JAC Qualifying Test (Judicial Appointments Commission)

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales. For larger exercises, such as Deputy District Judge, Recorder and fee-paid tribunal judge roles, it shortlists with an online qualifying test. The qualifying test is multiple choice and usually has two parts. In the situational judgement test, candidates read situations like those they might face in the role and choose the most appropriate and the least appropriate of five possible actions, with one mark for each correct choice; it assesses Communication Skills, Personal Qualities and Effective Working, and does not test legal rules or procedures. In the critical analysis test, candidates answer questions on a written document, such as a speech or a judgment, each with four options and one correct answer; it assesses Legal Skills and Dealing with Information. Each part lasts 50 minutes and is submitted automatically when time runs out. Candidates choose which part to take first, and must start after 7am and finish before 9pm on the test day. Candidates need at least 30% in both parts. The JAC then converts each score into a standard score, combines them with 60% weight on situational judgement and 40% on critical analysis, ranks candidates, and sets a cut-off by the number of places at the next stage. The JAC offers a free practice tool, and it does not allow the use of artificial intelligence in any qualifying test.