Sky Situational Judgement Test

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Sky situational judgement test guide

The Sky situational judgement test may be part of the online assessment process for some Sky roles.

A situational judgement test, often shortened to SJT, presents realistic workplace scenarios and asks candidates to choose, rank, or rate possible responses.

Depending on the role, the test may assess how you respond to situations involving:

• customers
• colleagues
• teamwork
• deadlines
• communication
• feedback
• conflict
• mistakes
• ethical decisions
• competing priorities
• unclear instructions
• pressure
• role-specific challenges

The exact format depends on the role, business area, recruitment campaign, assessment provider, and application pathway.

Always follow the official instructions in your Sky recruitment email, assessment invitation, or candidate portal.

What is the Sky situational judgement test?

The Sky situational judgement test is designed to assess workplace judgement.

It may evaluate whether you can:

• choose professional responses
• prioritise effectively
• communicate clearly
• handle customers respectfully
• support colleagues
• act with integrity
• escalate issues appropriately
• stay calm under pressure
• take ownership
• respond constructively to feedback
• make balanced decisions

The test is not usually about memorising one “perfect” answer.

It is about showing judgement that fits the role and workplace context.

Related page:

• Sky Scenarios Test

Is the Sky situational judgement test used for every role?

No.

Sky assessments vary depending on the role.

A situational judgement test may be more common for roles involving:

• customer service
• teamwork
• graduate recruitment
• apprenticeships
• early careers pathways
• sales
• operations
• technical support
• leadership potential
• communication-heavy roles

Other roles may focus more on:

• numerical reasoning
• verbal reasoning
• logical reasoning
• behavioural assessment
• personality questionnaire
• video interview
• technical task
• assessment centre exercise

Your official assessment invitation is the source of truth.

What the Sky situational judgement test may assess

A Sky-style SJT may assess behaviours such as:

• customer focus
• communication
• collaboration
• ownership
• resilience
• adaptability
• integrity
• prioritisation
• problem-solving
• professionalism
• learning mindset
• emotional control
• commercial awareness
• respect for others

The strongest responses usually show balanced, practical judgement.

They are not overly passive, overly aggressive, dishonest, or unrealistic.

Common Sky situational judgement test formats

The Sky situational judgement test may use different response formats.

Choose the best response

You select the most effective action from several options.

Choose the worst response

You select the least effective or least professional action.

Rank the responses

You place responses from most effective to least effective.

Rate the responses

You rate each option on a scale, such as:

Very effective
Effective
Somewhat effective
Ineffective
Very ineffective

Select multiple responses

You choose more than one action that would be appropriate.

Scenario plus follow-up

You answer an initial scenario and then respond to a related follow-up question.

The exact format depends on the assessment platform.

How to approach Sky SJT questions

Use a structured approach.

Ask:

What is the main issue?
Who is affected?
What is urgent?
What action is professional?
What action is practical?
What information is missing?
Does this need communication?
Does this need escalation?
What protects the customer, team, and business?

A strong SJT answer usually balances:

Customer or stakeholder needs
+
Teamwork
+
Professional communication
+
Practical action
+
Integrity
+
Escalation when appropriate

Strong SJT responses

Strong responses usually involve:

• listening
• clarifying the situation
• staying calm
• communicating clearly
• taking responsibility where appropriate
• supporting colleagues
• following process
• considering the customer impact
• escalating serious issues
• solving the immediate problem
• preventing repeat issues where possible

Weak SJT responses

Weak responses usually involve:

• ignoring the problem
• blaming others
• hiding mistakes
• making unrealistic promises
• breaking rules
• escalating every minor issue
• refusing responsibility
• reacting emotionally
• acting without enough information
• failing to communicate
• focusing only on what is easiest for you

A weak answer may sound confident but still be poor judgement.

Customer-focused SJT questions

Customer scenarios may test empathy, communication, and ownership.

Example scenario:

A customer is frustrated because they were told they would receive an update yesterday, but no one contacted them. You were not responsible for the original update, but the customer is now speaking to you.

A strong response would usually:

• acknowledge the customer’s frustration
• avoid blaming another colleague
• check the available information
• explain what you can do next
• take ownership of the next step where appropriate
• escalate if needed

A weak response would be to say it is not your fault or to transfer the customer without explanation.

Teamwork SJT questions

Teamwork scenarios may test collaboration and communication.

Example scenario:

A teammate is struggling with part of a shared task. If the issue is not addressed, the team may miss the deadline.

A strong response would usually:

• speak to the teammate respectfully
• understand the problem
• offer support if appropriate
• keep the team objective in mind
• communicate early if the deadline is at risk

A weak response would be to ignore the problem, criticise the teammate publicly, or take over their work without discussion.

Prioritisation SJT questions

Prioritisation scenarios test whether you can decide what matters most.

Example scenario:

You have three tasks:

Task A: urgent customer issue due today
Task B: internal report due tomorrow
Task C: long-term project due next week

A strong response would usually prioritise Task A first because it is urgent and customer-related, while communicating about the other tasks if needed.

Good prioritisation considers:

• urgency
• impact
• customer effect
• deadline
• risk
• dependency on others
• business importance

Communication SJT questions

Communication scenarios may test whether you can handle unclear information.

Example scenario:

You receive a task with unclear instructions. The deadline is close.

A strong response would usually:

• review the instructions
• identify what is unclear
• ask for clarification promptly
• continue with safe parts of the task if possible
• communicate if the deadline may be affected

A weak response would be to guess, delay silently, or blame the instructions later.

Conflict SJT questions

Conflict scenarios test professionalism and emotional control.

Example scenario:

A colleague disagrees strongly with your suggestion during a group task.

A strong response would usually:

• listen to their reasoning
• explain your view calmly
• refer to the task objective
• compare options using evidence
• help the group reach a decision

A weak response would be to argue, withdraw completely, or make the disagreement personal.

Feedback SJT questions

Feedback scenarios test learning mindset.

Example scenario:

Your manager says your written updates are too long and difficult to scan quickly.

A strong response would usually:

• listen carefully
• ask what would be more useful
• thank them for the feedback
• adjust future updates
• focus on improving clarity

A weak response would be to argue, ignore the feedback, or stop communicating.

Mistake SJT questions

Mistake scenarios test honesty and ownership.

Example scenario:

You realise that you sent a report with an incorrect figure.

A strong response would usually:

• take responsibility
• assess the impact
• inform the relevant person
• correct the information
• explain the update clearly
• prevent the mistake from recurring

A weak response would be to hide the error or blame someone else.

Ethical SJT questions

Ethical scenarios test integrity.

Example scenario:

A colleague suggests leaving out negative information from a summary because it will make the team look better.

A strong response would usually:

• keep the summary accurate
• explain that the information should be presented fairly
• suggest adding context if useful
• escalate if the issue becomes serious

A weak response would be to hide or change information to protect appearances.

How to answer “best response” questions

For best-response questions, choose the option that is:

• professional
• practical
• fair
• calm
• customer-aware
• team-aware
• honest
• realistic
• appropriate to the role
• likely to solve or reduce the issue

Avoid answers that:

• ignore the issue
• overreact
• blame others
• avoid responsibility
• break rules
• escalate unnecessarily
• make promises you cannot keep

How to answer “worst response” questions

For worst-response questions, identify the option that is most harmful.

The worst option often involves:

• dishonesty
• ignoring the issue
• blaming others
• being rude
• breaking policy
• refusing to help
• hiding a mistake
• creating unnecessary conflict
• acting without information
• damaging the customer or team experience

Read carefully because the question may ask for the least effective response, not the best one.

How to rank SJT responses

When ranking responses, sort them by effectiveness.

Most effective

Usually involves:

• understanding the issue
• communicating professionally
• taking practical action
• following process
• escalating if needed
• protecting customer or team outcomes

Moderately effective

May help partly but has a weakness.

For example:

• helpful but incomplete
• action-focused but poor communication
• escalates too early
• solves the immediate issue but misses the root cause

Least effective

Usually involves:

• ignoring
• blaming
• hiding information
• acting dishonestly
• refusing to help
• reacting emotionally
• making the situation worse

How to avoid overthinking SJT questions

Do not invent hidden details.

Use only what the scenario gives you.

Avoid thinking:

Maybe the customer is exaggerating.
Maybe the colleague has a reason.
Maybe someone else already knows.
Maybe the deadline does not matter.
Maybe the policy is different.

If the scenario does not say this, do not base your answer on it.

Choose the best response based on the information provided.

Sky situational judgement practice resources

Candidates looking for additional preparation resources can use employer assessment practice platforms.

JobTestPrep provides Sky Assessment preparation materials, including situational judgement practice, scenario-based questions, and study resources.

Affiliate resource:

Practice Sky Assessment tests with JobTestPrep

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive a commission if you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you. JobTestPrep is an independent third-party preparation provider and does not guarantee the exact assessment content used by Sky.

These resources are preparation tools and are not official Sky recruitment content.

Sky situational judgement practice questions

The following practice questions are original examples.

They are not official Sky assessment questions.

Use them to practise workplace judgement.

Practice question 1: customer complaint

A customer says they were promised a callback yesterday, but no one contacted them. They are frustrated and want an immediate answer. You were not involved in the original conversation.

What is the best response?

A. Tell the customer it was not your fault
B. Apologise for the experience, check the details, and explain the next step you can take
C. Transfer the customer without explanation
D. Tell the customer to wait another day

Best answer

B

Explanation

This response shows empathy, ownership, and practical action.

Practice question 2: unclear instructions

Your manager gives you a task, but one part of the instruction is unclear. The deadline is later today.

What is the best response?

A. Guess what they meant and complete the task
B. Ignore the unclear part
C. Ask for clarification promptly and continue with any parts you can complete safely
D. Wait until the deadline passes

Best answer

C

Explanation

This avoids unnecessary delay while reducing the risk of doing the wrong work.

Practice question 3: colleague behind schedule

A colleague is behind on their part of a shared project. If nothing changes, the team may miss the deadline.

What is the best response?

A. Ignore it because it is not your responsibility
B. Criticise them in front of the group
C. Speak to them privately, understand the issue, and discuss how the team can stay on track
D. Take over their work without telling them

Best answer

C

Explanation

This response is collaborative, respectful, and focused on delivery.

Practice question 4: ethical reporting

A colleague suggests removing negative customer comments from a report because the team will look better without them.

What is the best response?

A. Remove the comments
B. Replace the negative comments with positive ones
C. Include a fair and accurate summary of the feedback
D. Delete all customer feedback

Best answer

C

Explanation

Accurate reporting is more professional than hiding relevant information.

Practice question 5: handling feedback

Your manager tells you that your updates are useful but too long.

What is the best response?

A. Argue that your updates are already clear
B. Stop sending updates
C. Ask what format would be more useful and adjust your future updates
D. Ignore the feedback

Best answer

C

Explanation

This response shows maturity, learning mindset, and practical improvement.

Practice question 6: no immediate answer

A customer asks a question and you do not know the answer.

What is the best response?

A. Make up an answer
B. Say you do not know and end the conversation
C. Explain that you will check the correct information and follow the appropriate process
D. Avoid responding

Best answer

C

Explanation

This response is honest and practical.

Practice question 7: competing deadlines

You have two deadlines at the same time. One task affects a customer today. The other is an internal update due tomorrow morning.

What is the best response?

A. Work on the internal update because it is easier
B. Prioritise the customer issue and communicate early if the internal update may be affected
C. Do nothing until someone asks
D. Try to complete both at the same time without planning

Best answer

B

Explanation

This response prioritises urgent customer impact while managing expectations.

Practice question 8: group disagreement

During a group exercise, two people disagree strongly and the discussion is losing focus.

What is the best response?

A. Take sides immediately
B. Stay silent
C. Suggest returning to the task objective and comparing the options using evidence
D. Tell both people to stop talking

Best answer

C

Explanation

This response is calm, structured, and helps the group make progress.

Practice question 9: mistake made

You realise that you sent an email containing an incorrect date for an important meeting.

What is the best response?

A. Ignore it and hope no one notices
B. Send a correction promptly and clearly explain the correct date
C. Blame the calendar system
D. Wait until someone else corrects it

Best answer

B

Explanation

This shows ownership and prevents confusion.

Practice question 10: adapting to change

Your team is asked to use a new system. You find it unfamiliar and slower at first.

What is the best response?

A. Refuse to use it
B. Keep using the old process without permission
C. Use the training resources, practise, and ask for help if needed
D. Complain but make no effort to learn it

Best answer

C

Explanation

This response shows adaptability and willingness to learn.

Practice question 11: ranking responses

Scenario:

A customer is unhappy because their issue has been passed between teams. They are now speaking to you and want a clear update.

Rank the responses from most effective to least effective.

A. Listen to the customer, check the available information, explain what you can do next, and escalate if needed
B. Tell the customer another team is responsible and end the conversation
C. Apologise for the experience but make no attempt to check the issue
D. Blame the previous team for not resolving it

Suggested ranking

1. A
2. C
3. B
4. D

Explanation

A is strongest because it combines empathy, information gathering, practical action, and appropriate escalation.

C shows empathy but lacks action.

B avoids ownership.

D is unprofessional and unhelpful.

Practice question 12: rate effectiveness

Scenario:

You notice that a teammate is repeatedly missing details in shared work.

Response:

Speak to them privately, ask if they need support, and suggest a way to check the work before submission.

How effective is this response?

Suggested rating

Very effective

Explanation

The response is respectful, supportive, and focused on improving the work.

How to prepare for the Sky situational judgement test

Use a structured preparation approach.

Step 1: Review the role description

Understand what the role may require.

Look for responsibilities involving:

• customers
• teamwork
• deadlines
• communication
• technical problem-solving
• learning
• sales
• support
• operations
• collaboration

SJT answers should fit the role context.

Step 2: Practise common workplace themes

Practise scenarios involving:

• customer complaints
• team conflict
• unclear instructions
• competing deadlines
• mistakes
• feedback
• ethical decisions
• new systems
• pressure
• communication challenges

Step 3: Learn strong response patterns

Strong responses often follow this structure:

Clarify
↓
Communicate
↓
Act
↓
Escalate if needed
↓
Follow up

Step 4: Review weak options

Do not only learn the best answer.

Understand why weak answers are weak.

This improves judgement across new scenarios.

Step 5: Practise with timing

After you understand the format, practise under time pressure.

Use this sequence:

Untimed scenario practice
↓
Light timing
↓
Full timing
↓
Mixed SJT practice
↓
Assessment-style practice

Common Sky SJT mistakes

Avoid these mistakes:

• choosing the most extreme response
• choosing the most passive response
• ignoring the customer
• ignoring the team
• escalating every small issue
• never escalating serious issues
• blaming others
• hiding mistakes
• making unrealistic promises
• focusing only on what is easiest
• failing to read the full scenario
• confusing “best” with “fastest”
• confusing “worst” with “least friendly”
• relying on leaked or unauthorized content

Strong SJT answers are professional, practical, and balanced.

One-week Sky SJT preparation plan

If your assessment is in one week, focus on common judgement patterns.

Day 1: Learn the format

Review best-response, worst-response, ranking, and rating questions.

Day 2: Customer scenarios

Practise complaints, unclear questions, and frustrated customers.

Day 3: Teamwork scenarios

Practise colleague support, conflict, and shared deadlines.

Day 4: Prioritisation scenarios

Practise urgent tasks, customer impact, and deadline management.

Day 5: Ethics and mistakes

Practise honesty, ownership, escalation, and reporting issues.

Day 6: Timed mixed practice

Complete a timed SJT-style practice set.

Day 7: Review and rest

Review mistake patterns, check official instructions, and avoid over-cramming.

Two-week Sky SJT preparation plan

If you have two weeks, prepare more gradually.

Days 1–2: Understand SJT principles

Learn what strong and weak responses look like.

Days 3–4: Customer judgement

Practise empathy, ownership, and practical communication.

Days 5–6: Teamwork and conflict

Practise collaboration, disagreement, and group decision-making.

Days 7–8: Prioritisation and pressure

Practise deadlines, urgent tasks, and workload decisions.

Days 9–10: Ethics, mistakes, and feedback

Practise honesty, responsibility, and learning mindset.

Days 11–12: Timed practice

Complete assessment-style SJT sets.

Days 13–14: Final review

Review weak areas, official instructions, and test-day strategy.

Test-day tips for the Sky situational judgement test

Before the test:

• read the official instructions
• check the deadline
• understand the response format
• use a quiet environment
• test your internet connection
• close distractions
• start with enough time
• prepare identification if required

During the test:

• read the whole scenario
• identify the main issue
• consider customer, colleague, team, and business impact
• avoid extreme responses
• choose practical professional action
• manage time
• stay consistent
• move on if unsure

After the test:

• wait for official communication
• do not share protected assessment content
• prepare for possible next stages

Ethical preparation

Prepare ethically.

Avoid:

• leaked Sky SJT questions
• copied confidential materials
• unauthorized answer keys
• exact test replica claims
• using AI during the assessment unless explicitly allowed
• sharing protected assessment content
• pretending to be someone else

Use practice resources to improve your judgement, not to bypass the recruitment process.

What to verify officially

Before taking the Sky situational judgement test, verify:

• assessment deadline
• test platform
• whether SJT questions are included
• question format
• time limits
• technical requirements
• webcam or microphone requirements
• identification requirements
• reasonable adjustment process
• result communication process
• next recruitment stages

If this guide conflicts with official Sky recruitment instructions, follow the official source.

Bottom line

The Sky situational judgement test may assess how you respond to workplace situations involving customers, colleagues, deadlines, mistakes, feedback, conflict, ethics, and communication.

The best preparation strategy is to practise realistic scenarios, understand what makes responses effective or ineffective, focus on professional judgement, and use ethical preparation resources.