Admissions prep · Health sciences

Situational judgement practice scenarios

Original everyday scenarios with the principles of a strong response: empathy, fact-finding, fairness, safety and when to escalate a problem.

36 cards5 topicsAbout 15 minutes a roundIndependent practice for situational judgement questions used by some admissions processes

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About this deck

Some university programs, especially in health sciences, education and professional fields, ask applicants to complete an online situational judgement test or answer scenario questions in an interview. These ask what you would do, and why, in realistic situations involving teamwork, ethics, safety and communication. This deck is independent practice written for StudyBrix. It is not affiliated with, approved by or based on any test provider, and it does not reproduce any real test question. Each card gives a short scenario title on the front and, on the back, the principles a thoughtful response usually draws on.

Use the cards to practise reasoning, not to memorize answers. Read the scenario, then say or type your own response before flipping, ideally within a time limit of a few minutes. Compare your answer with the principles on the card: did you show empathy, ask for missing information, consider everyone affected, put safety first, and know when to involve someone with more authority? Weak responses usually jump to extreme actions such as immediate reporting or confrontation, assume facts that were not given, ignore one of the people involved, or give a decision without explaining it. The final tag summarizes the principles themselves so you can review them directly. Strong practice answers do not promise any particular result on a real assessment.

Before you start: None.

All 36 cards

Cover the definitions with a sheet of paper and test yourself, or use the study modes above.

Teamwork

A teammate is not doing their share of a group project: Talk privately first, ask about their situation, agree on specific tasks and dates, record the plan, and involve the instructor only if it continues.
A new team member is being left out: Include them directly, introduce them to others, ask for their ideas, and model welcoming behaviour for the group.
You are given credit for a peer's idea: Correct the record promptly and generously so the right person is recognized, even if no one would notice.
You realize your error hurt the team's result: Own it quickly, explain the impact, propose a fix, and share what you will do differently next time.
A teammate is attached to a weak idea: Acknowledge its strengths, explain concerns with evidence, suggest testing alternatives, and keep attention on the shared goal.
Your group plans to split work unfairly: Speak up, suggest a balanced split based on skills and time available, and confirm the agreement in writing.
Two friends want you to take sides: Stay neutral, listen to each, avoid passing information between them, and encourage them to talk directly.

Integrity

You see a classmate copying during an exam: Avoid a disruptive confrontation mid-exam; consider fairness to everyone and report what you observed to the invigilator, sticking to facts.
A friend asks to copy your assignment: Decline kindly, explain the risk to both of you, and offer honest help such as studying together or pointing to tutoring.
Your supervisor asks you to falsify a record: Refuse politely, explain your concern, suggest an honest alternative, and use proper channels if the pressure continues.
A fellow volunteer seems to be taking supplies home: Avoid assumptions: ask a neutral question first, then tell the coordinator if it continues, focusing on facts rather than character.
You overhear a colleague sharing private client details: Raise the privacy concern with them privately, and tell a supervisor if it continues or someone could be harmed.
A professor graded your work unfairly, in your view: Review the rubric, request a respectful meeting with specific points, and follow the formal appeal process if still needed.

Safety

A coworker arrives at work impaired: Put safety first: keep them away from risky tasks, tell a supervisor promptly, and treat the person with respect and discretion.
A child is alone and upset in a busy mall: Stay with the child, reassure them, ask simple questions, alert security or staff, and do not lead the child away from the area.
A friend who has been drinking wants to drive home: Do not let them drive: take the keys if it is safe, arrange a ride, and ask others to help if needed.
Someone says they are thinking of hurting themselves: Take it seriously, listen without judgement, stay with them if possible, and connect them to urgent help such as 9-8-8, or 911 in an emergency.
A leader's mistake put volunteers at risk: Deal with the immediate hazard first, then raise it privately and constructively, and report it if the risk continues.
You are asked to do a task beyond your training: Say honestly what you are not qualified to do, ask for guidance or supervision, and never guess when safety is involved.

Communication

A customer is angry about a mistake: Stay calm, listen fully, acknowledge the frustration, apologize for the error, offer a fix within policy, and get a manager if needed.
A patient asks you, a volunteer, for medical advice: Stay within your role: respond kindly, do not advise, and connect them with the nurse or staff member responsible.
A friend posts something hurtful about a classmate: Talk with the friend privately, explain the harm, encourage them to remove it, and check in with the classmate.
You cannot meet a deadline you promised: Tell the person as early as possible, explain briefly, offer a realistic new date and share any partial work.
A roommate's habits disrupt your studying: Raise it early and calmly using I statements, propose specific compromises, and involve residence staff if it continues.
A teammate makes a racist joke: Address it directly but calmly, explain why it is harmful, support anyone affected, and report it if it continues.
You disagree with your manager's decision: Ask to understand the reasoning, share your view with evidence in private, then support the decision if it is legal and safe.
A family emergency conflicts with an exam: Contact the instructor or faculty office promptly, follow the deferral procedure, and keep your documentation.
Someone asks you to keep a serious secret: Promise confidentiality only when no one is at risk, and explain that safety concerns must be shared with someone who can help.
A client cannot afford a service they urgently need: Show empathy, explain the options within policy, connect them with community resources, and avoid promises you cannot keep.

Principles

Empathy: Recognizing and acknowledging how another person feels, which builds trust before you act.
Fact-finding before acting: Seeking information and perspectives before judging, especially when a situation is unclear or secondhand.
Fairness: Treating people consistently and impartially, and considering everyone affected, not only those in the room.
Escalation: Taking a problem to someone with more authority when it is beyond your role, unsafe, or not resolved at your level.
Proportional response: Matching the action to the seriousness of the issue: a private talk for small problems, formal reporting for serious ones.
Professional boundaries: Staying within the limits of your role, training and relationship with the people involved.
Structure of a strong written answer: Name the issue and who is affected, state what you need to learn, give a balanced plan of action, and explain your reasons.