The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at Sainsbury’s.
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If you are aiming to apply to Sainsbury’s or have a Sainsbury’s assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start.
Not sure if you should practice to prepare for Sainsbury’s assessments? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude tests results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.
A recent study (Bradley et al, 2019) found that candidates who do not practise assessments, tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study looked at the Top 100 global employers.
In a nutshell:
How to prepare for the Sainsbury’s assessment process and tests to get the job?
Sainsbury’s uses a variety of aptitude assessment tests. These include:
You may get rejected already after your numerical and /or verbal reasoning tests; these tests sift out 50-80% candidates at this stage. The only proven way to get to the next round is practice.
You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews for retail jobs. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.
Prepare for an online video interview by running mock interviews answering typical retail interview questions. For Sainsbury’s interview practice, use:
Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions for retail and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
Sainsbury’s makes use of a variety of competitive exercises during the assessment centre to find the right candidates. Ensure that you practice a variety of exercises including:
Hone your written and spoken communication technique. Research online, prepare and practice your presentation for various example case studies.
Be aware, as not many get to this stage. The competition is very fierce.
Prepare for your one-on-one final interview with an experienced senior member or HR specialist from Sainsbury’s. Keep up the good work, as they are looking for the best talent. They likely will have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.
Hone your technique for your final Sainsbury’s interview to showcase your:
For this final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the retail questions using the STAR technique.
Continue reading to get answers to critical questions:
Looking into assessments with Sainsbury’s, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!
If you decide to apply for Sainsbury’s, you can practice online aptitude tests with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.
Sainsbury’s is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with almost 17% share of the supermarket sector in the UK. With its size comes excellent and varied opportunities for graduates and young professionals across many different departments. However, the competition is also fierce and so if you want to get a job at Sainsbury’s, you really do need to prepare well. This is why we prepared this article: to provide you with a step-by-step overview of the best tips to successfully pass
The online application form will be used for any future reference relating to your career experiences, main achievements and education. Make sure to fill in all the personal details accurately, and always double check your inputs.
Depending on the area you apply to, you might also be asked to answer a few motivational questions.
Tip 1: Always start by doing a lot of research about the company’s: current deals, structural changes it might be going through, and any exceptional awards it has received. Refer to these to show your interest in the company.
Tip 2: Apply as early as possible, as some applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Make written notes/copies of what you have put in the application. You may be asked for details during the interview.
Tip 3: The application form will provide a basis for any future references. Make written notes/copies of what you have put in the application. You may be asked for details during the interview.
These will include Sainsbury’s
In this Sainsbury’s aptitude test, you will be presented with a few passages with tables, charts and other types of data presentation, and will be required to quickly analyse the information given and answer questions.
Do not worry if you have not done maths in a while! All you need is a quick recap of basic GCSE calculations, such as ratios, percentages and reading data off charts. Sainsbury’s numerical reasoning test is difficult – not because of the knowledge tested, but because of the time pressure and stress involved.
Tip 4: You need to manage your stress and time pressure. The most successful way to achieve this is through numerical test practice in a safe environment, before your real aptitude assessment. Most candidates fail because they cannot manage their time properly.
Learn more about numerical reasoning tests and tips to pass them.
Check if you got the correct answer at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to Sainsbury’s assessment tests, sign up with GF and take your FREE numerical reasoning test now!
This test examines a candidate’s ability to accurately extract relevant information from a previously unseen passage of text; it involves critically analysing statements and deciding which of them are true, false – or whether this is impossible to say based on the information contained in the passage of text.
Verbal reasoning tests tend to be more difficult for non-native English speakers, but what we would recommend is that everyone practices verbal reasoning test questions as much as possible, as this allows them to understand the specific ways in which texts are structured – and precisely what the questions are asking for. The verbal reasoning test does not use logic in the same way that a numerical or logical test would. This is why practice is important.
Tip 5: Always read the whole passage before attempting the question. Do not jump to conclusions about whether the statement is true or false until you have carefully examined the statement, and found sufficient evidence in the passage to support your claims.
For more hints on how to pass a verbal reasoning test, visit our Youtube channel.
How to pass a verbal reasoning test video:
Learn more about verbal reasoning tests and tips to pass them.
In the real assessment, you will have around 45 seconds to answer questions like the following:
Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to Sainsbury’s online aptitude tests, sign up with GF and take your FREE verbal reasoning test now!
If you have successfully passed the online tests stage, you will be invited to a one-on-one interview with a HR professional from Sainsbury’s. This interview will most likely take the form of a telephone interview and will last approximately 30 minutes.
This interview will be competency based (CBI) and will be focused around your CV and personal motivations, so review your CV and prepare examples of situations where you demonstrated the key skills that Sainsbury’s look for. These include:
Sainsbury’s telephone interview tip 6: Find a quiet space where you will not be disturbed. Leave a note in your sight to be reminded about the acronym STAR – Situation, Task, Action and Result. Every time you answer a question, make sure to talk precisely about each of these points. Make sure there is a logical flow between situations you describe under S, T, A, R.
Prepare projects you have previously worked on – whether they stem from your professional experiences, education, passions, sports or personal experiences. Use STAR model to describe them.
Examples of interview questions you might be asked:
Learn more about the most common types of interview questions
Our proprietary tool will help you identify questions that are likely to come up during your interview. Check out our Question Identifier Tool (QIT) available in our Go Premium and Go Essential practice test packages.
Sainsbury’s Interview tip: Practice answers to the questions above in the mirror. Watch your body language. Record yourself on your phone and watch it later, so that you can review your performance. Identify body language improvements, language you use (look for unnecessary ‘filler words’ and remove), and then record yourself again. This exercise will help you with future interviews.
Depending on your position and line of business, in this final stage of the Sainsbury’s assessment process, you might be asked to complete these two assessments.
This exercise will examine your ability to work as part of a team. Throughout this task, various employees will observe you and how you solve problems when working with others under time pressure.
It is important that you are confident enough to share and argument your ideas, but also be ready to contribute to somebody else’s input. Most importantly: speak clearly and never interrupt anyone!
Tip 8: Try to persuade others towards your ideas and also ask critical though-provoking questions, but only do so when it feels natural. You need to appreciate that other people are just as important on the team.
Learn more about the Group Exercise
In this exercise, you will be provided with a candidate brief which will tell you what is required of you, including any relevant extra information you might need to use. You will then be given a strict time limit to review the information and prepare a presentation.
Tip 9:
Learn more about the Presentation exercise
This will be a one-on-one final round interview with an experienced senior member of staff at Sainsbury’s, or a HR specialist.
Sainsbury’s competency-based interview tip: Remember it is imperative that you refer to a variety of experiences from different areas of your life (professional, personal, community, etc.) – so do not get stuck on one project you previously worked as an example in all of your answers. Your goal here is to present your ability to act in different circumstances. Prepare a couple of examples before the interview, and draft your answers using the STAR model.
Tip 10: Prepare and write down a couple of projects or initiatives that you did exceptionally well in. The interviewer will be interested in understanding: how you approached the problem, what analysis you did, how you gathered data, insights and actions taken, results achieved and what your role was.
If you reach this stage of the recruitment process, you should already be aware of: the industry Sainsbury’s operates in, its competitors, the company structure and corporate culture, and any recent development/s that could be affecting the business. Be comfortable to discuss these and refer to your skills throughout the interview.
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Correct answers to example questions:
Numerical Reasoning Test – D
Verbal Reasoning Test – B
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