Maersk PLI Test, Personality Assessment, Hiring Process & Interview Questions Online Preparation – 2025
What Is Maersk?
Maersk is the largest container shipping company in the world. The company offers services such as air, overland, and sea transport, as well as supply chain management. Maersk also offers warehousing and distribution services. Maersk was established as the Steamship Company Svendborg, Denmark in 1904 by father and son, Peter Maersk Moller and A. P. Moller. In 1919, Maersk opened its first office outside of Denmark in New York City. Today, it operates on every inhabited continent, in 130 countries. These locations include the US, China, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Ireland, and the UK.
What Qualities Are Maersk Recruiters Looking For?
A.P. Moller Maersk is founded on five guiding principles: Constant Care, Humbleness, Uprightness, Employees, and its Name. Ultimately, these principles reveal Maersk’s commitment to safety and sustainability, honesty and respect, collaboration over competition, and maintaining the trust of the public. As such, the qualities their recruiters are most eager to see in candidates include:
- Interest in personal growth
- Interest in global trade
- Collaborative mindset
- Problem-solving attitude
- Innovation
- Ambition
- Leadership
- Inclusivity
What Benefits Are Provided by A.P. Moller Maersk?
The specific benefits employees receive from Maersk varies by location. Yet employees can expect benefits along the following lines:
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Retirement plan
What Is the Hiring Process for A.P. Moller Maersk?
The recruitment process for A.P. Moller Maersk follows a fairly common progression. Regardless of the position to which you apply or the location in which you are submitting your application, the hiring process should not vary too greatly.
- Online Application
The online application can be found on the A.P. Moller Maersk website. At this stage of the hiring process, applicants will provide information regarding their education and prior work experience. They will also upload their CV, as well as a cover letter, to the online application portal. Applicants should also upload any supporting documents, such as transcripts or diplomas.
- Online Assessments
Applicants will be required to take two online assessments as part of the recruitment process. These tests must be completed within three days of submitting your application in order for your application to be considered. The first assessment will be the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment, which will identify key aspects of the applicant’s character. The second assessment will be the Predictive Index Learning Indicator (PILI) — also known as the Maersk PLI Assessment. This predictive index survey assesses cognitive ability. Applicants’ aptitude will be tested in three areas: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and abstract reasoning. Altogether, these two assessments should take roughly 40 minutes to complete.
- Phone Screening
Successful applicants will then receive a phone call from the Human Resources department of A.P. Moller Maersk. This stage of the hiring process will take about 30 minutes. During the phone screening, applicants can expect to answer questions regarding their personal qualities and interpersonal skills. Applicants will also receive feedback on their assessment performance during this interview.
- Video Interview
Applicants whose phone interview is successful will next receive an e-mail with a link inviting them to record a video interview. Applicants can expect to be answering questions regarding their motivation for joining the A.P. Moller Maersk team, and for the position they have applied for specifically. It is important to keep in mind that in this video interview, you should present yourself as you wish to be perceived. In other words, be sure to dress well and have a clean appearance; you will also want to ensure the environment in which you record is clean and quiet for your recording.
- In-Person Interview
Should an applicant be successful through the video interview, they will be invited to schedule the next stage of the interview process: an in-person interview. The in-person interview will be given by a Maersk hiring manager, who will make the final decision regarding employment. This interview will be longer than the phone interview: approximately one full hour. Questions asked during this stage will focus primarily on an applicant’s technical skills. Applicants may also be asked to participate in several activities, either during this interview or during a follow-up interview. These activities may include a presentation of pre-curated materials, participation in a collaborative group exercise, and a panel interview. Recent college graduates who have applied through the “Go With Maersk” program will be invited to come in for “Go With Maersk” Day, which is comprised of these same exercises.
- Pre-employment Checks and Onboarding Process
The final stage in the recruitment process, if you are successful throughout the interview process, is the onboarding process. This phase involves completing the necessary paperwork to make your employment official, as well as any training or background checks deemed necessary at the location to which you have applied.
Maersk Assessment & Aptitude Tests:
Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment
As with most personality assessments, there are no right or wrong answers for this psychometric assessment. However, with as heavy an emphasis as A.P. Moller Maersk places on personal character, recruiters will be looking to hire applicants who possess a specific set of characteristics. This psychometric test is untimed; you can take as long as you need to answer these questions. You will be presented with two sets of adjectives, one set at a time. From the first set, you will be asked to choose the adjectives that describe how you feel you are expected to act by others. From the second set, you will be asked to choose the adjectives that describe how you truly behave.
PI Cognitive Assessment (PLI Test)
The Maersk PLI test (Predictive Index Learning Indicator), also known as the PI Cognitive Assessment (PICA) or Predictive Index Learning Indicator (PILI), is a cognitive test that assesses aptitude in three specific areas: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and abstract reasoning. Questions will not be separated according to a category; rather, all three categories of questions will be intermixed. The brief exam is comprised of 50 questions. You will be given 12 minutes to answer as many questions as you are able. It is important to keep in mind that you are not expected to answer every single question, only as many as you can answer within 12 minutes.
- Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning questions on this assessment will assess your aptitude for analogies, synonyms and antonyms, and formal logic. Verbal reasoning analogies will present an incomplete comparison of two pairs of words, and they will ask you to complete the second pair according to the relationship between the first pair of words. For example, if given the set “socks : feet :: gloves : _____” (read: socks are to feet as gloves are to ______), you would complete the second set with the word “hands”.Analogies may also be used to test your understanding of synonyms and antonyms. You may, for instance, be presented with the analogy “hot : cold :: wet : ____”. Based on the relationship between hot and cold — they are antonyms — you would complete this analogy with an antonym of “wet”: thus you would choose the word “dry”.Finally, your formal logic aptitude will be assessed through questions presenting a set of assumptions (i.e., “Red is my favorite color” and “Your phone case is my favorite color”), then it will give a possible conclusion (i.e., “Your phone case is red”). Your task will be to determine whether the conclusion is true, false, or if it cannot be determined based on the given information.
- Numerical Reasoning
Numerical reasoning questions on the PILI will test your aptitude for recognizing and extending number patterns, solving word problems, and calculating basic mathematical operations. These questions will be presented in a fairly straightforward manner. In other words, number pattern questions will present you with a series of numbers; your task will be to identify the pattern in that series, then use that pattern to determine which number will come next in the series. Word problems will present a real-world scenario. You will be required to identify what the question asks you to solve for, as well as how to solve it, then to actually solve the problem. Calculation questions will simply present a mathematical problem to you, which you will then be required to solve in order to identify the correct answer.
- Abstract Reasoning
The abstract reasoning questions you encounter on this aptitude test will assess your spatial awareness, as well as your logical and inductive reasoning skills. Each question will present a series of pictures. Some questions will be presented as analogies, wherein you will see three images and be asked to identify the relationship between the first two images, then choose the picture that has the same relationship to the third picture. Other questions will be presented as a pattern. For these questions, you will first be required to identify the pattern in the series of images. Some questions will next ask you to extend the pattern by choosing the image that would be next in the series. Other questions may require you to determine which of four given images does not fit that pattern.
What Questions Might Be Asked During the Interview?
- Why do you want to work at Maersk?
- Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
- Are you able to work independently?
- What sort of people do you work best with? What sort of people do you have the most difficulty working with, and how do you deal with them?
- Do you think you will require more training to carry out the responsibilities of this job? Would you be willing to undertake further study?
- What does it mean to be a self-starter?
- Explain how you manage to work closely with people while maintaining a professional approach to your work.
- Give an example of a time you were responsible for ______. What were the challenges you encountered, and how did you overcome them?
Maersk’s PBI Assessment Tips
Ultimately, the best preparation for the assessments you will encounter during the Maersk recruitment process is practice. Though it may not seem necessary to practice taking a personality test, practice can help you to become more comfortable with the format of the assessment. For this specific assessment, it also allows you to become familiar with the vocabulary terms that will be presented to you, as you are not permitted to use a dictionary while taking the Predictive Behavioral Index.
How to Prepare for the Maersk PLI Test?
The Predictive Index Learning Indicator is especially important to practice, as you must answer as many questions as possible in a short period of time: 50 questions in 12 minutes. Though you may not see the exact questions on the practice test that you will see on the actual exam, the practice questions will give you an idea of the types of questions you will see on the PILI. Practice will also give you an opportunity to re-familiarize yourself with any skills you might not use daily.
