Situational Judgement and Interpersonal Skills
What this domain tests
Situational Judgement and Interpersonal Skills presents workplace scenarios and asks you to choose the most or least appropriate response. It assesses safety-first judgement, teamwork, communication, integrity, respect for others, and willingness to follow lawful direction and escalate when needed. There is usually no single perfect option; you are ranking professional judgement.
Core rules
- Safety and welfare come before convenience, reputation or speed.
- Address issues early and privately where possible; praise publicly, correct privately.
- Use facts, not blame: describe the behaviour and its impact, then agree an action.
- Know your limits: report hazards, injuries, near misses and misconduct through the correct channel.
- Follow a lawful instruction, but do not conceal a serious safety concern; escalate it.
- Respect confidentiality; do not discuss a colleague’s performance with the whole crew.
Worked example
A crew member has arrived late for musters three times this week. What is the most appropriate first step? A. Announce the lateness at the next muster to deter others. B. Speak to them privately, ask whether something is affecting attendance, restate the expectation and offer support. C. Report them formally before speaking to them. D. Say nothing because attendance is not your responsibility.
B is best: it is early, private, seeks information, restates the standard and offers support. A humiliates and damages trust. C escalates before gathering facts and may be premature. D avoids a legitimate team concern. If lateness continues or affects safety, escalate through the supervisor.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing the hardest response rather than the most proportionate one.
- Publicly correcting someone to “set an example”.
- Ignoring a safety issue to avoid conflict.
- Promising confidentiality you cannot keep.