You’ve administered a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) to candidates—great! Now comes the part that trips up many CEOs and recruiters:
👉 “What’s considered a good score?”
Is 70% enough? Is 90% too rare? Should you compare it across all roles or just within your company?
If you’re nodding along, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll break down:
- What a “good” score really means (it’s not always about being perfect)
- Standard score ranges and what they reveal
- How to use SJT results for better hiring decisions
If you’re new to SJTs or still exploring their full value, you might want to start with:
👉 Situational Judgement: Complete Guide for CEOs & Recruiters
First, Let’s Talk About What’s Being Scored
Before we jump into what’s a good score, you need to know what’s being evaluated.
SJTs typically measure:
- Decision-making
- Emotional intelligence
- Conflict resolution
- Ethics and professionalism
- Communication
- Leadership potential
They assess how closely a candidate’s responses align with what your organization or subject-matter experts deem appropriate.
Need a deeper dive?
👉 What Do Situational Judgement Tests Measure
General Score Ranges for SJTs
While SJTs don’t have a universal scoring system, many follow this general breakdown:
| Score Range | Rating | What It Means for Hiring |
| 85–100% | Excellent | Top-tier judgment; ideal for leadership roles |
| 70–84% | Strong/Good | Well-aligned with expected workplace behavior |
| 50–69% | Average | Acceptable, may need support in certain areas |
| Below 50% | Below Expectations | Likely poor judgment in real-world scenarios |
Let’s translate that further:
- 90%+: Rare but ideal. Shows high alignment with your company’s preferred behaviors and values.
- 70–85%: These are typically your top contenders—realistic, thoughtful, consistent.
- 50–70%: Might have potential, but use interview follow-ups to probe.
- <50%: Likely misaligned. Consider disqualifying unless other qualities compensate.
What Makes a Score “Good” Depends on the Role
One size doesn’t fit all. A “good” score on an SJT depends on what role you’re hiring for.
Here’s a role-based benchmark:
| Role Type | Ideal SJT Score Range |
| Entry-Level | 65–80% |
| Customer Service | 70–85% |
| Mid-Level Manager | 75–90% |
| Senior Leader/Exec | 85%+ |
| Technical/Analytical | 70–85% |
Pro tip: For senior roles, prioritize judgement clarity, ethics, and people-centered decision-making over just “correctness.”
But Wait—How Are These Scores Even Calculated?
If you’re wondering how SJT scores are generated in the first place, here’s the short version:
- Each scenario has a set of response options.
- Experts pre-rank or score these based on effectiveness.
- Candidates earn points based on how well their responses match the ideal ones.
For the full technical scoop:
👉 How Are Situational Judgement Tests Scored
How to Interpret and Use Scores in Hiring
Let’s say you just ran SJTs on a dozen candidates. Now what?
✅ Use scores as a screening tool
- Filter out those who fall below the 50–60% range.
- Focus on top performers who show strong alignment.
✅ Pair with interviews
If someone scores 68% but shines in interviews, explore that gap. Maybe the SJT revealed a blind spot worth coaching.
✅ Combine with cognitive or technical tests
Use SJTs to assess judgment, then test hard skills separately.
Want to see the kind of questions that influence your SJT score? Check out this PDF with 350 situational judgement test questions and answers.
What About the Casper SJT?
If you’re using the Casper Situational Judgement Test, scoring looks different. It uses open-ended written responses instead of multiple-choice. Trained raters assign scores based on rubrics, not exact matches.
Casper focuses heavily on:
- Empathy
- Integrity
- Problem resolution
More on that here:
👉 What Is the Casper Situational Judgement Test
How to Set Score Benchmarks for Your Organization
Want to go beyond generic scores and create your own hiring framework?
Here’s a simple method:
- Pilot the test internally – Have high-performing employees take it.
- Use their scores as a benchmark – Find the average range of your top team members.
- Set cut-off ranges – Use your internal data to define “excellent,” “good,” and “unacceptable” based on your culture and values.
That’s exactly how public bodies like the UK’s DWP structure it:
👉 UK’s DWP Situational Judgement Test: How to Incorporate Their SJT-Style
📚 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is considered a “passing” score on a Situational Judgement Test?
There’s no universal “pass/fail” score. However, most employers consider 70% or higher a strong performance. Anything below 50% may raise red flags, depending on the role. Your benchmark should be based on what success looks like within your company or team.
2. Is it possible to get a perfect score on an SJT?
It’s possible—but extremely rare. SJTs are designed to evaluate judgment, not memorization. Even high performers typically score 85–95%, especially in leadership or ethics-heavy scenarios.
3. Are all questions weighted equally in SJTs?
Not always. Some SJTs apply weighted scoring—especially if certain competencies (like ethical decision-making or conflict resolution) are more important for the role. Others assign equal value to all questions. It depends on how the test is designed.
4. Do all roles require the same “good” score?
Nope! What’s considered a good score varies by role level and responsibilities. For example, an 80% score might be excellent for an entry-level role but just “average” for a leadership position where ethical judgment is crucial.
See our role-based breakdown in the blog above for more details. ⬆️
5. Should I use SJT scores alone to make a hiring decision?
Definitely not. SJTs are one piece of the puzzle. Combine scores with interviews, reference checks, and possibly cognitive or technical assessments to get a full picture of a candidate’s fit.
6. What if a candidate scores low but interviews well?
That’s your cue to ask deeper questions in the interview. Maybe they misunderstood the test format—or maybe the SJT revealed a weakness they need to work on. Either way, low scores should open a conversation, not close the door (unless it’s a hard cutoff for the role).
7. How can I compare scores across multiple candidates?
Use a standard scoring framework—or better yet, compare candidates against your internal top performers. This helps ensure fairness and makes your evaluation more grounded in real workplace standards.
8. Can candidates prepare or study for SJTs?
To an extent, yes—but not like a traditional test. Candidates can practice SJT-style questions to understand the format and reflect on workplace scenarios. However, great judgment isn’t easily faked—it usually comes from real experience and self-awareness.
Final Thoughts
A “good score” on a Situational Judgement Test isn’t about chasing 100%—it’s about identifying the judgement style that fits your workplace.
Use this guide to:
- Set score benchmarks for different roles
- Interpret results in the context of your hiring goals
- Combine SJTs with interviews and other assessments for a 360-degree view
Next Steps:
Because when you hire for how people think—not just what they say—you build smarter teams. ✅
