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Are you aspiring to work in the Civil Service? This is your guide! Explore the Civil Service recruitment process, including tips to pass the Civil Service assessment tests and interviews.
Our website offers scientifically validated practice assessment tests, interviews, and assessment centre exercises you can use to practice and prepare for job assessments and the recruitment process.
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Not sure if you should practice for the Civil Service recruitment process? Research has shown that 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.
A recent study (Bradley et al 2019) found that candidates who do not practice assessments tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessment (54%-84%). This study considered the Top 100 global employers.
In a nutshell:
The Civil Service uses a variety of aptitude tests to screen candidates. They may include:
Practicing beforehand can help increase your chances of scaling through this stage of recruitment, as over 50-80 students do not make it past this stage.
Prepare for the Civil Service Video interview recording yourself responding to common behavioural and competency-based questions. Aim to stand out by sincerely highlighting your skills and competencies.
Practice for the Civil Service interview using:
The Civil Service assessment centre is the last stage of the Civil Service recruitment process. It involves the following exercise:
Keep reading to find answers to the following questions:
Do well by practicing assessments similar to Civil Service’s by clicking on any of the tests in the table below to stay one step ahead!
Go Premium and gain unlimited access to all the assessments listed above and more to pass your Civil Service assessments and interviews first time!
That’s a brief summary of what you should do to land the Civil Service job. Let’s now discuss the essential details and uncover great tips to help you get hired at the Civil Service in the UK!
Let’s get right into it!
The UK Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees, supporting the government of the UK in administration. These employees are not members of the British Parliament but assist the ministers on policy development and implementation.
Employees of the Civil Service are defined as “politically impartial,” as they only help in delivering the work demanded by the incumbent government.
Some Civil Service departments you can apply to include:
Throughout your application to the Civil Service, keep in mind their values and Success Profile. But what are these? Let’s find out below!
The core values of the Civil Service are provided by the Civil Service Code. They include:
Integrity:
As a civil servant, you are expected to place priority on your public service duties.
Honesty:
All civil servants are expected to be transparent in their duties by being truthful and open.
Objectivity:
Decisions should be made based on proper analysis of the evidence.
Respect:
With care shown to everyone, ANZ embraces diversity and encourages opinions while emphasising thinking and acting with consideration towards customers, communities, and the environment.
Impartiality:
The Civil service is regarded as politically impartial. This implies equal treatment for all political parties.
The Civil Service success profile is a framework used by the Civil Service to attract and retain talents from different sectors, in accordance with the Civil Service workforce plan commitment.
The success profile framework assesses candidates through several elements, such as:
Good to know: The Civil Service behaviours are assessed based on the grade level and requirements of the job role. Check the job description to understand which key Civil Service behaviours are ideal for the job.
Check out our quick video below for even more research tips you can use for your Civil Service application:
The Civil Service Success Framework aims to diversify the recruitment process with differing selection methods depending on the role.
Leveraging the Civil Service core values and success framework can be a game changer in your application form. Let’s see what this first step of the Civil Service application process involves.
The Civil Service online application form is the first step after you have found your preferred role. You will be required to provide some personal information when completing this form. This includes:
Civil Service Application Form
Source: Civil Service
These tips can help boost your chances of making it through the application stage. If successful, the Civil Service will invite you to take some online tests.
Let’s check out these Civil Service tests!
The Civil Service online tests are Cubiks/Talogy psychometric tests used to assess your mental ability, strengths, and potential after a successful application. The tests are to be taken in English or Welsh and are usually not timed. They include the following:
Good to know: Depending on the job you have applied for, you may be asked to complete one or more of these Civil Service aptitude tests.
Let’s check out what to expect in each of the psychometric tests below, starting with the Civil Service verbal reasoning test.
The Civil Service verbal reasoning test assesses your ability to read, understand, and draw conclusions from a written text. In the Civil Service verbal test, you will be given passages, reports, etc. and asked to draw conclusions with “true”, “false”, or “cannot say” statements.
The Civil Service verbal reasoning test is usually untimed. They also vary in length, depending on the role.
For more details about verbal reasoning tests, don’t miss our short video below:
Give yourself an edge by practicing FREE verbal reasoning test questions with GF, or have a go at the Civil Service-style verbal reasoning test question below, designed by GF experts.
Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test Example
Check the bottom of the page to be sure you got the answer right!
Check out our top 5 tips to pass the Civil Service verbal test!
Looking for more Civil Service-style verbal reasoning questions?
Done with verbal reasoning, it’s time to suit up for your Civil Service numerical reasoning test!
The Civil Service numerical reasoning test evaluates your ability to analyse and interpret numerical data with a range of questions carrying numerical information. The test is untimed with 15-20 quantitative reasoning questions and the questions come up as you progress.
You are likely to get a harder question each time you answer correctly, and an easier one when you answer incorrectly in the Civil Service numerical test.
Find out more about numerical reasoning tests used by employers such as the Civil Service with this short video:
Practice FREE numerical reasoning test questions with GF to stay ahead or attempt this Civil Service-style numeracy test question we’ve created below!
Got the answer right? Check the bottom of the page to find out!
Looking for more Civil Service numerical test practice?
You may also be invited to take the Civil Service Judgement test. Let’s find out more below!
The Civil Service judgement test is a situational judgement test used to assess your judgement and decision-making skills in realistic work situations, as well as your behaviour in the Civil Service work environment.
The test is divided into two sections:
Let’s get into the details of each of these assessment sections.
The Civil Service self-assessment personality questionnaire or Civil Service work style questionnaire consists of work related statements, to which you have to respond with the extent to which you agree or disagree with these statements.
This assessment is also called the Civil Service personality test. Check out our top tips to ace your Civil Service personality questionnaire with our short video here:
Register for GF’s work personality package today to gain first-hand insights into a work personality-style test and how employers such as Civil Service use these in recruitment.
The Civil Service behavioural assessment examines your judgement and decision-making skills. You will be presented with real-life workplace scenarios and asked to rate the possible actions from the options from ‘counterproductive’ to ‘effective’.
Here’s a glimpse of what the Civil Service behavioural assessment may look like, as created by our experts.
The Civil Service Management Test is an online situational judgement test that assesses your judgement and decision-making in the daily management of others. The test involves 15 scenarios, each with four actions presented as text or short videos.
It measures behaviours specific to roles requiring line management success, which are: collaborative, decisive, empathetic, confident, and agile. Whilst untimed, most candidates complete each scenario within 2-4 minutes.
The Civil Service work strengths test is an untimed online test that assesses your strengths through personality questionnaires and situational judgement questions. You may get one or both versions of the test, depending on the role you applied for.
The Civil Service strengths test include three parts which are:
The Civil Service customer service skills test evaluates your customer handling skills. It assesses your problem-solving skills and traits like comprehension and empathy in your relationship with difficult customers.
The Civil Service customer service test involves three parts:
The Civil Service casework skills test assesses your abilities and skills in relation to roles in casework. It evaluates your ability to process information, analyse situations, make decisions, and work under pressure.
The Civil Service skills test consists of three parts:
The above assessments all focus around assessing your ability and behaviours during various scenarios you are likely to encounter in your role.
Therefore, our team has come up with the following top tips to pass these Civil Service situational assessments.
Start practicing for your Civil Service situational judgement test now!
Once you have successfully passed the Civil Service online tests, you will be invited to the Civil Service video interview. Let’s take a good look at it.
In the Civil Service video interview, you are typically given a set time duration to answer a series of pre-recorded questions. There is an allotted time for each response and you may be given two or more attempts before submitting your final answer.
The Civil Service video interview consists of 9 questions, which are a mix of behavioural and competency-based questions. It takes about 25 minutes.
The Civil Service video interview may also include strength based questions, which focus on 8 key strengths. These includes:
Discover more about the Civil Service video interview with our 1-minute video below!
Want to know what questions could come up in your Civil Service video interview? Practice the Essentials with GF and discover more potential Civil Service interview questions with our Question Identifier Tool (QIT).
The next step of the Civil Service recruitment process is the Civil Service assessment centre. Here’s what you should know about it.
The Civil Service assessment centre is a two-day event in which recruiters will assess you on your behaviours. The event assesses essential skills such as decision making, problem-solving, written skills, etc.
The Civil Service assessment centre can offer any or all of the following exercises:
What do these exercises involve? Keep reading to find out.
The Civil Service in-tray exercise is an assessment of a real work scenario used in the selection process for certain job positions at the Civil Service.
In the Civil Service in-tray exercise, you will be asked to treat the exercise as a role-playing exercise. In this task, you will review several documents, such as emails, letters, memos, and reports and respond within a specified time frame.
Let’s move on to the next assessment: the Civil Service group exercise.
The Civil Service group exercise contains group interactions and team tasks which assess your ability to collaborate and make decisions with others. The recruiters will assess you individually as well as part of a team.
Check out our below video for more details on group exercises and our top tips to ace your Civil Service group exercise:
The next is the Civil Service written exercise. Let’s check it out!
Civil Service written exercises similar to the in-tray exercise will assess your writing skills, spelling, grammar, and comprehension, as well as your ability to solve problems on your feet.
Let’s move on to the next, which is the Civil Service presentation exercise.
The Civil Service presentation exercise typically comes as the last assessment in the Civil Service assessment centre before the panel interview. You will be required to compile all the information that you have into a short presentation.
If you ace the assessment centre, the next step is the Civil Service panel interview, which is the final stage of the recruitment process. Here’s what you should know about it.
During the Civil Service panel interview, the interviews will ask you strength-based, behavioural, and knowledge-based questions by managers and officials at the Civil Service.
Tip to Answer: Use the STAR+R method and focus on providing specific examples, emphasising your problem-solving skills, and highlighting the positive outcomes of your efforts.
Good Answer:
Situation:
During a cross-functional project, my team was tasked with developing a new marketing campaign.
Task:
The success of the project relied on effective collaboration among team members from different departments.
Action:
I initiated regular meetings to ensure open communication, collaboration, and assigned roles. I actively listened to everyone’s ideas and recommended a tool to streamline our workflow.
Result:
Through our collaborative efforts, we achieved a highly successful marketing campaign that exceeded set targets.
Reflect:
The project’s success further impressed on me the importance of collaboration in the workplace. And I now look forward to having such collaborations in the future.
Tip to Answer: Choose an example of a situation you encountered that properly demonstrates your ability to be flexible and logical while solving problems.
In my previous role as a project coordinator, we encountered a significant delay in receiving essential materials for a critical project.
The project was at risk, and I realised that waiting for the materials would jeopardise the project’s success. I knew I had to take action.
I contacted alternative suppliers and researched local vendors who could provide the material sooner. I then presented my findings to the project manager after comparing our options.
We were able to switch suppliers quickly and minimise the delay. The project was continued, and we successfully met the deadline while maintaining the quality of our deliverables.
This experience made me understand the importance of being flexible and proactive when handling a project. Now I am always willing to take the initiative when necessary.
Congratulations on making it through this stage of the Civil Service recruitment process. The hiring team may then reach out to you with an employment offer. Good luck!
Before you go, let’s check out some of the available Civil Service graduate schemes you can apply for!
The UK government offers internships, graduate programmes, and apprenticeships to train and educate young talents.
Students have the option to learn more about the Civil Service and earn at the same time through different Civil Service graduate schemes. This includes:
Let’s delve into the details for each one of these programmes!
Civil Service Fast Stream is an accelerated leadership development programme that enables talented graduates who possess certain skills and knowledge to get into the Civil Service early.
Unlike most graduate schemes, you will have the freedom to choose from 15 schemes regardless of the degree background you have.
These schemes last between 2 to 4 years, many of which provide professional qualifications upon completion. They include:
The Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship programme puts you in a paid position while allowing you to study for professional accreditation. You will have the relevant knowledge and skills in your chosen field upon completion of the programme.
The Civil Service Summer Diversity programme is a two-month paid internship programme that gives you a headstart in the Civil Service with a pay of £300 to £350 per week.
The SDIP offers an opportunity for the past pass, which is a quicker route to the fast stream selection. You can apply for the Civil Service a year after you have completed the SDIP and walk past the initial online assessment stages.
The Civil Service Early Diversity Internship programme is a one-week internship programme for first year graduates. Similar to the SDIP, the EDIP is a 5-day paid placement within a government department that will give you insight into how the department works.
That’s all you should know about the Civil Service. If you have further questions, here are some questions other candidates are asking.
The Civil Service is open to you if you are a UK national or have a dual nationality that includes the UK. A large number of job roles are, however, open to commonwealth citizens of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA).
The timeframe for feedback from the Civil Service depends on a range of factors, such as the number and types of schemes you have applied for.
The Civil Service roles are usually highly competitive, therefore, a score of 70% or above will be a good score to help you through the next round of assessment.
Yes, you can. This, however, depends on the job role and location.
The pay at the Civil Service varies by the grade bracket, with the median salary in Civil often varying from £21,000 to £30,000 with Senior roles earning up to 4 times as much.
Do you want to pass your Civil Service assessment tests first time? Take numerical, verbal reasoning and situational judgement practice tests today with GF, the only aptitude practice test experts providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe. Practise with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests. Correct answers to example questions. Numerical Reasoning Test: C Verbal Reasoning Test: B
Do you want to pass your Civil Service assessment tests first time? Take numerical, verbal reasoning and situational judgement practice tests today with GF, the only aptitude practice test experts providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.
Practise with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.
Correct answers to example questions.
Numerical Reasoning Test: C
Verbal Reasoning Test: B
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