Situational Judgement Test Practice Scenarios

Presented below are five scenarios that offer an insight into the types of
scenarios you may be presented with as part of the full Situational Judgement
Test. Each of the example scenarios below aims to test one or more of the ability
areas that are sought in Graduate and Apprentice applicants to RBS. As part of
your preparation, you may find it useful to work through these examples in order
to:

familiarise yourself with how to complete the SJT

better understand the ability areas that we seek
gain insight into how your style of working might lead you to respond to
the various situations and challenges, and the extent to which this aligns
to the way we work at RBS

Before you begin to work through the example scenarios, please ensure that you
have read the SJT guidance information. This explains the purpose of the SJT and
provides some guidance about how to respond.
Remember that you are required to rate each response option in terms of its
appropriateness, using the following rating scale:
o

An option is very appropriate if it is a very good thing to do in response to

the scenario

An option is appropriate if it is something that is, overall, a good thing to do

in response to the scenario

An option is inappropriate if it is something that is, overall, not a good thing

to do in response to the scenario

An option is very inappropriate if it is something that should definitely not

be done in response to the scenario

Situational Judgement Test Guidance

The RBS Early Careers Situational Judgement Test (SJT) measures your capacity
to understand realistic situations you may be presented with whilst working at
RBS and your ability to identify appropriate behaviour in dealing with them.
The SJT will present you with a set of hypothetical scenarios which you could find
yourself facing within RBS. Although the situations within the scenarios may not
necessarily be representative of the programme for which you are applying, the
key attributes that are targeted within each scenario have been identified as
being relevant to all RBS Early Careers graduates and apprentices.
For each scenario, please assume that you are a newly recruited RBS graduate if
you are applying to the graduate programme, and a newly recruited RBS
apprentice if you are applying to the apprentice programme. Please assume that
you have been working within RBS for the past three months. You will be asked
to read each scenario carefully, and you will then be asked to make choices
about a series of options in response to the scenario.
You will be asked to rate the appropriateness of each of the options in
response to the scenario, based on one of the four rating options below:

An option is very appropriate if it is a very good thing to do in response to

the scenario

An option is appropriate if it is something that is, overall, a good thing to do

in response to the scenario

An option is inappropriate if it is something that is, overall, not a good thing

to do in response to the scenario

An option is very inappropriate if it is something that should definitely not

be done in response to the scenario

Within a single scenario, each rating can be used more than once or not at
all. For example, all response options can be given the same rating of very
appropriate if you feel that these are the correct ratings, or all response options
could be given the same rating of very inappropriate.
You should consider the responses in relation to what you should do, given the
circumstances.
Each response option should be treated independently; you should make
a judgement as to the appropriateness of a particular response option
independent from the other options.
The response options within each scenario provided are not intended to
represent all possible options; it may well be that the response you think would
be the most appropriate in that particular situation is not present. That is fine;
we are just asking you to make a judgement about the options that are provided.
For some scenarios, you may think that there are several actions that you should
take. You should make a judgement about a particular response regardless of
whether it is the only thing you should do. For example, if you have made a
mistake on a piece of work, you should try to rectify it, and you should apologise.
Even though apologising is not enough on its own to rectify the situation, it is still
a correct thing to do.
Please be aware that a response option may be judged as appropriate even if it
does not fully address the immediate situation (e.g. After the problem has been
resolved, discuss ways the problem can be avoided in the future).
Try and respond to all of the items; you are not negatively marked for incorrect
answers.

Example Scenario One

At RBS, we take an open minded approach to opportunities and challenges, and
we look for graduates and apprentices who are inquisitive and motivated to
learn.
Applicants who score well on this scenario will demonstrate an approach that is
open to feedback and a keenness to learn and improve.

Applicants who score less well on this scenario may not take full advantage of
learning opportunities and may find it more difficult to make positive use of
criticism that they may receive.
Scenario: Since joining RBS you have been working on a new product called
SimpleBank that will improve the way customers do their banking online. You
have been given an opportunity to present to other RBS departments an
overview of how SimpleBank works. The purpose of the presentation is to
inform them of the groundbreaking work your team has been doing and what the
benefits are to customers. You have just given the presentation and have
received highly positive feedback by those who have attended. John, who works
in another department, approaches you. He firmly disagrees with many of the
points from your presentation. You disagree with what his is saying.
How appropriate are each of the following responses in this situation?
A. Inform John politely that he is incorrect, and that you do not appreciate
being spoken to in this way
B. Politely challenge Johns criticism, using the knowledge you have gained
from working on the presentation
C. Suggest to John that you set up a meeting between you both, together
with a more senior member of the team, to discuss his feedback
D. Quickly attempt to change the topic of conversation away from Johns
criticisms
E. Tell John you agree with him, thank him for his comments, and that you
will feed his comments back to the rest of the team
F. Ask John more about why he disagreed with many of the points from your
presentation
The correct answers for each of the response options above are as follows.
A. Very inappropriate (4): Johns feedback may be important, even though
you disagree with him. Your choice of words would suggest to John that
you do not wish to discuss your difference of opinion any further, which is
very unhelpful.
B. Appropriate (2): It is important that you convey to John politely and
objectively your point of view, to help him to understand the benefits of
SimpleBank. This response does not necessarily dismiss his point of view,
however it is not very appropriate because it does not explore his point of
view any further.
C. Very appropriate (1): Johns feedback may be important, and this
welcomes the opportunity to discuss this in greater detail and to involve
the views of a more senior member of the team
D. Very inappropriate (4): This does not explore Johns feedback any
further and does not defend SimpleBank either.

E. Very inappropriate (4): This does not help John to understand the
benefits of SimpleBank. You are saying that you agree with him when you
do not, which is ineffectual. Even though this response could be viewed as
a little better than A or D, it is still a very inappropriate thing to do also.
F. Very appropriate (1): This is showing to John that you are open to
discussing his views further. This is very helpful, as his views may be very
important.
Here are some additional response options. Consider how you should rate the
following two response options in terms of appropriateness, and think about why
you have awarded these ratings.
G.

Explain to John that you appreciate his comments and that you will feed
them back to the rest of the team

H.
you

Ask John to address any comments he has to your manager, rather than to

Example Scenario 2
RBS value greatly the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others,
and build relationships with customers and colleagues that are based upon trust
and respect.
Applicants who score well here will demonstrate their understanding of how to
challenge others with sensitivity and maintain positive working relationships.
Those who score less well may have underestimated the importance of trust and
positive working relationships.
Scenario: Since you have started working at RBS you have worked closely with
your colleague, Kamal, on a variety of projects. You and Kamal have both been
praised separately, on many occasions, by your manager Patricia, for the good
work that you both produce. You are now in a meeting with Patricia and Kamal.
Kamal is presenting the findings of a project. You have both worked on this
project, and you both had responsibility for completing different sections within
it. At the end of the presentation, Patricia praises Kamal about an aspect of the
project, which you actually completed yourself without Kamals help. She asks
him if he worked on this part alone. Kamal replies yes. This is the first time you
have observed Kamal behave in this way.
How appropriate are each of the following responses in this situation?
A. Ask to speak to Patricia after the meeting to explain that it was you who
completed that part of the project
B. After the meeting, ask Kamal politely why he did not tell Patricia that you
completed the part of the project that she praised
C. Make a formal complaint about Kamals behaviour to the appropriate
senior manager

D. Ask your other colleagues if Kamal has behaved in a similar way towards
them in the past
E. Take no action in this situation
F. Interrupt politely by saying that it was you who worked on that part of the
project

The correct answers for each of the response options above are as follows.
A. Inappropriate (3): It would be more appropriate to involve Kamal in the
conversation with Patricia, or to speak to Kamal about it first. Perhaps
Kamal made an honest mistake in saying that he did that aspect of the
project himself.
B. Very appropriate (1): This is the most appropriate response and a very
appropriate thing to do. It politely addresses the issue with Kamal but does
not assume he has acted maliciously.
C. Very inappropriate (4): This is not at all appropriate because it does not
warrant a formal complaint. Kamal could have made an honest mistake.
Even if Kamal was intentionally trying to take credit unfairly for this aspect
of the project, the situation could be resolved by simply talking to him
about it, rather than creating work and damaging your relationship with
Kamal.
D. Very inappropriate (4): This is not at all appropriate. Asking others if
Kamal has behaved in this way towards them is not productive, could
damage your relationship with Kamal and could create unhelpful gossip.
E. Appropriate (2): This is not a situation that requires urgent action.
Nothing serious is at stake. Patricia has praised you many times before.
Further, this is the first time Kamal has behaved in this way. It is unclear
whether he has taken the credit for your work on purpose. However, it
would be even more appropriate to speak to Kamal about it, to clear up
any misunderstanding, and for Patricia to learn the truth in a way that will
not damage your relationship with Kamal.
F. Inappropriate (3): t is not appropriate to interrupt with information such
as this. It may not be important to Patricia, and it may appear that you are
overly concerned about who gets credit rather than the overall success of
the meeting. It would better to resolve after the meeting, not during it.
However, if done politely, it is not very inappropriate.
Consider how you should rate the appropriateness of the following additional
response options:
G.

After the meeting, remind Kamal that it is unprofessional to take the credit
for someone elses work

H.

Patricia politely, but immediately, with Kamal present, that it was you who
completed that part of the project

Example Scenario Three

This scenario is focused on finding a sensible solution to what may appear at first
to be a problem.
Better scoring applicants for this scenario will have demonstrated an
understanding of how to respond to a challenge in way that is sensible, proactive
and proportionate in order to deal with uncertainty effectively.
Those who score less well here may have been reluctant to ask for help or spent
excessive effort rather than taking a more practical approach to the problem.
Scenario: Your manager, Amelie, is travelling soon to meet with an RBS team
overseas. The aim of her trip is to learn about the latest technology available for
small businesses. She wishes to better understand the possibilities of applying
similar approaches in the UK, across a number of the different RBS business
functions. She intends to share examples of what works well and identify ways to
better serve UK customers. Amelie is very busy preparing for her trip. She has
asked you to write a presentation on what questions she should ask when she is
there, and the types of information she should gather. You have not written
anything like this before and are not sure exactly what to do. However, you have
already told Amelie that you understand, and are happy to prepare the
presentation. You are aware that colleagues have completed similar work in the
past.
How appropriate are each of the following responses in this situation?
A. Ask your colleagues from the relevant business areas for their thoughts on
the questions Amelie should ask, and use this alongside your own ideas
B. Arrange a short meeting with Amelie to ask her for more details about the
purpose of the visit and her expectations. Use this information, alongside
your own ideas
C. Put an initial draft together based on your own ideas, and then ask an
experienced colleagues if they would be able to give it a quick review and
provide feedback
D. Undertake a thorough literature search of the technology available
overseas, and present details of the information that you expect to be
captured from the visit, and how this will apply to small businesses in the
UK
The correct answers for each of the response options above are as follows.
A. Very appropriate (1): The work is not confidential so it is okay to share
with others what Amelie has asked you to do. If you were asking others to
produce a piece of work such as a report, and you were then seeking to
take the credit for it, this would not be appropriate. However this is simply
a case of asking others for their ideas to assist you in producing the
presentation, and the quality of this will benefit from this action.

B. Appropriate (2): This is not inappropriate. It may be helpful. However,

because you know that your colleagues have done similar work before, it
would be more proactive and helpful for Amelie if you were to ask them
first, especially as Amelie is very busy.
C. Very appropriate (1): This is also very appropriate. This response shows
proactivity, minimises work for others, and also shows care in gaining the
feedback from your colleagues to ensure a good quality presentation.
D. Inappropriate (3): This demonstrates proactivity and motivation,
however on balance it is not appropriate to exert this time and effort
without first seeking some further advice or information from your
colleagues or from Amelie. You are making assumptions about what you
expect to be captured from Amelies visit, which may be incorrect and
therefore you will have wasted time. A short literature research, rather
than a thorough one, would be more appropriate, because this could be
done quickly and may help you to focus your questions for your colleagues
or for Amelie. This action is not very inappropriate, because you are not
making the situation worse or disobeying Amelies instructions.
Consider how you should rate the appropriateness of the following additional
response option:
E.

Suggest to Amelie that one of your colleagues puts together the

presentation instead of you

Example Scenario Four

This scenario is about doing what is, overall, the right thing to do, even if it is not
easy. This is at the very heart of our Values at RBS. We behave ethically and we
take risk very seriously.
Applicants are rewarded with higher scores here if they are able to act with
integrity.
Applicants who score less well may prioritise factors that, although important,
are likely to be less important than behaving ethically, e.g. getting things done
quickly or maintaining harmony with others.
Scenario: You and your colleague, Tom, are attending a meeting one morning
at another RBS office to learn more about how they interact with their
customers. The aim is to then report back examples of good customer service,
from which your team can learn. Your manager gives you both RBS travel cards
to cover your travel expenses to and from the meeting. She makes it clear that
these are for RBS business use only, and not for personal use. You both attend
the meeting at the other site, which is very informative, and return to your
office. That evening after work, you notice that Tom uses his RBS travel card to
pay for his journey home. This is the first time you have observed Tom doing
this.
How appropriate are each of the following responses in this situation?

A. Tell Tom politely that you will have to inform his manager of what you
have observed, if he is not willing to tell his manager himself
B. Report Tom to the head of your department for unauthorised use of his
RBS travel card
C. Closely observe Tom over the next few days to see if he regularly uses his
RBS travel card for unauthorised journeys, and report him if he continues
to do so
D. Do not take any action in this situation

The correct answers for each of the response options above are as follows.
A. Very appropriate (1): This is the right thing to do. You are politely
challenging what you have recognised to be a wrongdoing. You are doing
this directly with Tom and you are giving Tom the opportunity to talk to the
manager about it rather than going straight to the manager yourself.
B. Inappropriate (3): This is inappropriate without discussing the issue with
Tom first, and may damage your relationship with Tom to a greater extent
than is necessary.
C. Inappropriate (3): It is not your responsibility to do this and it may not
be practical. It is your responsibility to challenge, and potentially report,
what you have observed.
D. Very inappropriate (4): You have witnessed Toms behaviour and
therefore you have a responsibility to take some form of action. It is very
inappropriate to do nothing. The fact that this is the only time you have
observed Tom doing this may affect the potential consequences for Tom,
but is should not affect whether or not you take action.
Consider how you should rate the appropriateness of the following additional
response options:
E.
Explain to Tom why it is inappropriate to use his RBS travel card to pay for
his journey home
F

Without directly naming Tom, advise your manager that it has come to
your attention that staff members are using their RBS travel card for
personal journeys

Example Scenario Five

At RBS we build teams that are supportive and high performing, and this is
underpinned by a genuine care for others.

For this scenario, applicants will score well if they demonstrate a supportive and
helpful working style.
Applicants may score less well if, in their attempts to be e.g. successful, or
honest and direct, they do not sufficiently demonstrate care and support for
others.

Scenario: You are taking part in a filming project for the RBS recruitment
website. This is to help attract applicants for the graduate and apprentice
programmes. You have recorded several of your colleagues speaking of their
experience as a new entrant into RBS, which has been fun and a good
opportunity to reflect on your experiences together. You then had responsibility
for editing the footage together to make a short film for the website. Now that
the film is live on the website, you are approached by one of your colleagues,
Jenna, who wants to know why her footage did not appear in the final edit. You
recall that she appeared shy on camera and was not a very confident speaker.
You are about to start filming a new short film for the website, and need to do
this quickly.
How appropriate are each of the following responses in this situation?
A. Inform Jenna that you do not know why she did not make the final edit
B. Advise Jenna politely that she lacks confidence when speaking to the
camera, which is why she did not appear in the final edit, and
unfortunately that it is your final decision
C. Advise Jenna of what was good about her contributions and also areas you
think could be improved on next time
D. Inform Jenna that you had to make some difficult decisions and suggest to
her that you arrange a time together to watch a copy of her contributions
to camera, which you have not yet deleted, and then you can discuss it
together
The correct answers for each of the response options above are as follows.
A. Very inappropriate (4): This is not true and does not offer any help or
support to Jenna.
B. Inappropriate (3): This is your opinion, and is not framed in a way that is
helpful for Jenna. It would be more appropriate to provide Jenna with some
positive feedback as well as the reasons why you unfortunately had to
make that decision.
C. Very appropriate (1): This is very appropriate in this situation. It is being
truthful, helpful and makes the message more palatable for Jenna.
D. Very appropriate (1): This is also very appropriate. This will allow you to
give feedback to Jenna with direct reference to the video footage.

Consider how you should rate the appropriateness of the following additional
response options:
E.

Inform Jenna that you had to delete some footage because the film was
too long, and you cut peoples contributions at random

F.

Promise Jenna that she can feature in the new short film that you are
about to start working on