Amazon Work Style Assessment - How to Beat Amazon's Personality Test

Amazon’s Work Style Assessment, also known as a Work Style Survey, is a personality test that’s given to almost any Amazon applicant today. It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and its main purpose is to evaluate certain qualities and work styles to see if they fit Amazon’s unique culture.

Unlike most of the traditional pre-employment personality tests out there, this Amazon online test is different. Here is how:

First, traditional personality assessments will ask you to rate how much you agree with a certain statement:

I sometimes feel uncomfortable in new situations

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither Agree Nor Disagree
4. Agree
5. Strongly Agree

The Amazon Work Style test, on the other hand, will show you two equal statements and will ask you to choose which one appeals to you the most.

As you can see, there’s not one obvious desirable answer to choose from. Also, you no longer have the option to stay neutral (“Neither Agree Nor Disagree”) so you must make a choice.

So, in the Work Style Assessment, you’ll have to think deeply about every answer you provide and which qualities you’ll want to emphasize.

Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, the assessment is used to evaluate if you’re characteristics suit Amazon’s “unique culture.” Specifically, Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles.

Here’s the thing about them:

These principles are core standards that describe the kinds of behavior Amazon values and expects its employees to follow.

And Amazon is absolutely OBSESSED with them.

In fact, Amazon itself states that as an Amazon employee, “you’ll rarely have a day go by without hearing our Leadership Principles referenced, as a shorthand for doing the right thing.”

And the Work Style Assessment is not the only place in which you’ll be assessed by them.

Almost any Amazon assessment is based on these principles one way or another. And EVERY Amazon interviewer will expect you to know them by heart, which makes practicing more crucial.

#1 There ARE "right" and "wrong" answers

There are "right" and "wrong" answers, even if the test instructions tell you otherwise. Personality tests are often referred to as questionnaires or surveys rather than tests, reinforcing the belief that there are no "right" or "wrong" answers.

This is obviously not true, as these tests are used for screening purposes to select the best candidate for a particular job. And as you’ve just learned, choosing answers that align with Amazon’s Leadership Principles is the right way to ensure you pass the assessment.

#2 Your personality profile has to make sense

On this test, some questions appear twice but with minor changes. Others can evaluate the same Leadership Principle but have completely different wording. The reason behind that is to check if your responses contradict themselves.

That’s why you must read every statement carefully and analyze it using Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Also, avoid doing it on the fly, even if they seem like a no-brainer.

#3 It's about how you behave at work

Amazon’s recruiters aren’t interested in knowing how you really behave in life.

The sole purpose of these Work Style questions is to assess how you would behave at work. Your future on-the-job behavior is the only thing that interests the recruiters.
When you answer the questions, you should think about your work behavior rather than your general behavior. And more importantly, you must consider Amazon’s Leadership Principles and answer accordingly.

Now, let’s take a look at a sample statement from the real test and try to implement the tips and principles:

(A) I prefer to spend most of my time doing work that uses my current skillset.

(B) Sometimes I ask questions in order to understand concepts better.

1. Most like me (A)
2. More like me (A)
3. Most like me (B)
4. More like me (B)

The Leadership Principle you should address here is Learn and Be Curious: “Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.”

As an Amazon leader, you should ask questions, search for new and better methods, and never stop learning. Therefore, the best answer will be (3).

As you can see, it’s crucial to learn and understand Amazon’s Leadership Principles. The more you understand them, the easier it will be to pass the Work Style Assessment.

In the preparation pack on this page, you'll get a FULL Work Style assessment simulation test with answers and explanations to ALL types of questions. That way you can truly understand this unique assessment and make sure you are prepared to pass your Amazon assessment.

Here are the original 14 LPs:

*In 2021 Amazon added two new LPs, they are also important to memorize: