Applications13 min
Retail online assessments and situational judgement tests
What retail online assessments, situational judgement tests, personality questionnaires and numeracy tests look like, and how to prepare for them honestly.
By UK Retail Jobs editorial team — We write plain-English guides to finding and doing retail work in the UK. Every figure is checked against a named source.
Many UK retailers ask you to do a short online assessment after you fill in the application form. It usually shows you everyday shop situations and asks what you would do, and some add a personality questionnaire or a simple maths test. You cannot "revise" your way to the right answers, but you can prepare, and this guide shows you how.
We explain the main types of test, show made-up examples written by us, and cover what to do if you need extra time or other support. Where we say what a retailer does, we checked its own careers pages in September 2026.
What is a retail online assessment?
A retail online assessment is a short test you take on a computer, tablet or phone as part of your application. Retailers use it to decide who to invite to interview.
Big retailers can get a lot of applications for each job. An online assessment helps them sort applications quickly and fairly. Everyone gets the same questions, and the answers are scored the same way.
The test is usually not about retail knowledge. Most store assessments look at how you behave at work: how you treat customers, whether you work well with others, and how careful you are. That is good news if you have never worked in a shop before.
Some assessments are part of the application form. Others arrive by email later, with a link and a deadline.
Which retailers use online assessments?
Many large supermarkets and chains use some kind of online assessment for at least some roles. The details vary, so always read the invite email carefully.
Here is what five retailers say on their own careers pages, when we checked in September 2026.
| Retailer | What its careers pages say |
|---|---|
| Sainsbury's | You may be asked to do one or two online assessments. These could include verbal or numerical reasoning, a personality questionnaire or a situational judgement test. One Argos advert said the highest scorers are offered interviews first. |
| M&S | Customer assistant roles use an assessment of about 20 minutes, done in one sitting. It mixes attention-to-detail tasks with questions about everyday store situations. |
| Tesco | Store roles may include a scenario-based exercise or an online chat assessment, built around situations you might face in the job. |
| Boots | The store colleague assessment has no time limit. You usually get 7 days to finish it and can leave and come back. |
| Co-op | Some roles have an assessment of 20 to 50 minutes that you must finish before you can submit your application. |
Office, technical and graduate roles can have different or extra stages. Aldi's graduate area manager scheme, for example, asks for tests of judgement and analytical skills with the application, then an online psychometric test later on. You can read more about each retailer's full process in our guides to getting a job at Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S.
What does a situational judgement test look like?
A situational judgement test (SJT) describes a work situation and asks what you would do. You then pick, rate or rank a few possible actions.
This is the most common type of test for shop-floor jobs. It checks whether your instincts match the way the retailer wants staff to behave. There is often no single "perfect" answer. Some answers simply score better than others.
The questions come in a few formats:
- Pick the best action. Choose the one response you think is most effective.
- Pick the best and worst. Choose the most effective and the least effective response.
- Rank the options. Put three to five responses in order, from best to worst.
- Rate each option. Score each response on a scale, such as "very effective" to "very ineffective".
Tesco says store applicants may get a scenario-based exercise or an online chat assessment. Either way, the idea is the same. You see a situation and choose how to respond.
Example 1: the busy till
_This is a made-up example, written by us._
You are working on the tills. The queue is long. A customer tells you the price on the shelf was lower than the price that has just scanned. What do you do?
- Tell the customer the till price is correct and carry on.
- Apologise, call a supervisor or colleague to check the shelf, and serve the next customer while you wait if that is allowed.
- Leave your till to go and check the shelf yourself.
- Give the customer the lower price without checking, to keep the queue moving.
Option 2 is usually the strongest. It takes the customer seriously, gets the facts checked and keeps the queue moving. Option 3 leaves a long queue with no one serving. Options 1 and 4 skip the check, and option 4 may break the store's rules on pricing.
Example 2: a colleague who needs help
_This is a made-up example, written by us._
You have finished filling your aisle early. A colleague on the next aisle is well behind, and a delivery is due soon. What do you do?
- Take your break early, as your own work is done.
- Ask your colleague if they would like a hand, and tell your supervisor what you are doing.
- Start filling their shelves without saying anything.
- Wait for your supervisor to give you a new task.
Option 2 shows teamwork and keeps your manager in the loop. Option 4 is not wrong, but it is less helpful. Option 3 might confuse your colleague, and option 1 ignores a problem you could help fix.
What SJTs are really checking
Look back at the examples above. The stronger answers share a few habits:
- Customer first. Take the customer's problem seriously.
- Calm and polite. Stay courteous, even when you are under pressure.
- Rules and safety. Follow store policy and safety rules.
- Know your limits. Ask for help when something is beyond your role, and keep your manager informed.
If you are stuck between two answers, pick the one that solves the problem without breaking a rule or leaving someone else to deal with it.
What is a personality questionnaire?
A personality questionnaire asks how you usually think and behave. It is not a test you pass by being clever, and there are no right or wrong answers.
You will see statements such as "I like to plan my day in advance" or "I stay calm when people are rude to me". You say how much you agree, or choose which of two statements sounds more like you.
The retailer compares your answers with the kind of person who tends to do well in the role. For a shop job, that often means being friendly, reliable, careful and happy to work in a team.
Why honest answers work best
It is tempting to give the answer you think they want. This often backfires. Answers that are not really yours are hard to keep consistent across a long questionnaire, and the retailer is looking for a match, not a perfect score.
Pretending can also land you in a job that does not suit you. Answer as the person you are at work on a good day: honest, but thinking about how you behave in a job, not at home on the sofa.
What do numeracy and reasoning tests involve?
Numeracy tests check that you can work with everyday numbers, such as prices, change and percentages. Reasoning tests check how well you understand written information or spot patterns.
Not every store assessment includes them, but Sainsbury's says its assessments could include verbal or numerical reasoning. The National Careers Service lists these main ability tests:
- Numerical reasoning. Working with numbers, tables and charts.
- Verbal reasoning. Reading a short passage and deciding what it does or does not say.
- Abstract or spatial reasoning. Spotting patterns and rules in shapes.
M&S adds a different kind of task to its customer assistant assessment: attention-to-detail questions. These ask you to check information carefully and spot mistakes.
These tests are often timed. You need to be quick as well as accurate.
Example numeracy questions
_These are made-up examples, written by us, with made-up prices._
- Change. A customer buys items costing £3.45 and £2.80 and pays with a £10 note. How much change do they get? (Answer: £3.75.)
- Discounts. A coat costs £40. It has 25% off. What is the sale price? (Answer: £30.)
- Hours. You work 7:00 to 13:30 with a 30-minute unpaid break. How many paid hours is that? (Answer: 6 hours.)
If these feel rusty, practise fractions, percentages and simple time sums. The National Careers Service suggests going back over those basics before a numerical test.
How can you prepare honestly?
The best preparation is to understand the retailer and practise the format, not to memorise answers. Here is what helps.
Before the test
- Read the job advert again. Note the words it uses, such as "customer first", "team player" or "attention to detail". The assessment is often built around the same ideas.
- Read the retailer's values. Most careers sites list them. Tesco, for example, says its store assessment looks at how your values and behaviours match its own.
- Try free practice tests. The National Careers Service points to free practice material, such as SHL practice tests and The Psychometric Test Project, and says university careers services may help too. Co-op's application page mentions a Career Development Hub where you can practise psychometric tests.
- Think about real examples. Remember times you helped someone, dealt with a problem or worked in a team. School, volunteering, sport and caring all count, and they help at the interview too. Our guide to retail jobs with no experience has ideas for finding examples.
On the day
- Pick the right device. M&S and Boots both suggest a laptop, tablet or desktop over a phone.
- Find a quiet spot. Use a good internet connection and close other windows and apps.
- Read the instructions. Check whether the test is timed and whether you can go back to earlier questions.
- Do not press the browser's back button. The National Careers Service warns this can end some tests.
- Keep moving. On a timed test, if one question has you stuck, make your best guess and go on.
- Do it soon. Boots says it moves people to interview as they pass. Sainsbury's said, in one advert, that the highest scorers get interviews first.
Should you use AI to help?
You can use AI to practise, but not to do the test or invent your answers. Tesco says AI is fine for checking spelling, practising interview answers and researching the company. It asks you not to use AI to make up examples or write your application from scratch. Lidl warns that it can tell when an answer is AI-written.
Practising is fine. Getting someone else, or a tool, to take the test for you is not, and it sets you up to struggle in the interview.
Can you get extra time or other support?
Yes. If you are disabled, including if you have a mental health condition or a learning difficulty, you can ask for reasonable adjustments to the test.
ACAS says the duty to make reasonable adjustments covers job applicants, not only staff. One example it gives is more time for written or reading tests, and it says the employer pays for any adjustments.
GOV.UK gives the example of letting a candidate do a written test on a computer. The National Careers Service mentions screen reading software and extra time.
Retailers tell you how to ask:
- On the form. Boots asks about adjustments on its application, and Tesco has space on the form for some roles.
- By email. Tesco lists a recruitment email address on its interview support page, for roles where the form does not ask.
- Through the test provider. Lidl's FAQs give a separate contact at its test provider for online testing adjustments.
Ask as early as you can, ideally before you start the test. You do not have to share your full medical history. Just explain what makes the test harder and what would help.
What happens after the online assessment?
If your score is strong enough, you are usually invited to an interview. If not, you may hear by email, but it varies by retailer.
Boots emails successful candidates to invite them to an interview with a leader in store, and sometimes the manager phones instead. Tesco sends a link to book an interview for store roles, and says it shares feedback if you are not successful after the interview. A clear, honest application helps at every stage, so it is worth reading our guide to writing a retail CV too.
If you do not pass
A failed test is not a verdict on you. It often means your answers did not match that retailer's profile for that role. Another retailer may use a different test and different values.
Check the waiting rules before you try again. Lidl asks you to wait 6 months before applying for the same role. Boots says it reuses your result if you took the same assessment in the last 12 months. In the meantime, apply for similar roles elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fail a personality test?
Not in the usual sense, because there are no right or wrong answers. But your answers can be a poor match for what the retailer wants in that role, and that can stop you moving on. Answer honestly and think about how you behave at work.
How long does a retail online assessment take?
It depends on the retailer and the role. M&S says its customer assistant assessment takes about 20 minutes. Co-op says its assessments take 20 to 50 minutes. The Boots store assessment has no time limit.
Can I do the assessment on my phone?
Sometimes, but it is not always the best choice. M&S recommends a laptop, tablet or desktop, and Boots says not all its assessments work on every tablet or phone. Use a computer if you can.
Do I need retail experience to pass?
No. Most store assessments test how you would act, not what you already know about retail. Common sense, good manners and following the rules go a long way.
Find a retail job to apply for
Once you know what to expect, the next step is to apply. We collect vacancies from retailers' own careers sites so you can compare them in one place. Start with our customer assistant jobs search, or browse more help in our guides. Our membership adds job alerts and a tracker, so you can keep on top of each application and its deadline.
_This is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act._
Sources and further reading
- How to prepare for psychometric tests — National Careers Service, checked 28 September 2026
- What reasonable adjustments are — ACAS, checked 28 September 2026
- Recruitment and disabled people: reasonable adjustments — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
- How to apply — Sainsbury's, checked 28 September 2026
- Customer Advisor – Argos (in Sainsbury's) advert, Prestwick — Sainsbury's, checked 28 September 2026
- How we hire — M&S Careers, checked 28 September 2026
- Interview tips and hiring process — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
- Application and interview process — Boots, checked 28 September 2026
- Frequently asked questions — Boots, checked 28 September 2026
- How to apply at Co-op — Co-op, checked 28 September 2026
- Recruitment FAQs — Lidl Great Britain, checked 28 September 2026
- Graduate Area Manager programme — Aldi UK, checked 28 September 2026
This guide is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act. Looking for a role? Browse retail jobs.
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Last reviewed 28 September 2026.
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