Adaptive assessments for global leadership selection
Korn Ferry acquired Talent Q in 2014, creating one of the world's most sophisticated talent assessment platforms. The Elements suite uses adaptive technology. Each question's difficulty adjusts based on your previous answer, providing highly accurate measurement in just 15 minutes per test. Used by UBS, Lloyds, Ford and AstraZeneca for graduate and management selection.
Example questions in the style of this publisher's assessments.
A fund grew by 12% in Year 1 and fell by 8% in Year 2. What is the net change over 2 years? (A) +4% (B) +3.04% (C) +4.04% (D) +2.96%
Compound: 1.12 × 0.92 = 1.0304. Net change = +3.04%. Never simply add/subtract percentages.
ARCHITECT is to BUILDING as COMPOSER is to: (A) Piano (B) Symphony (C) Music (D) Orchestra
An architect creates a building. A composer creates a symphony. Look for the creation/output relationship.
Which shape completes the 3×3 matrix? [Row 1: ▲ ■ ●] [Row 2: ■ ● ▲] [Row 3: ● ▲ ?]
Each row and column contains all three shapes exactly once (Latin square). The answer is ■.
Korn Ferry Elements tests are adaptive. A correct answer leads to a harder question. Don't be discouraged by increasing difficulty.
Accuracy matters more than speed in adaptive tests. A wrong answer on a hard question costs more than a wrong answer on an easy one.
For Elements Numerical, practice compound percentage calculations and index number problems. These appear frequently.
For Elements Logical, practice 3×3 matrix completion (Latin square logic) and series with multiple changing attributes.
The Aspects suite (for frontline roles) is shorter but still adaptive. Don't rush. The adaptive engine rewards accuracy.
The Elements tests start at medium difficulty. If you answer correctly, the next question is harder. If you answer incorrectly, the next is easier. The algorithm calculates your ability level based on the difficulty of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly. This means 12 adaptive questions can be as accurate as 30 fixed-difficulty questions.
Elements is used for graduate and management selection (15 min, 12 questions each). Aspects is a shorter version (6-10 min, 8-10 questions) for volume/frontline hiring. Both are adaptive, but Elements has a wider difficulty range.
KF4D (Four Dimensions of Leadership) measures Competencies, Experiences, Traits and Drivers. It's used for senior management and executive selection, not graduate screening. It's typically combined with a structured interview and 360-degree feedback.
Practice with our Korn Ferry-format tests and get AI-powered feedback on your performance.