Can we improve on situational judgement tests?

Situational judgement tests (SJTs) are multiple-choice psychological assessments that claim to measure professional attributes such as empathy, integrity, team involvement and resilience. One of their attractions is the ability to rank large numbers of candidates. Last year SJTs formed a major component (50% of the assessment marks) of the selection process for dental foundation training (DFT). However, it is not clear what SJTs are actually assessing. There is also the concern that applicants who have developed ethical reasoning skills may be disadvantaged by such tests. The DFT selection process needs to explicitly recognise the importance of ethical reasoning.