A 30-minute behavioral and personality assessment that measures 3 specific values.
With a strong focus on 3 specific values, Phaidon utilizes its Online Immersive Assessment to predict whether your personality and behavior are what this fast-expanding consulting firm.
The Phaidon Immersive Assessment is the first stage of Phaidon’s hiring process for students, interns, and graduates. The test is a tailored version of the StrenghtsProfile Assessment by Cappfinity (Capp) and is mostly a behavioral assessment, designed to measure how you are likely to behave in the workplace.
Most importantly, the assessment will aim to evaluate whether you are expected to follow the particular values and behaviors that are most important to Phaidon. An understanding of these values is crucial for your success, and I will describe them in detail in the Phaidon Values section.
Pro Tip
Can you skip questions? Do you need to take the assessment in a specific order? Check out the Test Interface section.
How Do the Questions on the Phaidon Assessment Look Like?
Almost all questions in the assessment (Section #4 is an exception) are situational judgment ranking questions.
Each question contains a short scenario and 5 optional responses. You need to rank these responses from the one you are most likely to do (1) to the one you are least likely to do (5).
See the recommended ranking and a detailed explanation for this question in the Free Practice section.
You have been working in one of Phaidon’s brands for the past year, and your managers are very pleased with your performance. Your direct manager has even implied that your name has come up as a suitable candidate for promotion.
During a very busy day in the office, Brad, one of your colleagues, approaches you and asks for your assistance in sourcing a Tech Lead for a major client. Brad is concerned that Phaidon may lose the client if a suitable candidate is not found soon.
Please rank the following responses from the one you are most likely to do (1) to the one you are least likely to do (5).
Apologize to Brad but explain you have your own commitments.
Talk with Brad for several minutes, giving him some tips from your experience. This way, you will be able to help him and get back to your own work on time.
Meet Brad for an hour or two to learn about the project and provide some insights. Success is eventually a team effort.
Send Brad the highly detailed presentation you prepared last month on staffing in the tech industry. He will find whatever he needs in there.
Have a short pep talk with Brad to motivate him to keep trying. Tell him that you are sure he can make it on his own.
Phaidon Online Immersive Assessment Preparation
The only tailored preparation for the Phaidon Assessment.
A full-length, authentic practice test (24 questions) + PDF study guide
Tailored to the actual test’s subject matter and format
Follows the test’s ranking + personality format
Scoring based on Phaidon’s 3 values: Ambition, Dependability, and Energy.
30-day access
The preparation is conducted on third-party website ClassMarker.
The test is based on a main screen that contains 4 tiles. Each tile represents a section. The number of circles by each tile stands for the number of questions or tasks within. Every section will contain several resources in the form of videos, audio files, brochures, or texts.
The 4 sections of the assessment are described below:
Section #1 – Life at Phaidon
This section contains 2 questions that tend to revolve around your mindset and general perceptions.
Section #2 – Who We Are
This section contains 4 questions that focus primarily on cooperation with colleagues and managers.
Section #3 – What We Do
This section contains 6 questions involving interactions with clients. The questions here tend to be slightly more complex than in the previous two sections. For some of these interactions you will also be provided with reference material and instructions from your manager.
Section #4 – About You
This section is the only one that does not contain situational judgment ranking questions, but rather 12 personality profiling questions.
Each question is structured as a statement with two contradicting behaviors, and a scale in between. You need to place yourself on the scale, closer to the behavior towards which you more naturally incline.
Here’s an example:
Pro Tip
You cannot place yourself in the exact center of the scale and will always have to choose one response that describes you better than the other.
Done reading? Good, now head to the Free Practice section to try some questions!
Test Invitation
The invitation to take the Phaidon Immersive Assessment will be sent to you via email directly from Phaidon shortly after you apply. You will have only 3 days to complete it.
Once you have completed the assessment, you will be notified if you have passed within 3 business days. If you did, you will be contacted by a Phaidon recruiter to schedule an interview.
Test Interface
The interface of the Phaidon Online Immersive Assessment is pretty clear and easy to understand. Here are a few things to note in advance to show up more relaxed for the assessment:
You may take the 4 tiles of the assessment at any order.
You may move freely between questions and sections.
You can freely change your answers until the final submission.
Each section has a specific list of resources, provided in the top row.
Free Practice
This free practice aims to familiarize yourself with the types of questions on the Phaidon Immersive Assessment.
It contains two behavioral (situational judgment) questions and two personality profiling questions.
The test is untimed.
Good luck!
Question 1
You have just started working on an important staffing project that may last several weeks. Your manager mentions that she believes you could contribute to a similar project that is currently ongoing in a different department. However, joining the new project will require a learning period and may distract you.
Please rank the following responses from the one you are most likely to do (1) to the one you are least likely to do (5).
Wait for several days before joining the second project. You want to get a better understanding of the current project before jumping in to the next.
Set some time aside to evaluate the pros and cons of each project so you can understand where you are most likely to succeed.
You prefer focusing on one thing at a time. See your current project to completion before moving on to something else.
Join the other department’s work for an hour or two each day, so you can join the new project as soon as possible.
Share your concerns with your manager and tell her that joining the new project interests you, but it may negatively impact your current performance.
Recommended Answers
The recommended ranking is D, A, E, B, C.
Measured Value: Ambition
Let’s review each response:
Response D – Join the other department’s work for an hour or two each day, so you can join the new project as soon as possible.
This response demonstrates the highest level of ambition. You take immediate action and focus your efforts on achieving the goal of joining the project as soon as possible.
Response A – Wait for several days before joining the second project. You want to get a better understanding of the current project before jumping in to the next.
This response is not as ambitious as response D, but still demonstrates drive to join the next project. You want to make sure things are going smoothly with your current project before moving on, which is reasonable.
Response E – Share your concerns with your manager and tell her that joining the new project interests you, but it may negatively impact your current performance.
This response demonstrates moderate levels of ambition. While showing interest in joining the second project, you still show lack of self-confidence by focusing on your concerns and possible shortcomings rather than the potential for success. Taking this to your manager also contributes to the impression of lower self-esteem.
Response B – Set some time aside to evaluate the pros and cons of each project so you can understand where you are most likely to succeed.
This response is tricky. While it seems very reasonable at first glance, your main focus here is where YOU are most likely to succeed, not the company or the project. This distinction is important. Sticking to the project where you, personally, are most likely to succeed, demonstrates low levels of ambition and belief in self and is not a recommended response in the context of this particular question.
Response C – You prefer focusing on one thing at a time. See your current project to completion before moving on to something else.
This response naturally comes last as it demonstrates the lowest levels of ambition. Very often, the most passive response is the least recommended one and should be ranked last, and that is also the case here.
Pro Tip
Most questions in the Phaidon Online Assessment measure two values simultaneously. Check out the next example.
Question 2
You have been working in one of Phaidon’s brands for the past year, and your managers are very pleased with your performance. Your direct manager has even implied that your name has come up as a suitable candidate for promotion.
During a very busy day in the office, Brad, one of your colleagues, approaches you and asks for your assistance in sourcing a Tech Lead for a major client. Brad is concerned that Phaidon may lose the client if a suitable candidate is not found soon.
Please rank the following responses from the one you are most likely to do (1) to the one you are least likely to do (5).
Apologize to Brad but explain you have your own commitments.
Talk with Brad for several minutes, giving him some tips from your experience. This way, you will be able to help him and get back to your own work on time.
Meet Brad for an hour or two to learn about the project and provide some insights. Success is eventually a team effort.
Send Brad the highly detailed presentation you prepared last month on staffing in the tech industry. He will find whatever he needs in there.
Have a short pep talk with Brad to motivate him to keep trying. Tell him that you are sure he can make it on his own.
Recommended Answers
The recommended ranking is C, B, E, D, A.
Measured Values: Dependability and Energy
Let’s review each response:
Response C – Meet Brad for an hour or two to learn about the project and provide some insights. Success is eventually a team effort.
This response demonstrates high levels of dependability and energy. Energy is high as you actively create positive change for your environment by assisting your colleague and increasing the chances that a major client is preserved. Additionally, dependability is high as you are willing to make the required effort, learn about the topic, and share the commitment to the results.
Response B – Talk with Brad for several minutes, giving him some tips from your experience. This way, you will be able to help him and get back to your own work on time.
This response scores high on energy due to the active attempt to assist Brad but gets a moderate to low score on the dependability scale. Your main focus here is doing the least amount of work required so you can get back to your own work on time. However, while this is not a very recommended response, considering the alternatives, it comes second.
Response E – Have a short pep talk with Brad to motivate him to keep trying. Tell him that you are sure he can make it on his own.
This response is high on energy, but it lacks dependability. While you show support for your colleague and attempt to motivate him, you do not put in any meaningful effort to promote his (and the company’s) success.
Response D – Send Brad the highly detailed presentation you prepared last month on staffing in the tech industry. He will find whatever he needs in there.
While this response demonstrates high dependability by providing Brad with professional material in an adequate scope, it lacks energy. Being an expert in the field, one or two hours of your time would probably be much more valuable for Brad than going over a written presentation and are more likely to promote his success.
Note: As you see, response E ranks before response D in this case. This is due to the fact that in this particular question, Energy is the major value and Dependability is the minor value. The major and minor values of questions can be derived from the context.
Response A – Apologize to Brad but explain you have your own commitments.
This response scores low on both energy and dependability. It is a passive, do-nothing response that does not adhere to any of the two values, and therefore ranks the lowest.
Question 3
Recommended Answer
It is somewhat difficult to ascribe this question to one of the pillars measured by the Phaidon assessment, but it is probably most closely related to the energy pillar.
Working at Phaidon requires constant communication with existing and new clients, and building relationships, trust, and rapport with them.
As such, candidates are expected to be able to form these relationships quickly and easily, and the recommended location on the scale for this question will be closer to the “quickly and easily” side.
Question 4
Recommended Answer
While teamwork is an important trait for nearly any job, the main focus of the Phaidon Immersive Assessment is on your individual performance, derived from your ambition, dependability, and energy.
As such, you are expected to have the confidence to make decisions on your own, and the recommended location on the scale for this question will be closer to the “by myself” side.
Want More Practice?
The only tailored preparation for the Phaidon Immersive Assessment.
A full-length, authentic practice test (24 questions) + PDF study guide
Tailored to the actual test’s subject matter and format
Follows the test’s ranking + personality format
Scoring based on Phaidon’s 3 values: Ambition, Dependability, and Energy.
Phaidon holds a set of values that is based on 4 pillars. The company views these values as paramount for its success and expects all its employees to adhere to them. The main goal of the Phaidon Immersive Assessment is to evaluate how well you personally align with three of these four pillars. In the Free Practice section, you can see how the ranking method of the Phaidon Immersive Assessment is used for that purpose.
Let’s go over them briefly.
Pillar #1 – Unwavering Dependability
The Unwavering Dependability value describes your willingness to work hard, take responsibility for your mistakes and successes, and deliver the best possible results.
Pillar #2 – Ambition Above All
The Ambition Above All value describes your constant aspiration for improvement and drive towards achieving goals.
Pillar #3 – Infectious Energy
The Infectious Energy value describes your positive effect on the environment through effective cooperation, communication, and support for others.
Pillar #4 (Not Measured) – You Matter
The fourth and last pillar, You Matter, is what, according to Phaidon, combines all three aforementioned values into a single, cohesive mindset. This value means that you, as an individual, matter to the overall success of the company. Hence the expectation of every employee to follow the company’s values and behavioral norms.
However, in the context of the Phaidon Immersive Assessment, this particular value is less important because it is already implemented in the very structure of the assessment. This means that you do not need to analyze the scenarios based on this value when ranking responses.
Pro Tip
Questions in the Phaidon Assessment may evaluate a single value, or two values simultaneously. To properly rank them, you need to figure out the major and minor values of the question.
Get the ONLY prep for the Phaidon Immersive Assessment that follows the actual 3 Phaidon Values! Check out the Preparation section for more details.
The Phaidon Online Immersive Assessment Preparation includes:
1 Full-Length Interactive Practice Test
The test matches the actual test in terms of question types (SJT, personality), number of questions (24), and measured values (Ambition, Dependability, and Energy).
Taken on the third-party website Classmarker, a trusted testing platform for over 15 years.
Situational Judgment (Ranking) Sample Question
Personality Sample Question
A Step-by-Step Ranking Method for the Situational Judgment Questions
Learn how to approach any scenario using a value-based ranking system.
Detailed answers and explanations to each question.
An Additional Tips Guide
Gain extra insight and depth of the nitty-gritty details of the assessment.
Review your answers alongside the guide to maximize your learning.
