19 Types of Leadership Assessment Tests – Questions Included
Leadership Assessment tests are often a part of the hiring process for various management positions, such as Directors, Executives, and CEOs.
There are many Leadership Assessment tests, including, the DDI Leadership Assessment, Hogan, and KFALP (Korn Ferry Assessment of Leadership Potential), each evaluates various aspects of your managerial skills and assesses your suitability for the potential role.
If you have been invited to take a leadership assessment test, it is highly recommended to first find out which leadership test you will be taking. Since these tests are used for high-end positions, various subtleties between different tests should be considered before preparing.
This guide provides an in-depth look at various Leadership Assessment tests, example questions, and tips, and highlights relevant sources for preparation.
What Is the Leadership Assessment Test?
Leadership Assessments are psychometric tests that measure candidates’ fundamental character traits and competencies as leaders. These attributes include one’s motives, goals, feelings, attitudes, behavioral tendencies, and emotional intelligence.
Most Leadership Assessments Tests are divided into two main types –
- Situational Judgement Test (SJT) – in this test, you will be presented with workplace scenarios followed by a series of optional responses. You will be asked to rank or rate the responses according to their desirability and outcome effectiveness.
- Personality test – in this test, you will need to answer a personality questionnaire that covers various aspects of your character, traits, and personality types.
However, many tests can serve as leadership assessment tools; each test has a different way of examining the diverse aspects of leadership competencies and potential. Some assess leadership strengths and weaknesses, while others focus on self-awareness and creative leadership. Therefore, it is crucial that you know which test you are about to take and prepare specifically for it.
Jump to: Hogan, Korn Ferry, Leadership Practices Inventory, Caliper, DDI, HSL OPQ, Mercer | Mettl, Select Assessment for Leader Development, Leadership Temperament Index, Leadership Alliance Assessment, Indeed Management and Leadership Skills, M2D, MDA, John Maxwell, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, DISC, Birkman, Gallup Strengthsfinder, Amazon, McQuaig
Leadership Assessment Test Questions
The content below include an explanation about each of the leadership exam along with one sample question that will help demonstrate the essence behind each of the tests. Let's get started.
1. Hogan Leadership Assessment
The Hogan Assessment is a series of personality and thinking ability tests; each predicts different aspects of your working potential based on your strengths, weaknesses, working style, problem-solving skills, values, and attitudes.
Your Hogan test will likely include one or more of the following assessments:
- Hogan Personality Inventory – the HPI contains 220 work-style statements presented on a 4-point scale (From strongly disagree to strongly agree.) There is no time limit; it usually takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
- Hogan Development Survey – the HDS contains 170 behavioral tendencies statements presented on a 4-point scale (From strongly disagree to strongly agree). There is no time limit; it usually takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
- Hogan Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory – the MVPI contains 200 personal preferences statements that you need to determine if you agree with. There is no time limit; it usually takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
- Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory – the HBRI contains 24 multiple-choice questions divided into 3 sections: Verbal & logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, and abstract thinking. The test has a time limit of 30 minutes.
"I like taking risks".
Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree
Read more about the Hogan Leadership Assessment, or try out our Free Hogan Practice Test.
2. Korn Ferry Leadership Assessment
The Korn Ferry leadership assessment is a series of pre-employment tests that evaluate your characteristics and personality traits.
- Korn Ferry Assessment of Leadership Potential – the KFALP contains 240-280 responses regarding your Drivers, Awareness, Experience, Capacity, Learning agility, Derailment risks, and Leadership traits. It takes about 35–40 minutes to complete.
- Korn Ferry Four-Dimensional Executive Assessment – the KF4D is a Psychometric-based assessment that covers the topics of mathematical calculations, strategic thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, business comprehension, interpersonal communication abilities, and worldview. The test has a time limit of 55 minutes.
- Korn Ferry viaEdge –the Korn Ferry viaEdge is a self-administered personality assessment that focuses on your learning agility with questions that covers the topics of Mental, people, change, and results. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Example Questions
Rank the following statement on a scale of 1-9
1- Very little 9 - Very much
- "Goal-achieving with limited resources"
- "Working under a challenging time constraint"
Read more about the Korn Ferry assessment.
3. Leadership Practices Inventory
The LPI is a questionnaire that assesses your strengths and areas for improvement based on the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
The assessment contains 30 statements presented on a 10-point scale. It takes about 10-20 minutes to complete.
The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership:
Rate the following statements from 1-10
1-Almost Never 3-Seldom 5-Occasionally 7-Fairly Often 9-Very Frequently
2-Rarely 4-Once in a While 6-Sometimes 8-Usually 10-Almost always
- I set a personal example of what I expect of others.
- I talk about future trends that will influence how our work gets done.
- I seek out challenging opportunities that test my own skills and abilities.
- I follow through on the promises and commitments that I make.
Read more about the LPI Test.
4. Caliper Assessment
The Caliper Assessment is a mixed cognitive-personality test designed by Talogy. It is used by employers nationwide to evaluate candidates on such traits as leadership capabilities, interpersonal communication, decision-making, problem-solving, time management, and organizational skills.
After completing the assessment, your results will be processed and arranged into a comprehensive personality profile. This document will then be transferred directly to your prospective employer, who will then be able to make an informed decision based on your ranking on 21 distinct personality traits.
1. Choose which statement is most true or typical of you and which is least like you:
| Share information in a straightforward fashion | Most | Least |
| Feel more comfortable operating on my own | Most | Least |
| Structure your duties | Most | Least |
| Prone to overreactions | Most | Least |
Read more about the Caliper Assessment preparation, or try out our Free Caliper Assessment Practice Test.
5. DDI Leadership Assessment
DDI Leadership Assessment is a series of tests that evaluate your leadership characteristics and personality traits.
Leadership Insight Inventory – the DDI LII assesses your personal disposition, competencies, and attributes such as time management and abstract thinking.
Leadership Readiness Assessment – the DDI LRA focuses on development needs and assesses your behavior and how it affects your job skills.
Leader3 Ready – the DDI L3R assesses Mid-Level leaders who want to take the next step on the managerial ladder. The test also creates your development plan and can be used to improve your skills and performance.
Manager Ready Assessment – the DDI Manager Ready Assessment is a Situational Judgement Test in which you need to rate and rank responses for real-life work-related situations to assess your decision-making process and leadership skills.
Health Care Leader Career Battery – the Health Care Leader Career Battery is an assessment tailored to managers and leaders in the healthcare industry. This includes an evaluation of your behavioral skills in high-stress environments.
Read more about the DDI Leadership Assessment Test
6. SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)
Provided by SHL Assessments, this common recruitment tool uses a unique evaluation technique wherein the candidate selects a statement that describes them best, rather than simply ranking themselves on various statements.
The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire is also commonly referred to as the OPQ32, because of the 32 traits on which candidates are rated.
Choose which statement is most true or typical of you and which is least like you
"I am invested in others’ wellbeing"
"I aspire to be ‘Number One”
"I feel very hopeful about the good things to come"
Read more about the SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire.
7. Mercer | Mettl's Leadership Assessment
The Mercer | Mettl Leadership Assessment is a psychometric test focused on current business and managerial requirements. It assesses cognitive and behavioral abilities like Learning Orientation, Strategic Thinking, Leadership Styles, and Fostering Innovation.
The test contains 235 questions to be answered within 115 minutes.
1. How often does the leader listen to team members in an unbiased way to solve disagreements?
A. Almost always.
B. Frequently.
C. Sometimes.
D. Never.
2. How frequently does the leader manage to convince others to achieve successful outcomes?
A. Almost always.
B. Frequently.
C. Sometimes.
D. Never.
Check out our PI Behavioral Assessment Practice and learn how to maximize your score!
8. Select Assessment for Leader Development (SALD)
SALD is an assessment test that measures 18 leadership success competencies, including Social Awareness, Negotiation, Accountability, and Delegating.
Organizations often use SALD to help choose and promote new leaders. It offers a selection report that matches a person's skills with what the organization looks for in its leaders. SALD can also check the abilities of an existing leadership team.
See the following page to understand more about the test and how it's scored.
9. Leadership Temperament Index (LTI)
The Leadership Temperament Index Assessment (LTI) by ExecuSmart is a leadership assessment focusing on 12 cognitive preferences that are predictors of one’s leadership style. These are divided into 4 categories, namely Coach, Director, Strategist, and Counselor.
Example Questions
1. Discuss the most complex and tactical issue you've encountered in your professional life. Explain your method for identifying and implementing a resolution. Share the foresight you cultivated for this obstacle and the role it played in your approach. How did you introduce a fresh or innovative perspective to tackle the challenge?
2. Upon learning that a key rival has unveiled a groundbreaking technology that not only enhances efficiency but also lowers operational expenses, thereby providing a significant competitive edge, it's crucial to deliberate on this development. Given the undeniable benefits this technology brings in terms of competitive positioning, what steps would you undertake and what strategies would you implement to respond effectively?
See the following Leadership Temperament Index PDF for more information about the test.
10. Leadership Alliance Assessment
The Leadership Alliance assessment is a test aimed at healthcare executives and senior-level roles. The test measures ten management competencies, such as leadership style, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
See more on the leadership alliance test.
11. Indeed Management and Leadership Skills Test
The Indeed management and leadership skills test assesses your unique leadership skills and abilities related to the workplace. The scores will appear on your Indeed resume page.
Check out our dedicated Indeed page for more information about various Indeed exams.
12. M2D Leadership Test
The M2D Leadership Test is a psychometric assessment of your strengths and the areas requiring improvement. The test measures 4 groups of competencies: Personal, project management, strategic competencies, and people management.
See the following page for more information.
13. MDA Leadership Assessment
The MDA leadership assessment measures your readiness to execute strategies in four sections: Leading a Business, Leading a Function, Leading Leaders, and Leading Others. The test contains various scenarios that you will need to respond to. The test is taken in the MDA Leadership offices, where you also meet with a consultant.
See the following page for more information on the MDA Leadership exam.
14. John Maxwell Leadership Assessment
John Maxwell Leadership Assessment is a self-administered personality questionnaire that measures your current level of influence, leadership skills, and potential for leadership growth through the five Levels of Leadership methodology: Position, Permission, Production, Pinnacle, and People Development.
Rank from 0-4 the following statements
0=Never 1=Seldom 2=Sometimes 3= Usually 4=Always
a) I exert influence on others.
b) I possess self-control.
c) My record of achievements is commendable.
d) My interpersonal skills are robust.
e) I am capable of resolving issues.
f) I challenge the existing state of affairs.
For more information about the test see the following PDF.
15. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment (MBTI)
The MBTI evaluates 4 factors related to your psychology and how you act, feel, and think:
- Extroverted vs. Introverted
- Sensing vs. Intuition
- Thinking vs. Feeling
- Judging vs. Perceiving
It contains 93 items, each comprised of two different sentences you need to choose which fits you best. The assessment has no time limit.
When you're at a social gathering, how do you usually feel or behave?
Answer Options:
A. Energized and lively: I love interacting with many people, and the more the merrier. I tend to jump from one conversation to another, finding energy in the social dynamics.
B. Curious but selective: I enjoy social gatherings, but I prefer having in-depth conversations with a few individuals rather than mingling with everyone.
C. Neutral: I can swing between being lively and keeping to myself, depending on my mood and the setting of the gathering.
D. Reserved and observant: I tend to listen more than I speak. Large groups can overwhelm me, so I might seek out a quiet spot or a familiar face to chat with.
Read more about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
16. DISC Personality Test
The DISC profile assessment, also known as DISC Personality Inventory, evaluates your dominant traits based on four personality types: Dominance (task-oriented and active), Influence (people-oriented and active), Steadiness (people-oriented and reserved), and Conscientiousness (task-oriented and active).
The test contains between 12 and 30 paired statements, and you need to choose which ones best describe you. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
- Pinpoint two factors that dampen your motivation and present significant obstacles in your current role.
- How can you mitigate their impact on your work? Please provide detailed strategies.
- Highlight two strengths that offer you an advantage in your present role.
- How can you enhance the influence of these strengths? Please elaborate on your approach.
Read more about the DISC personality test.
17. Birkman Personality Test
The Birkman exam is a personality assessment designed to measure psychological characteristics and behavior.
Companies use the test when hiring employees and as a career assessment for college students in order to identify motivational, behavioral, communication, and teamwork strengths and weaknesses.
- When working on a team, I tend to:
a) Take charge and direct the group
b) Offer suggestions and let the team decide
c) Observe quietly and let others lead
d) Ensure everyone's voice is heard
Read more on the Birkman test.
18. Gallup Strengthsfinder Leadership Assessment
Formerly called the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, the Gallup StrengthsFinder evaluates what you do right and identifies strengths instead of weaknesses. Your traits are divided into 4 themes: Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing.
The assessment contains 177 paired statements, and you need to choose which ones best describe you. The test has a time limit of 30 minutes.
Read more about Gallup's StrengthsFinder Personality Test
19. Amazon Leadership Tests
Amazon is a major player in the global industry, most known for its massive online retail enterprise. Despite its claim to fame being in e-commerce, it has also established a significant presence in fields such as media streaming, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
Being one of the world's largest employers, Amazon has developed an array of pre-employment tests unique to them. One such test is the Work Simulation Assessment which, as its name suggests, evaluates how you would perform in a variety of work-related situations and dilemmas. Amazon also has a personality test called the Work Style Assessment that aims to ascertain rather a candidate matches Amazon's unique business culture. Lastly, if you're interested in a warehouse job, Amazon has developed a Warehouse and Fulfillment Assessment.
Amazon's personality and leadership assessments are based on a set of 16 desired traits, dubbed Leadership Principles, which Amazon has published as a guideline to what they look for in their employees.
Using the provided data, assign a rating between 1 and 4 to the following options. Give a "1" to the option that requires the most improvement and a "4" to the one that requires the least. Note that each rating level can be applied to multiple options.
20. McQuaig Word Survey
The Word Survey is a two-part personality test. Each part requires you to rank four personality traits from most descriptive of you to least descriptive. In the first part, your ranking should be based on how you are perceived by others; the second part should be based on how you really are.
Following the assessment, McAuig produces 10 personality reports, including some that are more focused on how you are likely to perform in a leadership role.
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Which Employers Use Leadership Assessment Tests?
Many companies and organizations use leadership evaluation tests, such as Walmart, Amazon, the Canada Revenue Agency, and the American College of Healthcare. The leadership aptitude tests are part of the hiring process for various management jobs, including directors, managers, executives, supervisors, CFOs, VPs, and CEOs.
10 Top Leadership Assessment Tips
Before taking the test, read about the requirements and nature of the job/organization you are applying to work in. This can help you discover more about your potential employers' desired and valued competencies. Companies may publish an agenda or highlight their views of the management, service, and sales in their publications.
If you have trouble with the phrase, “How would you act?”, mentally change this to “How should you act?” This simple change in how you approach each question can help you understand which replies are more positive and desirable to employers. Yet remember to give honest responses about how you should act so your results are authentic.
Read through the instructions, questions, and scenarios carefully. This can help you avoid answering impulsively and to better understand your dilemma while weighing out each potential response to decide which answer is the most fitting.
Since there will be questions addressing your personal and professional characteristics, make sure to differentiate between them before deciding how to answer. If you aren't sure which category they fall under, try to sum up the question in a single line (e.g., "this question is about working with difficult coworkers" or "this question is about my hobbies").
Consider responses that balance the needs of everyone in the scenario (including your own) and assume that any response suggested is plausible. Additionally, choose more active responses to demonstrate your positive qualities more strongly.
When faced with answer choices that include an action and a rationalization for it, rate the actions and rationalizations separately. Rationalizations have a strong influence on your decision, for good or for bad, and can be there to confuse you. For example, they can make a bad response sound good by attaching it to a good intention, and a good response can sound bad by showing its flawed reasoning.
Ranking questions provide scenarios with 2-6 response options, which you should approach by understanding what competencies are represented in each response. Afterward, assess how each one relates to the factors in the scenario, according to their effectiveness (without eliminating responses based on how likely they are to occur). Then, determine which are the extremely best and worst choices and consider the factors and competencies in the remaining responses.
Rating questions offer one scenario and several responses that you need to rate according to how positive you think the response in the answer is. First, ask yourself how you would rate each answer on its own and how effective they are. Next, try to understand which competencies are displayed in each response and relate them to factors in the scenario. Then, look for the best and worst extremes in the choices while comparing them against the other responses.
Identify the most important point within a question so as not to be confused by irrelevant details that can steer you away from giving the best answer. Taking note of the underlying point of the question can help you understand the subject, context, and competencies being assessed so you can avoid answering dogmatically. This allows you to express more than one important quality throughout the test.
Make sure you are prepared for the right test. Several companies and agencies provide many kinds of Leadership Assessment tests. Research beforehand which test you are going to take, if it's a personality questionnaire, Situational Judgement Test (SJT), or another sort of test, and practice the relevant sample questions.
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