THE CIVIL SERVICE ONLINE TESTS

As part of your Civil Service application, you’ll need to complete a number of online tests. The Civil Service online test stage of the application process can be difficult, but with some prior knowledge and Civil Service online test preparation, they are quite manageable. Here, we’re going to take a look at the Civil Service application process, followed by the Civil Service online tests. In total there are seven different categories of tests you could be assessed against as part of the slection process, but this will be dependent on the position you are applying for.

Before we head into the tests, let us take a brief look at who the civil service are and what they do in the United Kingdom.

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WHAT IS THE CIVIL SERVICE?

The UK Civil Service is an extremely important part of the UK government. It’s a politically neutral collective of different departments and bodies, which handle everything from providing pension schemes to operating prison systems. In addition, the Civil Service keeps track of NHS data, benefits, and even issues driving licenses. In addition, Civil Servants are often responsible for implementing policies set by the current government. For this reason, they remain apolitical – the service as a whole doesn’t take sides when it comes to political parties, but rather serves whichever party (or parties) is in power. The role that the Civil Service plays as part of the UK’s infrastructure and public services is enormous. Without the Civil Service, many of the country’s systems would be unable to function.

For this reason, the Civil Service wants to find the very best when it comes to the recruitment process. Not only must Civil Servants possess the mental aptitude and skills to perform the job well, but they also need to show an adherence to the Civil Service’s ethos and competency framework. The online tests are used to evaluate all of these traits.

The four key values (Civil Service Code) that the Civil Service looks for in candidates are:

  • Integrity – The ability to put obligations of the public service above personal interests and/or beliefs.
  • Honesty – Being able to demonstrate high levels of truthfulness and openness.
  • Objectivity – Being able to display objective views and opinions on certain areas. Basing decisions and policies on rigorous analysis and evidence to form a plausible and valid outcome.
  • Impartiality – Being able to serve the power of the Government in charge and meet the needs and merits in which they enforce.
  • Political Impartiality– Civil Servants are expected to carry out their duties without allowing personal political views to influence their work or decisions.

CIVIL SERVICE SUCCESS PROFILES

The Civil Service Success Profiles are a recruitment framework used to assess candidates for government roles in a fair and consistent way. They help hiring managers look beyond just qualifications and consider a broader picture of what someone can bring to a job. The framework is made up of several key elements: Behaviours, Strengths, Experience, Ability, and Technical skills. Not every element is used in every role, but they are combined depending on what the job requires. Success Profiles are designed to help select people who are not only capable of doing the job, but who also align with Civil Service values and can thrive in the workplace. They support inclusive recruitment by allowing people to demonstrate their potential in a variety of ways, not just through past experience.

Ability refers to your natural aptitude or skill in areas relevant to the role. It’s usually assessed through online tests or exercises that measure things like numerical reasoning, judgement, or problem-solving.

Technical relates to specialist knowledge or qualifications required for the role, such as legal, IT, or financial expertise. You may be assessed through tests, qualifications, or questions at interview that explore how you apply this knowledge in practice.

Experience focuses on your previous work or life achievements relevant to the job. This is assessed by looking at your CV, application statements, or interview answers that show how you’ve handled tasks or challenges before.

The more common ones you will be assessed against during the selection process are the Behaviours and Strengths. These aee quite complex and you must have a good understanding of these when applying for a role in the Civil Service.

CIVIL SERVICE BEHAVIOURS

Civil Service Behaviours are one part of the Success Profiles framework and are used to assess how candidates act and approach their work. They reflect the core values and expectations of the Civil Service, helping ensure that employees work effectively and ethically across departments. There are nine behaviours in total, though not all are used for every role. Here’s a brief breakdown of each:

Seeing the Big Picture – Understanding how your work fits into wider government priorities and the public interest. It’s about being aware of policy goals, future challenges, and the needs of different stakeholders.

Changing and Improving – Being open to change, finding better ways to do things, and adapting when needed. This behaviour encourages innovation and continuous improvement.

Making Effective Decisions – Using evidence, data, and sound judgement to make informed choices. It includes being objective, logical, and confident when handling complex issues.

Leadership – Inspiring and motivating others, setting direction, and taking responsibility. Leadership applies at all levels, not just in management roles.

Communicating and Influencing – Communicating clearly and persuasively, listening to others, and tailoring your message to different audiences to build trust and achieve outcomes.

Working Together – Building strong relationships, supporting colleagues, and collaborating across teams and departments to achieve shared goals.

Developing Self and Others – Taking responsibility for learning and helping others grow by giving feedback, sharing knowledge, and supporting development.

Managing a Quality Service – Planning, organising, and delivering high standards of work. It involves understanding customer needs and working efficiently to meet them.

Delivering at Pace – Maintaining focus, staying organised, and meeting deadlines under pressure. This behaviour is about taking responsibility and driving work forward.

CIVIL SERVICE STRENGTHS

Civil Service Strengths are personal attributes or qualities that come naturally to individuals and help them perform well in their roles. Unlike skills or experience, strengths focus on what energises and motivates you. The Civil Service uses strengths to assess how well someone might fit a role and how they are likely to behave in different situations. They are often assessed in interviews through questions designed to uncover what comes naturally to you, especially under pressure or over time.

The Civil Service Success Profiles framework, strengths are often mapped to specific behaviours to help assess how naturally a candidate may demonstrate those behaviours. Below is a list of the Civil Service strengths grouped according to the behaviour they are most commonly associated with:

PRACTICE CIVIL SERVICE TESTS NOW

WHAT ARE THE CIVIL SERVICE TESTS?

The Civil Service tests are assessments used to evaluate the suitability of candidates applying for a role within the Civil Service. They cover a range of areas, from situational judgement to numerical and verbal reasoning. This means that they test several different skills in order to determine whether or not a candidate is suitable for the role that they’ve applied for.

The Civil Service tests are usually taken online via a computer, as one of the application processes early stages. This includes both an initial ‘Sift’ test, as well as multiple online aptitude tests. Please note that you will only be invited to proceed with your application if you pass the Sift test.

After passing the Sift test, you’ll be asked to complete the Civil Service online test. This is a collection of assessments, including the following:

Civil Service Judgement Test
This test is designed to assess how you respond to work-related situations and your alignment with Civil Service behaviours and values. It has two parts. The first part is a self-assessment section where you are given a series of statements and asked to rate how well each one describes you. These statements are linked to behaviours such as teamwork, resilience, and leadership. The second part presents you with realistic workplace scenarios. For each scenario, you are shown four possible responses and must rate the effectiveness of each one, usually on a scale ranging from ‘Very Effective’ to ‘Counterproductive’.

Civil Service Work Strengths Test
This test looks at your natural strengths and preferred ways of working. In the first part, you are given statements related to different types of work and asked how strongly you agree or disagree. The second part involves workplace scenarios with five possible actions. You must rate each one from ‘Very Efficient’ to ‘Counterproductive’, testing your judgement and consistency. The third part gives you a different set of scenarios where you must choose the most likely and least likely actions you would take from four options, based on your natural preferences and strengths.

Civil Service Casework Test
This test measures your ability to make sound decisions based on written evidence. You are presented with a series of workplace scenarios, each accompanied by two or three supporting documents such as emails, reports, or policies. Following the documents, you are given several statements and asked to judge the accuracy of each one using a five-point scale: Definitely Correct, Probably Correct, Cannot Say, Probably Incorrect, and Definitely Incorrect. This test assesses your reading comprehension, attention to detail, and ability to make judgements based on evidence.

Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test
This test evaluates your ability to work with numerical data. You are shown tables, charts, or graphs and must answer questions based on the information provided. The test typically covers topics such as percentages, ratios, and currency conversions. It is multiple-choice and time-limited, assessing how quickly and accurately you can process numerical information.

Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test
This test measures your ability to understand and interpret written text. You are given short passages followed by one or more statements. For each statement, you must decide whether it is true, false, or if you cannot say based on the information in the text. This test focuses on your reading comprehension and your ability to draw logical conclusions from written material.

Civil Service Management Test
This test evaluates your decision-making ability in realistic management scenarios. It focuses on leadership, team coordination, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and alignment with Civil Service Behaviours. The MJT usually consists of 15 scenarios. Each one presents a workplace situation a manager might face, such as underperformance in a team, a conflict between staff members, a change in policy that needs implementing, or managing competing priorities. The scenarios are detailed, often around 200–250 words in length.

How to pass civil service tests

THE CIVIL SERVICE APPLICATION PROCESS

The Civil Service online test is just one stage in the Civil Service application process. There are numerous others, all of which are designed to find the most suitable candidates in terms of mental aptitude and moral values. Here are the stages of the Civil Service application process:

1. Civil Service Application Form.

2. Civil Service Sift Test.

3. Civil Service Online Tests.

4. Civil Service E-Tray Assessment (Fast-stream only).

5. Civil Service Assessment Centre.

6. Civil Service Interview (face-to-face).

As you can see, the Civil Service online test is the third stage in the process. This means that you’ll need to pass the initial application form stage, as well as the Sift test. If you pass the Civil Service online tests, you’ll likely be invited to an assessment centre, followed by a final face-to-face interview.

Here’s the Civil Service application process, step by step.

This is the very first stage of the Civil Service application process. This step involves uploading a copy of your CV to the Civil Service’s recruitment servers, as well as filling in additional application form. This stage will usually include candidates to create a personal statement to support your application. The personal statement is arguably the most important section of the initial application. This is your opportunity sell yourself. You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours deemed apprporiate for the role you are applying to. You will be given full instructions of what to include and the maximumword count to adhere to. Within your statement, make sure you demonstrate the assessable criteria and where you have previously demonstrated the assessable behavious.

During the SIFT stage, the recruitment team will assess your CV, application form and personal statement, to see if your appllication meets the desired criteria and that your personal statement demonstartes the assessable behaviours and is within the word count limit.

If your application form is successful, and you pass the Civil Service sift test, you’ll be invited to sit the Civil Service online test. The number of assessments youo will be required to sit, will depend on the role you are applying for. As previously mentioned, this is a collection of assessments that you’ll need to pass in order to be invited to the assessment centre. We’ll discuss these in more detail and provide sample questions, but for now take a look at the list of tests you will have to sit as part of this stage of the Civil Service application process:

  • Verbal Reasoning Test;
  • Numerical Reasoning Test;
  • Work Strengths Test;
  • Management Judgement Test;
  • Casework Skills Test;
  • Situational Judgement Test.

The Civil Service E-Tray assessment is an online test used to judge your knowledge and application of core competencies, as well as your ability to handle data and information correctly. It’s a kind of role playing exercise which will have you at a virtual workstation, making your way through tasks in the form of emails. If you would like to know more about the E-Tray assessments, click here.

If you pass the online tests, you’ll be invited to an assessment centre. This will be an opportunity to show your skills to the employers in person, as you attend a day of exercises and assessments. Here are some of the tasks that could be given to you to complete:

  • Psychometric tests – These will be similar to the ones you took during the Civil Service online tests stage of the application process. The reason for sitting them again is simply to verify that you weren’t cheating or getting help during the online assessments.
  • Role play exercises – You will be given a role to perform, with interviewers participating in the exercise as well. You’ll have to work within a scenario, adhering to the competencies as much as possible.
  • Group activities – These can take different forms, but all will measure your ability to work as a group, assign tasks, and manage your time effectively. You’ll be given a short space of time to prepare something as a group, then have to play out whatever you’ve decided on. These activities can include role plays, presentations, and discussions.
  • Individual Presentations – Here, you’ll be given a topic and some time to prepare a presentation based on it. You’ll then have to present your ideas to the recruiters at the assessment centre.
  • Written exercises – These are designed to test your ability to write a response to a question or complete a written-based task. You’ll likely be given data to work with to support your argument or otherwise discuss in your written exercise.

After the assessment centre, you’ll have the final face-to-face interview. This is an opportunity for the recruiters to get a better understanding of who you are as a person, as well as gather how well you know and can apply the Civil Service core competencies. Think back to how you answered questions in any tests and activities which involves the core competencies during the application process, since the interviewers may ask for you to expand on the answers you gave.

CIVIL SERVICE TESTS AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Now that you have a good idea of what the Civil Service application process looks like, it’s time to get a better understanding of one of its most substantial stages – the Civil Service online tests. Use this section to familiarise yourself with the content, but remember that high quality Civil Service exam preparation can only come from taking Civil services practice tests. The online exam for Civil Service jobs can be incredibly difficult since it covers lots of different areas, so take the time to work through each section carefully.

The civil service verbal reasoning test is used to measure your ability to comprehend and identify the key details in a passage of text. For questions in this test, you will be given a passage, followed by a series of statements related to it. For each statement, you might identify whether it is ‘true’, ‘false’, or ‘impossible to say’ based on the information in the text.

The trick for questions of this kind is to keep a close eye on all of the information. Read the initial passage carefully at least once before attempting any of the questions. Double-check with the information in the passage while you answer each question.

Here’s a Civil Service verbal reasoning sample question:

Passage 1

Employees working in an organisation are bound by confidentiality. They have a duty to keep information, data and any work-related issues quiet. Severe consequences are often a result of breaking the confidentiality agreement. Employers issue confidentially agreement contracts whereby both parties need to sign the clause and agree to the terms and conditions.

If suspension is a possible ‘severe consequence’ for employers to use, then employees who break the confidentiality agreement may be at risk of being suspended.

A – True

B – False

C – Impossible to say

This test is used to assess your numerical reasoning skills. You’ll be given a series of questions, all based on different pieces of data, that you’ll need to interpret in order to give the right answer. This data can be represented in the form of charts, graphs, and tables. Questions in this section will be multiple-choice.

Take a look at this sample numerical reasoning question:

The following table shows the percentage of copper in two coins:

Coin Weight Copper
50p coin 8g 25%
20p coin 5g 16%
Question

If both the coins are made of only nickel and copper, what is the difference between the weight of nickel present in the 50 pence coin and the weight of nickel in the 20 pence coin?

A B C D E
1.2g 0.8g 1.8g 1.25g 0.25g

Sample Scenario

You’ve recently taken over a team that’s struggling with morale and performance. One experienced team member, Rani, often questions your decisions in meetings, which you’ve found undermines your authority in front of others. However, her work is consistently accurate, and other colleagues tend to follow her lead.

What do you do?

A) Arrange a one-to-one conversation with Rani to discuss how her comments come across in meetings and to better understand her concerns.

B) Begin excluding Rani from decision-making meetings to avoid further disruption.

C) Ask the whole team in your next meeting to avoid criticising decisions once they’re made, without mentioning Rani directly.

D) Let the situation play out naturally for a few weeks to see if Rani’s attitude improves on its own.

Suggested Response:

  • Most Likely: A)
  • Least Likely: B)

Explanation:

  • Option A shows direct but respectful leadership. It balances professionalism with emotional intelligence by addressing concerns privately and constructively.
  • Option B is likely to worsen the situation. Excluding someone without a conversation is uncollaborative and risks alienating a skilled employee.
  • Option C is vague and might come off as passive-aggressive to the group, especially if they know who it’s aimed at.
  • Option D delays action and could allow the issue to grow, affecting team dynamics and your credibility as a manager.

Part 1: Self-Assessment of Work Preferences

You’ll be presented with statements about work behaviors and asked to rate your level of agreement on a scale from ‘Very Strongly Agree’ to ‘Very Strongly Disagree’.

Sample Statement:

“I enjoy working on tasks that require me to adapt quickly to new information and changing circumstances.”

Response Options:

  • Completely Agree
  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neutral
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree
  • Completely Disagree

Guidance:

  • Respond honestly based on your typical work behaviour.
  • There are no right or wrong answers—the aim is to measure how well your natural strengths align with the job.
  • If you’re applying for a role that requires adaptability, a stronger level of agreement might indicate a better fit.

Part 2: Effectiveness Ratings of Workplace Scenarios

You’ll be presented with workplace scenarios and several possible actions. For each action, you’ll rate its effectiveness using the following scale:

  • Counterproductive: An unacceptable action that would make the situation worse.
  • Inefficient: A poor action that would not help the situation.
  • Fairly Efficient: A useful action that would be of some help to the situation.
  • Efficient: A good action that would help to resolve the situation.
  • Very Efficient: The most suitable action, that will fully resolve the situation.

IMPORTANT! Please note our smaple scenario only has four actions, in the sample tests provided you will see five actions, with five aswer choices and ratings. It is also important to note that each possible action does not specifically require a separate rating. For example, if you feel that two of the actions are counterproductive, you can score them as such.

Sample Scenario: You are leading a project team, and one member consistently misses deadlines, affecting the project’s progress. What do you do?

Possible Actions:

  1. Privately discuss the missed deadlines with the team member to understand any challenges they’re facing.
  2. Reassign their tasks to other team members without addressing the issue directly.
  3. Highlight the missed deadlines in the next team meeting to encourage accountability.
  4. Report the team member’s performance to senior management immediately.

Effectiveness Ratings:

  1. Effecticient
  2. Counterproductive
  3. Inefficient
  4. Fairly Efficient

Rationale:

  • Action 1 is effective as it addresses the issue directly and empathetically, allowing for problem-solving.
  • Action 2 is counterproductive because it avoids the problem and may overburden other team members.
  • Action 3 is ineffective as it could embarrass the individual without resolving the underlying issue.
  • Action 4 is fairly effective but might be premature without first discussing the issue with the team member.

Part 3: Most and Least Likely Responses to Scenarios

Format: You’ll be given scenarios with several possible actions. For each scenario, you’ll select the action you are most likely to take and the one you are least likely to take.

Sample Scenario: A colleague frequently interrupts you during meetings, making it challenging for you to convey your points.

Possible Actions:

  1. Speak to your colleague privately after the meeting about the interruptions.
  2. Interrupt your colleague during their speaking time to experience the same.
  3. Raise the issue during the meeting to make others aware.
  4. Ignore the behavior and continue as usual.

Most Likely Action: Action 1 Least Likely Action: Action 2

Rationale:

  • Action 1 demonstrates professionalism and a willingness to resolve conflicts amicably.
  • Action 2 is unprofessional and could escalate tensions.
  • Action 3 might embarrass your colleague and is less discreet.
  • Action 4 ignores the issue, allowing it to persist.

Part One: Customer Service Scenarios

Scenario: A customer emails expressing frustration about a delayed order, stating they’ve been waiting longer than the expected delivery time.

Initial Customer Communication: “I’ve been waiting for my order for two weeks now, which is longer than the promised delivery time. I’m very disappointed.”

Possible Responses:

A. Apologize for the delay, explain that there have been unexpected issues affecting delivery times, and assure the customer that their order will arrive soon.

B. Apologize for the inconvenience, inform the customer that you’re looking into the issue, and provide an estimated new delivery date.

C. Apologize for the delay and offer a discount on their next purchase as a goodwill gesture.

Best Response: B

Explanation: This response acknowledges the customer’s frustration, takes responsibility by investigating the issue, and provides a concrete solution with a new estimated delivery date, addressing the customer’s immediate concern.

Part One (b)

Scenario: Customer response: “That’s not my problem, I have paid for a service and I haven’t received it. I want action now!”

Possible responses

A. Apologize once more and explain that you will try to locate the package and provide further update as soon as possible.

B. Tell the customer, you are very sorry, but there is nothing else you can do right now.

C. Apologize again and tell the customer you can get another item dispatched on a next day delivery, an arrange for the original item not to be delivered when located.

Best Response: C

Explanation: As the customer is still angry and upset by the outcome, this requires more action on your behalf. Option C, is the only response which takes further action to attempt to resolve the problem.

Part Two: Evaluating Actions in Scenarios

This section presents various workplace scenarios related to customer service. For each scenario, you’ll evaluate the effectiveness of four possible actions, rating them based on their appropriateness and potential outcomes.

Scenario: A customer is upset because they received the wrong item in their order.

Possible Actions:

  1. Apologize and immediately send the correct item, allowing the customer to keep the incorrect one.
  2. Apologize and ask the customer to return the incorrect item before sending the correct one.
  3. Apologize, send the correct item immediately, and provide a discount on their next purchase.
  4. Apologize and inform the customer that they need to return the incorrect item, and once received, the correct item will be dispatched.

Effectiveness Ratings:

  1. Effective: Resolves the issue promptly and enhances customer satisfaction.

  2. Fairly Effective: Addresses the problem but adds inconvenience for the customer.

  3. Highly Effective: Not only corrects the mistake promptly but also offers additional value to the customer.

  4. Ineffective: Delays the resolution and may lead to further dissatisfaction.

Part Two: Evaluating Actions in Scenarios

This section presents various workplace scenarios related to customer service. For each scenario, you’ll evaluate the effecti

Part Three: A timed section where you’ll have 10 minutes to identify errors between pieces of customer information provided. This assesses your ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure.

Part Three: Attention to Detail

Task: You’re provided with two versions of a customer’s address and must identify discrepancies.

Version 1: “123 Maple Street, Springfield, SP1 2AB”

Version 2: “123 Maple St., Springfeld, SP1 2AB”

Discrepancies:

  • “Street” vs. “St.”

  • “Springfield” vs. “Springfeld”

Solution: Identify and correct these inconsistencies to ensure accurate customer records.

Preparation Tips

  • Improve Attention to Detail: Engage in exercises that require careful review of information under time constraints.

Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) – Part 1: Self-Assessment What is it?

This section of the CSJT assesses how your behaviour and preferences align with the Civil Service’s working environment, using a series of 15 statements.

For each, you’ll be asked to rate how accurately the statement describes you at work, using the following scale: Very Inaccurate / Inaccurate / Neutral / Accurate / Very Accurate

The test is untimed and typically taken online.

There are two types of questions you will face in the self-assessment section.

1. Behaviour-Based Statements

These relate to the Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours, such as:

  • Working Together

  • Making Effective Decisions

  • Delivering at Pace

  • Communicating and Influencing

  • Managing a Quality Service

  • Changing and Improving

  • Seeing the Big Picture

Purpose: To understand how frequently and consistently you demonstrate desirable workplace behaviours.

2. Preference-Based Statements

These explore your natural tendencies or working style, such as:

  • Task variety vs. routine

  • Working independently vs. collaboratively

  • Clear direction vs. flexibility

  • Interaction vs. quiet work

Purpose: To assess how well your personal work preferences align with typical Civil Service environments.

There are no “right” or “wrong” answers, but your responses help identify whether you’re suited to the role or department you’re applying for.

How to Approach Each Type

Behaviour-Based Questions

  • Be honest, but align with core Civil Service Success Profiles

  • Consider how often you behave in the way described — not just whether you agree with the statement

  • Think about recent examples where you demonstrated that behaviour

Preference-Based Questions

  • Reflect on what genuinely suits your working style

  • Don’t answer based on what you think the Civil Service wants — they use these to place you in the right kind of role

  • There’s no penalty for choosing a less common preference, as long as it fits the role.

Sample Questions and Explanations

Behaviour-Based Question

Statement: I remain constructive and professional when managing disagreements at work.
Rating You Might Choose: Very Accurate

Explanation:
This relates to the Communicating and Influencing behaviour.
It suits individuals who stay composed under pressure, manage conflict with empathy, and maintain respectful dialogue.

  • ✔️ This would suit people working in HR, project management, team leadership, or any role where negotiation or stakeholder engagement is required.

  • ❌ It might challenge those who are uncomfortable with confrontation or tend to avoid emotionally charged situations.

Part Two of the Civil Service Judgement Test presents you with realistic workplace scenarios. Each scenario is followed by four possible actions. You must rate the effectiveness of each action, usually on a scale such as:

  • Very Effective

  • Effective

  • Fairly Effective

  • Ineffective

  • Counterproductive

This part of the test is designed to assess your judgement, problem-solving skills, and your ability to handle everyday challenges in a way that aligns with Civil Service values and behaviours. PLEASE NOTE: Not every action needs to be a different effectiveness rating. If you feel that two of the actions are the same ranking, please answer as such.


Sample Scenario

You are working in a busy team that is preparing a report for a senior official. The deadline is tight, and your colleague has made a mistake in one of the key data tables. They are currently away at a meeting, and you are unsure how they produced the figures. The report is due in two hours.

Action A:
You correct the mistake using your best judgement and send the report as planned.
Rating: Fairly Effective
Explanation: You are taking initiative and meeting the deadline, but you risk introducing a further error by guessing. It’s a practical response, but not ideal without verifying the data.

Action B:
You inform your manager of the issue and suggest submitting the report with a note flagging the section that needs reviewing once your colleague returns.
Rating: Very Effective
Explanation: This shows integrity, good communication, and protects the team’s credibility while still progressing the task responsibly.

Action C:
You ignore the mistake because it’s your colleague’s responsibility and trust they will fix it later.
Rating: Ineffective
Explanation: This avoids responsibility and risks the error being missed entirely, potentially affecting decision-making.

Action D:
You wait for your colleague to return and delay sending the report until they confirm the figures.
Rating: Effective
Explanation: This ensures accuracy but risks missing the deadline. It is cautious and responsible but could have been improved by informing someone of the delay.

Action E:
You quickly remove the data table from the report and submit the rest on time, hoping the omission won’t be noticed until it can be fixed later.

Rating: Counterproductive
Explanation: While this avoids including incorrect information, it undermines the completeness and usefulness of the report. Omitting a key section without explanation could confuse the recipient, damage trust, and result in further delays or follow-ups. It shows a lack of transparency and poor judgement in managing time-sensitive work.

Part One: You’ll be presented with a scenario accompanied by related background information, such as customer communications or internal messages. Your task is to review this information and determine the veracity of several statements, categorizing each as:

  • Definitely True
  • Possibly True
  • Impossible to say
  • Probably False
  • Definitely False

Sample Questions and Solutions

Part One: Information Processing and Analysis

Scenario: A client, Mr. Smith, has submitted an application for a housing benefit. Included in his application are:

  • A completed application form dated March 1st.

  • A letter from his employer stating his employment ended on February 25th.

  • A bank statement showing a balance of £500 as of February 28th.

Statement: “Mr. Smith was unemployed when he submitted his application.”

Options:

  • True
  • False
  • Impossible to say

Correct Answer: Impossible to Say

Explanation:

Although we know his last job ended on February 25th, there’s no information provided to confirm whether he started a new job between that date and March 1st (the date of the application). He may still be unemployed, but we can’t assume that without explicit evidence. This makes “Cannot Say” the only correct and justifiable choice.

Part Two: This section presents various workplace scenarios relevant to casework. For each scenario, you’ll evaluate the effectiveness of multiple possible actions, rating them based on their appropriateness and potential outcomes.

Sample Question

Scenario: A client has missed two consecutive appointments without prior notice. This has delayed the processing of their case.

Possible Actions:

  1. Send a formal letter warning the client that their case will be closed if they miss another appointment.

  2. Attempt to contact the client by phone to understand the reasons for the missed appointments and reschedule.

  3. Continue processing the case without the client’s input to avoid further delays.

  4. Place the case on hold indefinitely until the client reaches out.

Effectiveness Ratings:

  1. Fairly Efficient

  2. Highly Efficient

  3. Inefficient

  4. Counterproductive

Explanation: Action 2 is highly effective as it seeks to understand the client’s situation and reschedule, demonstrating empathy and a proactive approach. Action 1 is fairly effective but may come across as punitive without understanding the reasons for the missed appointments. Action 3 is ineffective as it disregards the client’s input, potentially leading to errors.Action 4 is counterproductive as it halts progress without attempting to resolve the issue.

Part Three: A timed exercise where you’ll be provided with case information and required to identify errors or input necessary information accurately within a set time limit. This assesses your ability to work quickly and precisely under pressure.

Part Three: Sample Question

Task: You are provided with two versions of a client’s address and must identify discrepancies.

Version 1: “456 Oak Avenue, Apt. 12, London, LN1 3AB”

Version 2: “456 Oak Ave, Apartment 12, London, LN1 3BA”

Discrepancies:

  • “Avenue” vs. “Ave”

  • “Apt.” vs. “Apartment”

  • Postcode: “LN1 3AB” vs. “LN1 3BA”

Solution: Identify and correct these inconsistencies to ensure accurate client records.

Preparation Tips

  • Enhance Analytical Skills: Practice interpreting and synthesizing information from multiple sources.

  • Develop Decision-Making Abilities: Engage in exercises that require evaluating the effectiveness of various actions in workplace scenarios.

  • Improve Attention to Detail: Perform tasks that involve identifying discrepancies under timed conditions to boost accuracy and speed.

Approach the test with honesty and confidence, ensuring your responses genuinely reflect your caseworking skills and alignment with the Civil Service’s core behaviours.

FURTHER PRODUCTS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN

The Civil Service online test stage of the Civil Service application process is rigorous, and can be incredibly difficult for the unprepared. Thankfully, How2become now offer the Civil Service Online Test Bundle – a collection of online and downloadable eBook testing materials to give yourself the best chance of passing the Civil Service online tests. This bundle comes with hundreds of Civil Service practice test questions for every online test you can face in the process.

With hundreds of questions at the ready, this online testing suite gives you everything you need to start practising your numerical reasoning skills and prepare yourself for the Civil Service numerical reasoning test!

The verbal reasoning test can be tricky for those who haven’t practised, so be sure to use this online testing suite to familiarise yourself with the question format.

Situational judgement tests are used in two different stages of the Civil Service application process: first in the Sift tests, and second in the online testing phase. This means that you have twice the reason to get access to this situational judgement testing suite and prepare for success!

While there’s technically not a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer in a personality test, and you should always answer honestly, it helps to have an idea of what questions you might face so that you can prepare to answer them properly. This downloadable eBook comes with plenty of sample personality test questions.

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Online Civil Service Practice Tests For 2025
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£9.99 plus VAT per month

Includes
✓ Over 1,100 Practice Questions, answers & explantions;
✓ Verbal reasoning test questions and answers;
✓ Numerical reasoning test questions and answers;
✓ Management Judgement test questions and answers;
✓ Casework Skills test questions and answers;
✓ Customer Service test questions and answers;
✓ Situational judgement test questions and answers.
✓ Work Strengths test questions and answers
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