Why we have assessments

Members of the Senior Civil Service are senior leaders. They set the strategic direction of the department, develop new policy and manage operational responses. They are key to delivering the aims and objectives of each department. As well as overseeing important work, they play an essential role in steering culture change within the organisation and aligning to the organisational and Civil Service values. It is therefore essential that applicants are thoroughly reviewed to ensure they have the necessary skills and leadership behaviours for the role.

Each department will follow their own process for selection so we recommend you look at their departmental website for specific details. In general, however, all roles will be advertised and can be found on the Civil Service Jobs website, some roles may use Executive Search companies too. There is likely to be an application form or the submission of a CV and statement of suitability by a particular deadline. After this if you are shortlisted you may be asked to undertake some assessments. Depending on the supplier used these may vary, so the assessments you undertake may be different to those described on this site, but similar general principles will apply. If the department is using the Government Recruitment Service or you have been directed to this website then it is likely you will undertake one or more of the assessments described under Assessment Types. After this stage you are likely to be invited to a virtual or face to face panel interview.