EPSO Situational Judgement Tests: Know the Unknown
Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) are the most novel and unknown part of the new EPSO recruitment system, especially because they are labelled as "non-eliminatory", that is, you cannot fail them. So are they important at all? Absolutely. Let"s see why!What kind of tests are SJTs?
These tests include a short description of a work-related situation where you are asked to choose both the most effectiveÒ and least effective answer option. "Your head of unit plans to give you an extra task that is not in your job description. You are already overwhelmed with work and your next door colleague is known to have fewer tasks to complete. How do you react?", and you are offered four answers. Each of the four options is a viable course of action, but you are required to choose those that are the best and worst in your view.
Why do SJTs matter if I cannot fail them?
Each question and answer option refers to a so-called competency that EPSO wishes to test you on (see more on this below). The answers you provide offer an indication of your way of thinking and approaching a certain situation, therefore your personal competency profile can be established in a relatively reliable way. Given this "relative" reliability, situational judgement test results must be further fine-tuned and cross-checked, hence the Structured Interview in the Assessment Centre where the assessors are forming their questions on the basis of the report created from your SJT test answers. It is therefore crucial to provide honest answers that truly represent how you think given that you can be seriously downgraded in your performance at the Assessment Centre if you don"t take SJTs seriously enough.
What are the competencies EPSO wishes to test?
Based on a detailed job analysis of EU officials, EPSO, with the help of experts, created a list of 7+1 competencies that you need to possess in order to qualify for a job in any of the European Union institutions. These are the following: analysis and problem solving; communicating, delivering quality and results, learning and development; prioritising and organising; resilience; working with others and leadership (only for Administrators). The above example would fall into the "resilience" and the "prioritising and organising" competencies: your related competencies would be judged based on the course of action you choose
Isn"t simple common sense enough to prepare for SJTs?
It is vital to understand the meaning of each competency, the logic of the SJTs, the framework in which they operate in and some good methods to prepare for them. For instance, you should be able to quickly identify which competency a given question refers to, and this may be challenging if you are unaware of the detailed meaning of each skill set. Apart from the personal side, certain values that EU institutions consider as important should also serve as guidance when answering these tests. Only tests that were created by recruitment specialists will serve your preparation, since the trick is to map each situation to a specific skill feature that you are being evaluated on.Ò
I have all the competencies EPSO is looking for, why should I practice?
It is vital to understand that the aim of SJTs is to check whether you possess the above competencies, not to find out more about your personality. In this sense, you are measured against a pre-established set of criteria without anyone wishing to explore the inner layers of your personality. Because of this reason, knowing what will be expected of you and trying to make the most out of it can immensely help your scores. Getting a sample snapshot of your EPSO competencies before the exam can contribute to a much more conscious performance at the exam and it will also improve the overall impression you make. Remember: by the time you get to the Assessment Centre, it will be too late to revisit your situational judgement test, so better make the best of it while you can!