Target store

Target Test: Application Process, Practice Questions & Preparation Guide

With approximately 2000 stores in the US and many more globally, Target often has high numbers of open positions. The positions may vary from cashiers, carrying out duties on the floor, to working in head office.

However, the recruitment process begins in the same way for everybody — with the Target test, a pre-employment aptitude test designed to help find the right candidate for the role. You must pass this to be in with a chance of being hired.

Take the Target Practice Test to improve your score.

This means that ideally, you will start preparing for the recruitment process before you even apply for a job. But whenever your Target test is, it is not too late to prepare.

Read this guide to learn more about Target’s hiring process and to find the essential tools to help you get that job.

Take Target Practice Test Now

What is the Target recruitment process?

To apply, submit your application and any relevant documentation in-store or online. Then you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire. You need to allow 50-60 minutes to complete the application and do the test.

Consider completing the questionnaire as the first step in the hiring process. Hiring managers will be able to decide from your answers if you are suited to a career at Target.

Progression to the next stage of the recruitment process depends on how well you answer the questionnaire.

What is the Target test?

Target-Logo

The Target test is administered by Kenexa, a well-regarded supplier of pre-employment tests that help employers select the best candidates for a role.

You will be asked to do 50 multiple-choice questions in 20-30 minutes. The questions will aim to build your personality profile and assess your likely behavior in the workplace.

For this, you will be given situational judgement questions.

Take Target Practice Test Now

What does the Target test assess?

The test assesses your workplace personality, which sounds intimidating.

However, you need to realize that personality is assessed by looking at behavior. When answering, you should think of how you would behave in the workplace and not in your downtime.

You will be presented with scenarios you are likely to encounter at work and asked to select the answer that best shows how you would deal with them.

To see how this works, try the following sample Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and then review your answer.

Example question:

A customer has called with a complex problem. You decide to gather the information you need to check the issue and assure the customer that you will call them back within an hour. However, while you are working on the matter, one of your colleagues informs you that there is a long line of customers at the till and asks you to come and help.

What is the best response in this situation?
A Take a few moments to consider how much time you need to finish working on your customer’s problem and see if you can spend some time helping at the checkout.
B Put your current task on hold for a while and go help your team at the till.
C Apologize to your colleague and explain that you can’t help at the moment.
D Ask your manager what you should do.

Reviewing your answer, ask yourself if it shows you as someone who is customer-focused, a good team player, or someone who cannot make a decision on their own?

Now try tweaking your answer until you have used all four answers. In the case of each answer, decide how you are presenting yourself and if that measures up to Target’s standards.

By working through a series of SJTs, you will learn how to adjust your answers to present the type of personality most likely to get you a job at Target.

Take Target Practice Test Now

How does Target measure the test?

A factor that may prove challenging is that hiring managers will be assessing your answers to see if your values are the same as those held by Target.

A check on the company’s website will help you discover them. Essentially you will need to show you are a person who is a good fit for a company that creates a culture of mutual care and respect.

You will need to show them you are a person who:

Is customer-oriented: One of Target’s key values is that customers should see their Target store as their happy place and should enjoy the experience of shopping there.
Works well with colleagues: Target sees the workplace as somewhere people treat one another with respect and enjoy working together.

Before doing the test, do your homework on the company’s culture and values.

What format does the test take?

The test is timed, and questions are in the multiple-choice format. Doing 50 questions in approximately 20-30 minutes is challenging. You can expect to be working under pressure when doing this.

Take Target Practice Test Now

How can I prepare for the Target assessment?

It is essential to use the services of a job test preparation company when preparing for any pre-employment testing.

For this, we recommend using Job Test Prep, acknowledged leaders in the field of preparing applicants for pre-employment testing.

You can rely on them to provide you with accurate information on the format of the test, as well as resources to ensure you are thoroughly prepared for the process.

They provide you with a test prep pack containing sample tests modeled on the real exam, detailed information on questions and answers, and a method of checking your scores as you work through the tests.

To get an idea of the types of tests they give you, try your hand at a free sample situational judgment test.

The Target interviews

If the company is happy with your assessment, you will be called for an interview.

The first interview usually takes place on the telephone. You will be asked about your work experience, and the interviewer will be checking the information you gave on your application form.

The second interview is face to face and is competency-based. You can expect to be questioned about your work skills, how you have dealt with past work situations and how you would deal with scenarios that could arise at Target. You may be asked about your reasons for wanting to work at Target.

The company will also want to find out about your approach to customer service, your teamwork, and your leadership skills. You may even be asked about the traits you like to see in fellow workers.

In answering questions, let the interviewer know you are aware of Target’s values. For example, you could state that your approach to customer service is to ensure the customer enjoys the shopping experience.

Take Target Practice Test Now

Preparing for the Target interviews

Before the interviews, take another look at your resume. Find examples from your work experience that you could refer to in the interview.

Collect as much information as you can about the company and its work style. Visit their website again and have some questions of your own ready to ask at the end of the interview.

Preparing for the assessment questionnaire

Your preparation needs to begin before you go to submit your application.

Calculate how much time you need to prepare.

Equip yourself with a test prep pack and draw up a timetable for your preparation.

If possible, keep the day before doing the test clear for last-minute reviews and to get a rest.

Using your sample papers:

Your sample papers should be the backbone of every session you spend preparing. This will ensure:

  • You become familiar with the test and style of questioning
  • You learn to work within the time allowed
  • You monitor your progress by checking your scores after each test
  • You quickly identify areas where you lose scores and can work on improving those
  • There will be no unpleasant surprises waiting for you in the test

Take Target Practice Test Now

On the day tips

You will be doing the test in an unfamiliar setting, which for a lot of people can be stressful. To deal with this:

  • Make sure you are well-rested and clear-headed before taking the test.
  • Have some stress-busting techniques ready for the day. Take some deep breaths, get fresh air, whatever works for you.
  • Remind yourself you have done the work and deserve this.

Is the Target assessment difficult?

A number of factors make the assessment difficult:

  1. You are launched into testing immediately after you submit your application. Plus, you will have to take the test in a place that is not your regular comfort zone.
  2. Target gets a great many applications for any post they advertise. You are going to be in competition with these applicants to progress to the interview stage.
  3. Pre-employment tests are a means of narrowing down the field of applicants to those who appear best suited to a role at the company.
  4. The material you will be tested on may be unfamiliar to you, especially if this is your first time doing psychometric tests.
  5. If you do not do well in the test, you cannot reapply for another six months. However, with good preparation, you can avoid this problem.

If you are thinking of applying for a job at Target, you will find all the resources you need to ace the process here.

Related Study Guides

Written by Elizabeth O Mahony

With 25+ years’ experience as a teacher and state examinations corrector, Elizabeth now writes for the education and careers industry. Her experience preparing students for examinations and running an academy for supplementary education give her invaluable insights into what it takes for job seekers and graduates to succeed in assessments.