The Ultimate Introduction to Ford Assessment Tests

Working at Ford Motor Company is a big dream for anyone who wants to progress in the automotive industry, as Ford is the second-largest U.S-based automaker and has rich expertise in the field with over a hundred-year experience. Ford employees are also provided a chance for development and personal growth.

With endless employment benefits, the company attracts countless resumes annually from job applicants worldwide, creating the need for a comprehensive assessment tool to seek top candidates. What to expect in Ford assessment tests and how to sail through this difficult screening stage? Let’s figure it out in this article!

What are Ford assessment tests?

Ford Assessment Tests are pre-employment tools that help Ford Motor Company screen candidates for interviewing. The tests are categorized based on the type of positions at Ford, including Engineering & Supervisory and Assembly Line, assessing specific competencies like cognitive ability or technical skills. These are:

For Engineering & Supervisory Positions: 2 aptitude tests assess cognitive ability, namely:

• Numerical Reasoning Test
• Verbal Reasoning Test

For Assembly Line Positions: 4 assessments measure the skills needed for an assembly line worker:

• Dexterity Test
• Math Test
• Reading Comprehension Test
• Spatial Reasoning Test

When do Ford assessment tests take place?

Ford assessment tests are in the second stage of the selection process. As Ford is one of the largest automakers worldwide, the hiring process at the company will be highly competitive, requiring you to put effort into every application step. Regardless of the positions you apply for, the whole recruitment comprises 4 main phases: Online application => Online assessments => Phone screening => In-person interview.

Stage 1: Online application

In the application stage, you will have to visit Ford Career Website and fill out personal information such as your educational background, work experience, or relevant skills. Besides, you are also required to submit your resume or CV, and any other relevant documents.

Stage 2: Online assessments

After approving your application, the company will invite you to an online assessment center. This includes a personality test called “One Ford”, which measures your compatibility with Ford’s work culture and values. Afterward, there will be a series of aptitude and technical tests, varying based on the position you’re vying for, whether it’s an assembly line, engineering, or supervisory role.

Stage 3: Phone screening

Once passing the assessment tests, you will progress to a phone screening with a hiring manager or HR personnel. A phone screen is often a short call lasting 15-20 minutes. Questions in this stage are about information in your resume: your characteristics, skills, working behavior and motivation for the role.

Stage 4: In-person interview

The last round of Ford’s selection process is an in-person interview. Besides interview questions, you will also be assigned role-play exercises that require teamwork with other candidates. Here, Ford wants a deeper insight into your compatibility with the company’s vision, why they should hire you, and what you can bring to the job. 

Ford assessments for engineers & supervisors

Any engineering and supervisory role needs to take 2 kinds of assessments: Numerical Reasoning test & Verbal Reasoning test.

Engineering & Supervisory positions require good reasoning skills and higher intellectual ability; therefore, aptitude tests are perfect evaluation tools to help Ford pick out the best talent among a large pool of candidates.

Numerical reasoning test

Ford Numerical Reasoning Test asks you to analyze and use numerical data in tables or graphs to arrive at a correct conclusion. In this test type, you need to complete 17 questions in only 17 minutes. This makes numerical reasoning tests challenging as you have to perform your data analysis skills and accurate calculations under a tight time limit. Let’s look at some typical questions of the test:

Question 1:

Source: Korn Ferry (Talent Q)

Answer: 9,100

Explanation:

The total cost of buying shares at today’s prices: (450×13.8) + (50%x450x12.75) = £9,078.75

However, the question asks you to round up to the nearest £100.

So, the correct answer will be £9,100.

Question 2:

Source: Korn Ferry (Talent Q)

Answer: South-East

Explanation: The total sales of Platinum, Executive and Premium packages sold in 7 regions are presented in the table below:

So, South-East is the region with the second-highest total sales of the 3 packages.

Verbal reasoning test

In the Ford Verbal reasoning test, you are given a passage followed by a few statements, from which you have to choose one or two conclusions that can be drawn from the text. The test includes 30 questions within a time limit of 17 minutes. Through this assessment, the company wants to assess your reading comprehension and logical reasoning skills as you have to process a complicated piece of information to make an inference. Here are some examples of how verbal reasoning tests often occur:

Question 3:

Source: Korn Ferry (Talent Q)

Answer: D

Explanation:

The passage mentions, “The government cannot set milk prices, but agriculture ministers have urged the adoption of a voluntary pricing code between farmers and processors to ensure fair pricing.”

“Optional agreements” is the same as “voluntary pricing code”, “agriculture ministers” is similar to “government”, “urged” means “advocate”, and “equitable prices” is “fair pricing”. So, the answer is the fourth option.

Question 4:

Source: Korn Ferry (Talent Q)

Answer: A and E

Explanation:

In the fifth line of the second paragraph: “A high-risk investor will be deterred from buying them” since multi-asset funds are at “two-thirds of the risk”. Moreover, they refer to the risk of multi-asset funds as “this lower risk”.

Accordingly, “a cautious investor may find them attractive” as their risk is lower.

Therefore, A and E are the correct answers.

Ford assessments for assembly line 

Ford Motor Company uses 4 assessments to measure your competency for an assembly line position: Dexterity test, Math test, Reading Comprehension test, and Spatial Reasoning test. These exams aim to assess the necessary criteria for the role, such as cognitive function or technical skills. Below are the details of each type and sample questions to help you better understand the tests.

Dexterity test

In the Dexterity Test, you will need to insert 120 screws into a board under a time limit of 5 minutes. Although this test isn’t mentally challenging, it focuses on your detail-orientedness and carefulness, along with the ability to work efficiently in a short period of time, which are crucial to an assembly line position at Ford. Here is a video illustrating how a dexterity test will be: Dexterity Testing

Math test 

Math Test for assembly line positions is not as hard as numerical reasoning tests, as it only comprises basic math expressions and simple work problems. In the test, you will need to find the correct answer to an equation by using arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Some of the questions are word problems, which require you to comprehend and analyze a piece of written data. Math Test measures candidates’ basic numeracy skills as the assembly work may include estimations and calculations.

Question 5: Fill in the blank

12×3 + 4 = ?

Answer: 40

Question 6: Find the missing number

Answer: The correct answer is 20

Explanation:

Each number of the sequence is 2 more than the previous one:

18=16+2

24=22+2

26=24+2

So the answer will be: 18+2=20

Question 7: 

Source: MConsultingPrep

Answer: A

Explanation:

Break-even equation: Revenue = Cost Let x be the number of sabers ToySaber has to sell to break even.

The revenue from selling the lightsabers = 40 × x.

The cost from selling the light sabers = 750,000 + 25 × x.

We have the break-even equation:

40x = 750,000 + 25x

15x = 750,000

x = 50,000

Therefore, ToySaber has to sell 50,000 sabers in order to break even.

Reading comprehension test

Reading Comprehension Test gives you a short passage from which you have to analyze and extract important data to find the key point of the text. The questions are often about work-related information, for example, safety procedures in the assembly line department. The main aim of the test is to measure your ability to process and comprehend written language in workplace settings. Here are some examples of what you can expect in a reading comprehension question:

Question 8:

The Company considers that individuals under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol present a serious danger to themselves and others around them whilst at work. This is of particular importance in the construction industry in light of the hazards present in the workplace. Employees found to be using alcohol or drugs (which have not been prescribed by a doctor) during working hours will face disciplinary action and possibly dismissal.

Source: Ford Civil Engineering

What is the main point of this paragraph?

A. Illegal alcohol or drugs are prohibited in the work environment
B. Construction sites can have potential hazards
C. Alcohol or drugs usage should be prescribed by a doctor
D. Working for long hours can stimulate the use of drugs or alcohol

Answer: A

Explanation:

The key point is given in the last sentence: “ Employees found to be using alcohol or drugs (which have not been prescribed by a doctor) during working hours will face disciplinary action and possibly dismissal”.

Question 9:

The Company shall ensure that adequate person(s) trained in First Aid shall be present on every site, whether this person is an employee of the Company or where the Client employs this person if the Company makes adequate agreements to share the provision. Employees and subcontractors will be informed of the Company’s first aid arrangements and the identities of trained First Aiders via the induction talk and by the use of notices.

Source: Ford Civil Engineering

What is the main point of this paragraph?

A. The Company should train enough First Aid personnel
B. First Aid forces need to be ready on every site
C. Induction talk is an effective channel to inform of the Company’s first aid arrangements
D. There have to be enough agreements for the Company to provide clients with a First Aid employee

Answer: B

Explanation:

The main idea is mentioned at the beginning of the text: “The Company shall ensure that adequate person(s) trained in First Aid shall be present on every site”, which means “First Aid forces need to be ready on every site”. So the correct answer is B.

Spatial reasoning test

In Ford Spatial Reasoning Test, you may encounter one or more of the 3 common questions type:

• 3D Orientation: Determine the correct rotation of 3D shapes
• Obscure figures interpretation: Find the figures or shapes that match a given shadow
• Matching: Find the best match of an image

Needless to say, Spatial Reasoning skills are of great importance when it comes to assembly jobs that require a lot of mechanical abilities. Here are some examples of spatial reasoning questions similar to those of Ford:

Question 10: Find the best match of the given shape

Source: “How to pass diagrammatic reasoning tests” by Mike Bryon

Answer: D

Question 11: Which one is the rotation of the given shape?

Source: “How to pass diagrammatic reasoning tests” by Mike Bryon

Answer: B

Frequently asked questions

1. What qualities does Ford look for?

The online assessments, including behavioral and aptitude tests, aim to assess how well you can fit into the company’s culture. Regarding core values, there are several qualities that align with what Ford expects:

• Put People First – Aim to drive human progress
• Do The Right Thing – Act with integrity and transparency
• Be Curious – Actively question to understand and think critically
• Create Tomorrow – Solve problems creatively, accept risk, and experiment boldly
• Built Ford Tough – Be resilient and courage
• Play To Win – Focus on competitive fitness, efficiency and agility
• One Ford – Work together as one

With respect to professional competencies, you have to acquire aptitudes such as numerical and verbal reasoning when applying to business-related roles. To work on a factory line, it is crucial to have mechanical skills in addition.

2. What is after passing Ford online assessment tests?

Once you finish the tests, your application form and test score will be delivered to the hiring manager. It often takes 2 weeks to 2 months to hear back from the company indicating that you are invited to the phone screening stage. The duration of the selection process varies depending on the number of people applying for the roles and job vacancies at Ford in each recruitment season.

3. How long does it take to hear back from Ford after an interview?

After an in-person interview, you have to wait within 1 to 2 weeks to be announced for employment at Ford. Before officially being a Ford employee, you will undergo pre-employment checks, orientation and training to understand and familiarize yourself with the role.

4. How to pass Ford assessment tests?

Besides personal values, aptitude skills are important factors in determining if you are eligible for a role at Ford. Fortunately, these qualities can be acquired by practicing as much as possible.

Here at MConsultingPrep, we provide comprehensive numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning mock tests, which are among the most taxing in Ford assessments. You can access hundreds of questions by type and level, followed by thorough explanations and practical guidelines.

Let’s practice some free questions beforehand!

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