Key facts
- Platform
- SHL TalentCentral
- Measures
- 32 work-related personality scales
- Items
- 104 blocks × 3 statements
- Time
- untimed, about 15–25 min
- Answer format
- rank 3 statements with two clicks
- Back button
- yes
- Adaptive
- no
What the questionnaire is
The OPQ (Occupational Personality Questionnaire) is a forced-choice instrument: each block offers a few statements about behaviour, and you rank which is most and least like you. There is no pass mark; it builds a profile, and the employer reads it against the role.
Why forced choice changes the game
You cannot say "all of these are me". The format forces a trade-off, so think about what you are most and least, not about what sounds best. Consistency beats polish: a profile that contradicts itself is the one that raises questions.
Answer for your normal working self, not your best day. The questionnaire is looking for a stable pattern, so a statement that is only sometimes true should not be your most.
How to answer
- Read the whole block before ranking, so you pick the true extremes.
- Go with your first instinct and do not re-litigate it; overthinking flattens the profile.
- Keep the most and least decisions independent; do not balance a block, judge each statement.
- Watch the clock, but do not rush to the point of randomness.
How to practice
There is little to drill, but you can rehearse the trade-offs: for a set of work behaviours, decide your most and least in under a minute. That rehearsal is what stops the block format feeling unnatural on the day.
MSc Psychology, 7 years of test taking.
Last updated: Oct 27, 2026