How the Amberjack situational judgement test works
Amberjack’s assessment, which BDO runs as its High Potential Assessment, mixes situational judgement questions with verbal and numerical ones in one sitting. The situational questions are set at work: a clash of deadlines, a mistake you spot, a colleague who needs help. Each is reported to have four responses, and you mark one Most effective and another Least effective.
Amberjack measures potential on four pillars: Grit (drive, agility and resilience), Creative Force, Applied Intellect and Digital Mindset. The situational and behavioural items cover all four. There is no clock, but responses are time recorded rather than time limited. BDO’s version, the High Potential Assessment, takes about 30 minutes.
The assessment can also include short video answers, reviewed by an assessor. Not every employer uses them, so check your invitation. BDO sends every candidate an automated feedback report afterwards.
How to pick Most and Least effective
Treat each scenario as your first few months in the job:
- Find the real problem: a deadline at risk, a customer let down, a colleague struggling. The best response deals with that, not a side issue.
- Most effective is usually the response that acts now, tells the right people, and keeps the work moving.
- Least effective is usually the one that hides a problem, lets others down without warning, or breaks a commitment.
- Prefer asking for a quick decision from the right person over guessing, and over escalating everything.
- Look for the four pillars: owning a setback, trying a better way, thinking it through, and using technology sensibly all score well.
Worked example
You are a trainee. Your team lead has asked for client slides by 3 pm. At 1 pm another manager asks you to drop everything to proofread a report due at 4 pm. A. Tell the second manager about your 3 pm deadline and ask your team lead which should come first. B. Agree to both and send the slides half-finished without saying anything. C. Do the proofreading first because that manager is more senior. D. Turn the second manager down without explaining.
Most effective: A. It is open about the clash and gets a decision from the person who owns your priorities. Least effective: B. It lets down both people and hides the problem until it is too late to fix. C and D are poor, but each at least keeps one piece of work on track.
Tips for the real Amberjack SJT
- There is no time limit, but your time is recorded and is reported to count. Read carefully, then decide; do not linger.
- Most and Least are separate judgements. Choose the worst response on its own merits, not as the opposite of your best.
- You reportedly cannot go back, so settle each answer before moving on.
- Do the employer’s practice assessment if you are offered one, so the screens are familiar on the day.
- Keep a quiet hour free. The scenarios are followed by verbal and numerical emails in the same sitting, and possibly video questions.
Practise the Amberjack SJT on CogniPrep
Our Situational Judgement (Most and Least) test is 12 workplace scenarios with four responses each. You mark one Most effective and a different one Least effective, and each half is marked on its own. There is no clock, but your time is recorded, as on the real test, and there is no back button or skip. Your result comes with a breakdown across Amberjack’s four pillars, so you can see where your judgement is strongest and weakest.