Your Talent Q Study Guild 2025

What Is the Talent Q Test?

The Talent Q test is a modern assessment tool that helps employers gain a deeper, more accurate understanding of a candidate’s potential. Its standout feature is its adaptive design—created by Roger Holdsworth, one of SHL’s founders in 2006—which adjusts question difficulty based on how you answered the previous one.

In simple terms:

• Answer correctly? The next question becomes harder.

• Get it wrong? The next question becomes easier.

This approach ensures that every candidate—no matter their background—gets a fair shot at showcasing their true ability. Rather than simply marking answers right or wrong, Talent Q tests assess your ability to think critically, solve problems, and perform under pressure.

Why Employers Use Talent Q

The Talent Q system offers flexibility. Employers can combine different test types to create a customized assessment that targets specific skills, competencies, and personality traits required for the role.

Companies often use these tests at various stages of recruitment:

• Early on, especially for high-volume roles like customer service or call centers.

• Later in the process, to evaluate leadership potential, personality fit, or internal promotion readiness.

Large companies across industries—like RBS, Virgin Atlantic, and AstraZeneca—frequently rely on Talent Q assessments, especially in sectors such as finance, aviation, and pharmaceuticals.

This guide breaks down the various Talent Q tests, their formats, and how they’re scored, along with proven strategies to help you succeed.

Talent Q Test Categories

Talent Q offers multiple test types. Candidates usually take one or more tests depending on the job. Most assessments are completed online through a personalized link, although some may be administered during assessment centers or training sessions.

Elements Assessments

The Elements series targets core cognitive skills and often appears in graduate, professional, or managerial hiring.

• Verbal Reasoning
  You read a passage and answer 15 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes. This test checks how well you comprehend and evaluate written information.

• Numerical Reasoning
  You analyze data in tables or graphs and perform basic calculations. The test includes 12 questions, with a 15-minute limit.

• Logical Reasoning
  This section tests your pattern-recognition skills using shape or symbol sequences. You must identify the rule and choose the missing item from 12 questions in 15 minutes.

Aspects Assessments

These shorter tests are ideal for high-volume hiring, such as in sales or support roles.

• Aspects Ability (8 minutes per section)

  • Verbal: 12 questions similar to Elements Verbal Reasoning.

  • Numeracy: 12 questions on percentages and basic arithmetic.

  • Checking: Spot errors in 8 data tables to assess attention to detail.

• Aspects Styles
  A behavioral questionnaire where you report your work style and preferences. It helps employers evaluate your fit within a team or role.

Dimensions Assessment

Used later in hiring or for internal promotions, this test measures key workplace behaviors, including:

• Task management

• Motivation

• Team collaboration

• Preferred work environment

You rate statements from “completely untrue” to “very true.” The results generate profiles, including:

• Team Profile

• Work Behavior Profile

• Trait, Sales, and Role Match Profiles

It also highlights behavioral risks and leadership potential. This test takes about 25 minutes.

Motivations Assessment

This 30-minute questionnaire uncovers what drives you at work. You rank four motivation-related statements from “extremely important” to “not important.” If you rank multiple statements similarly, the test asks follow-up questions to clarify your motivations.

Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

The Talent Q SJT presents realistic workplace scenarios and several response options. You choose how you’d most likely react. Your answers are compared to a benchmark created by the employer based on the role’s required competencies. This generates a fit score, showing how closely your judgment aligns with company expectations.