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AIBU?

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Original poster

Just failed a pre-interview assessment to work in a supermarket

429 replies

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:06

I just failed an M&S assessment. You know the kind: where you've got a multiple choice situation and you've got to say what you would be most likely and least likely to do.
Also failed assessments for civil service.

I don't understand. I like to think I'm a pretty capable person with a lot of life and work experience, good with people, pretty canny. So why do I keep failing these tasks? 😂 Often the options in the multiple choice questions all sound pretty damn similar to me.

OP posts:
Gingerbreadseasoniscoming · 05/11/2026 20:09

My husband runs chemical plants. He once failed a personality test so badly it came out as basically borderline psychopath. They employed him anyway as those tests are shown to not be scientifically sound.

Squirrelsnut · 05/11/2026 20:11

Don't take it badly, I think if you answer one question 'wrong' you get automatically rejected.

Original poster
Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:12

The questions are also like:
A fire has broken out. What do you do first?

  • Evacuate clients
  • Call the fire brigade
  • Let your teammates know"
I'd actually do all three simultaneously FFS
OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 05/11/2026 20:12

Neither myself or my DCs have ever managed to pass the Next one

Doggymummar · 05/11/2026 20:12

Oh don't. I failed the one for CoOP AND I was a store manager for years and years. The people they took on ( this was six months ago) are terrible. I go in there everyday as it has a Post Office and I have a side hustle and the manager is always complaining about them. One did one day and had been off sick since, another shakes so bad she drops stuff and another has about three teeth. I honestly despair. I've been unemployed now for over a year, it's soul destroying job hunting in this climate.

Minasama · 05/11/2026 20:14

Marks aren’t bad for this but places like H&M and Zara need to include a question like “If you are on your phone and a customer is waiting, what do you do?”.

YelliwFinnTuner · 05/11/2026 20:14

I failed the McDonald’s one about 10 years ago.

NobodyEvenCares · 05/11/2026 20:16

I once failed the first round of interviews for Xmas temp at HMV because I didn’t do well in a mental maths test.

How often do you need to do maths when scanning cd barcodes then saying ‘tap your card there’ 🤣

InFreeFall · 05/11/2026 20:16

I also failed the M&S test. I dread any of those psychometric test type things as I always screw them up. I have form for overthinking, and tend to think a lot of these would be down to what the company policy is.

Clairey1986 · 05/11/2026 20:17

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:12

The questions are also like:
A fire has broken out. What do you do first?

  • Evacuate clients
  • Call the fire brigade
  • Let your teammates know"
I'd actually do all three simultaneously FFS

Is the answer to this not teammates then between you, you call 999 and evacuate customers (and yourselves)?

Would imagine the “right” answer is always teamwork or cautious - keeps corp happy right?

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:17

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:12

The questions are also like:
A fire has broken out. What do you do first?

  • Evacuate clients
  • Call the fire brigade
  • Let your teammates know"
I'd actually do all three simultaneously FFS

You evacuate the clients, get to a safe place then call the fire brigade.

Gettingbysomehow · 05/11/2026 20:17

I passed a psychology test with flying colours for a credit card company job and walked out in disgust two days later so clearly I was not suitable for the job at all.

mamaof4losingmymind · 05/11/2026 20:17

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:12

The questions are also like:
A fire has broken out. What do you do first?

  • Evacuate clients
  • Call the fire brigade
  • Let your teammates know"
I'd actually do all three simultaneously FFS

Well I've worked in retail for 20 years and i haven't got a clue which is the right answer as you need to be doing them all straight away

AmberSpy · 05/11/2026 20:17

I hate these tests. They might as well screen candidates by star sign or something for all the good the tests do.

Original poster
Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:17

Like "you are supposed to be photocopying something but new recruit Dave has asked for help with one of his tasks. What do you do?"

Well it depends. How urgent is the photocopying? Is Dave taking the piss?

Possible answers:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You drop the photocopying and help Dave
  • You ask Dave to ask a different colleague

It fucking depends really doesnt it? 😂
Or:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You ask Dave to do his best and will help him as soon as you can
  • You encourage Dave to complete his task and explain you have to do photocopying

Is that not the exact same fucking action?

OP posts:
Original poster
Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:19

Clairey1986 · 05/11/2026 20:17

Is the answer to this not teammates then between you, you call 999 and evacuate customers (and yourselves)?

Would imagine the “right” answer is always teamwork or cautious - keeps corp happy right?

Show quote history

I would have thought you hit dial for the fire brigade while striding over to the clients and waving your nearest colleagues over (this is just a made up example question btw)

OP posts:
mamaof4losingmymind · 05/11/2026 20:19

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:17

You evacuate the clients, get to a safe place then call the fire brigade.

Show quote history

They wasn't the choices it says let your team mates know. In reality the fire alarm would be hit and announcement made for everyone to get out while another colleague rings the fire brigade and other colleagues hurry the stragglers along

Huckleberries · 05/11/2026 20:21

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:17

Like "you are supposed to be photocopying something but new recruit Dave has asked for help with one of his tasks. What do you do?"

Well it depends. How urgent is the photocopying? Is Dave taking the piss?

Possible answers:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You drop the photocopying and help Dave
  • You ask Dave to ask a different colleague

It fucking depends really doesnt it? 😂
Or:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You ask Dave to do his best and will help him as soon as you can
  • You encourage Dave to complete his task and explain you have to do photocopying

Is that not the exact same fucking action?

Hang on, did they give you all six options?

Sorry you didn’t pass. I do think these things are crap by the way.

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:21

Whatdpidoooo · 05/11/2026 20:17

Like "you are supposed to be photocopying something but new recruit Dave has asked for help with one of his tasks. What do you do?"

Well it depends. How urgent is the photocopying? Is Dave taking the piss?

Possible answers:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You drop the photocopying and help Dave
  • You ask Dave to ask a different colleague

It fucking depends really doesnt it? 😂
Or:

  • You tell Dave you will be with him in a minute and finish photocopying
  • You ask Dave to do his best and will help him as soon as you can
  • You encourage Dave to complete his task and explain you have to do photocopying

Is that not the exact same fucking action?

You tell Dave you'll help him in a minute. This basically shows that you prioritise your own tasks while being a good / helpful colleague so in real terms, your job won't go to shit but you're also willing to step up so someone else's job doesn't go to shit.

Hopefulmama26 · 05/11/2026 20:21

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:17

You evacuate the clients, get to a safe place then call the fire brigade.

Show quote history

What about your teammates?!

Overflowingbasket · 05/11/2026 20:21

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:17

You evacuate the clients, get to a safe place then call the fire brigade.

Show quote history

Yup. I’m old enough to remember the tv advert. ‘Get out. Stay out. Get the fire brigade out.’

mamaof4losingmymind · 05/11/2026 20:22

Hopefulmama26 · 05/11/2026 20:21

What about your teammates?!

Show quote history

She would let them burn 🤣 she wants the promotion

glendabrownlow · 05/11/2026 20:22

Many years ago when I was still a teenager, I thought I'd get a stop gap kind of job while I looked around for something better. I had this similar kind of interview for Woolworths (all multiple choice crap) and I failed! For bloody Woolworths! I felt so insulted.

On the way out of the interviewer's office, I saw the women on the shop floor all watching me with bitchy looks on their faces and arms folded, so I suspect that they would have had it in for me if I had got the job, because at the time I was much younger than them.

Huckleberries · 05/11/2026 20:22

mamaof4losingmymind · 05/11/2026 20:22

She would let them burn 🤣 she wants the promotion

Edited
Show quote history

If any of them chose to make people do these tests that seems fair

InjuredDuck · 05/11/2026 20:22

mamaof4losingmymind · 05/11/2026 20:19

They wasn't the choices it says let your team mates know. In reality the fire alarm would be hit and announcement made for everyone to get out while another colleague rings the fire brigade and other colleagues hurry the stragglers along

Show quote history

The first option was to evacuate the clients. It's not about reality, it's about passing the test.