Experian Situational Strengths Test
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Jump to:About Experian Diagrammatic Reasoning Test
Experian looks for employees with a high diagrammatic ability. Candidates will be required to pass a diagrammatic reasoning test during their application.
Experian use the following tests in their selection process:
- Numerical reasoning test
- Verbal reasoning test
- Diagrammatic reasoning test
| Assessment section | Recommended Practice Pack |
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Experian Numerical Test | Numerical Test Pack
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Experian Logical test | Logical Test Pack
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Founded in 1996, Experian is a global information services group and currently employ approximately 17,000 people worldwide. There is an extensive selection process in place to ensure only the most suitable candidates progress successfully and a high calibre of workforce is maintained. Psychometric testing is adopted throughout the recruitment process, as a means of screening out candidates who lack the abilities necessary for a career in this area. Typically, candidates are asked to complete diagrammatic, numerical and verbal reasoning tests, although further tests may be used for some positions. Candidates are informed in advance as to which tests they will be required to take.
Experian tests and assessments are largely provided by SHL. The function of these tests is to screen out candidates without adequate numerical, verbal and diagrammatic ability, although different combinations of tests could be required depending on the level of role applied for.
Diagrammatic reasoning tests are a fair and objective way for Experian to assess a wide range of applicants, each having different experiences and different qualifications. By analysing the results of a standardised situational judgement test, Experian are able to quickly see which candidates are suitable for the role and which are not. This sort of information about candidates’ skills is difficult to glean from interviews and qualifications alone, so that Experian use professional psychometric tests.
Often, Experian will ask applicants to take a diagrammatic test online, which you can take from home. When the situational strengths test is used early on in the application process like this you will have to achieve a minimum score before you progress to the next round (typically a score in the top 50% of applicants is required however this does vary role to role). Further along in the selection process you might be asked to attend an assessment centre or interview where you will be asked to sit a diagrammatic test again. This is so Experian can verify the person scoring highly in the test is indeed the person applying for the job.>
Experian Application Process Stages
Here is the typical process for your application to Experian.
Stage 1
| Application | Applications are made online and require candidates to provide their contact details, education and work experience. They are also required to complete a few screening questions, which are used to ensure that the candidate is suited to their selected role. |
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Stage 2
| Online Aptitude Test | Selected candidates will then need to undertake a selection of psychometric tests; including some of all of the following: numerical, verbal and diagrammatic reasoning, a situational judgement test and personality questionnaire. The tests are provided by SHL and have strict time limits, so practice tests are recommended. |
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Stage 3
| Interview | Successful candidates are required to attend an initial interview, which is usually conducted in person, but is sometimes administered as a telephone interview. Later on in the selection process, this is often followed by a second interview which will be either technical/functional or competency based. It is recommended that candidates adopt the STAR approach when formulating answers, while remaining mindful of the Experian competencies: Leadership, Commercial Awareness, Thought Processing, Delivery, Personal Effectiveness, and Personal Style. These interviews allow opportunities to demonstrate strengths, areas of interest and experience. |
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Stage 4
| Assessment | Experian also use a variety of assessments throughout their selection process, so candidates should be prepared to complete some or all of the following: Presentations, Role Plays, Telephone Simulations, In-Tray exercises and Group Exercises. |
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Experian Diagrammatic Questions
In these tests, candidates will need to discover the rules associated with particular symbols or diagrams (e.g. rotates 90 degrees each time), and apply them by selecting the correct answer based on those rules. These questions will not be work place relevant and will appear abstract in nature.
Situational judgement tests and who uses them
Companies are using situational judgement tests more and more in their application process that candidates must go through. A person's score in a situational judgement test is a good indicator of how closely their attitudes and responses to situations mimics those of the company they've applied to. This is important in any sector or position.
Experian use situational judgement tests as part of their recruitment process to help them select the best candidates for a particular role.
So as a graduate or senior candidate applying for a job at Experian you might feel like the situational judgement test is an unnecessary hoop to jump through. But you should bear in mind that Experian are asking you to complete the situational judgement test as much for your own benefit as theirs; if you are not suitable for the role, a psychometric test will usually identify this. Research has shown that psychometric tests, such as those used by Experian, are a better predictor of job performance than traditional selection metrics such as level of degree achieved.
What you should know before taking your situational judgement test
The situations described in standardised situational judgement tests are ones which applicants can expect to face whilst performing the job they've applied for. The difficult aspect comes with identifying the details in the situation, which would help you to choose the appropriate courses of action to take, quickly and accurately within the time limit. Here are a few examples of the most common situations you can expect in your situational judgement test:
- Unsatisfied customer
- Stock-related problems, such as delivery
- Disagreements between work colleagues
Different types of situational judgement tests
Most questions in most situational judgement tests follow a standard format displaying a passage of text, the question and answer options on screen. These can be arranged differently, but each test will stick to the same layout throughout. The question text may contain extra information which adds to what's given in the sequence of images, this might also be necessary to answer the question correctly. You might have to guess which answer option is the next in the sequence, or which options represents a missing step in the sequence. Lastly, the answer options are almost always multiple choice. Multiple choice answers can vary, however. You may have 2 options to pick from, 4, maybe 5, and these will have to be ranked too. The more answer options to pick from, the slimmer the chances are that you can obtain the correct answer by guessing.
Answered questions
How difficult are your tests?
The same difficulty as real tests. Generally real employer selection tests don't differ that much in terms of difficulty which is why they compare your score against norm groups. Our practice tests are pitched roughly at graduate level, but this means they are actually suitable for preparing for all levels of job: entry; apprentice; graduate; senior; director.
Are they compatible with my Mac / Tablet / Phone?
Yes, and PC, and Linux and smartphone and Android and...everything. Our practice tests will run on all systems and they are responsive so they will work well on tablets and smartphones too!
How many times can I take the tests?
Unlimited. You can take our practice tests as many times as you like; there is no limit. But to be honest, after taking the same test a few times you start to remember the answers, so that’s why we have lots of tests.