, build an assessment and invite candidates. Your first 5 candidate results are free. No credit card is required.

What happens after my free results?

You pay per candidate result you unlock, rather than per test. There is no subscription or annual commitment. Check the pricing page for current rates.

How should I use the Strategic Thinking results?

Compare results against the knowledge or ability your role needs. Use them to focus interviews and practical tasks, alongside relevant experience. A test score should not decide who you hire on its own.

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