Civil Service Fast Steam Tests

Careers at Civil Service

The Civil Service delivers an extensive range of public services and supports the Government to develop and implement policies. Over 420,000 people are currently employed in the Civil Service across the UK and overseas.

Whether you’re passionate about foreign policy, want to deliver vital services to the public, develop the tech and infrastructure needed to ensure the country stays ahead, or influence future generations through education — there’s a job in the Civil Service to suit almost everyone.

And it’s yet another reason why it’s worth putting the time and effort into the highly competitive Civil service recruitment process.

Within the Civil Service sits the Fast Stream programme, specifically designed to nurture and train future Civil Service leaders.

If you’re accepted onto the Fast Stream, your development will be heavily invested in and you’ll be trained up with leadership in mind. This does mean you won’t initially be able to choose which department you work in, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the country’s brightest minds and discover where your true passion lies.

The Fast Stream recruitment process is made to challenge even the most competent of individuals, since its purpose is to help find the Civil Service’s future leaders.

It’s a lot of work, but if you’re willing to put in the time, effort and preparation, the results could be life-changing.

As well as numerous online psychometric tests and questionnaires, you’ll also have to complete a video interview, assessment centre and a final selection board.

At each point, you’ll be required to showcase your skills and strengths, while demonstrating the key competencies that are required of every individual who gets accepted onto the Fast Stream.

Online application

The online application form is the first stage of the process.

You’ll be asked to share details of your previous education and experience, to ensure you meet the minimum criteria for the role you’re applying for.

The application form also includes a Civil Service competency questionnaire in which you’ll need to detail examples of where you’ve demonstrated the qualities listed in the Civil Service Competency Framework.

With just 200 words per answer allowed, it’s important to get your point across concisely.

Civil Service Aptitude Tests

The next stage of the selection process is the civil service exam, which consists of several online tests including work-style questionnaires, situational judgement questionnaires, and possibly a numerical test (depending on the scheme).

Work-style questionnaires

The work-style questionnaire presents you with a series of statements that you’ll have to respond to with your own character in mind. After reading each one, you’ll need to mark on a scale how much you agree or disagree with what you’ve read.

Next, you’ll be shown the same set of statements and asked to rank in order which one describes you best, through to which is the least representative of your character.

As always with personality-style questionnaires, honesty is the best policy. But it’s always worth keeping the key competencies in mind as you progress through the questions.

Overall the strengths and weaknesses of your character are being assessed; helping an employer to gain a better understanding of how well you’d fit into the Fast Stream programme and wider department.

Civil Service situational judgement questionnaires

Using the core Civil Service competencies as a guide for your answers, you’ll need to answer a series of multiple-choice questions about your relationship-building skills and the way that you think, in two different situational judgement questionnaires.

The first questionnaire requires you to show how comfortable you are making important judgement calls and big decisions. These will always be framed as workplace challenges; ones that you may well have to deal with should you be accepted onto the programme.

The second questionnaire is designed to probe how you think, by giving you a limited amount of information about a workplace situation, and then asking you to use the information to resolve a problem.

Both questionnaires consist of 12 questions followed by four potential actions. Your job is to rate the actions according to their effectiveness in solving the particular challenge you’re dealing with.

Civil Service numerical test

Depending on what scheme you have chosen to apply for, you may be asked to complete a numerical reasoning test.

The Fast Stream numerical test is multiple-choice and supplied by Cubiks, so be sure to practice Cubiks tests to get to grips with the style and format of the questions.

Based largely on your ability to analyse and interpret data from different graphs, charts and tables, the numerical test is your chance to show off your mathematical skills — skills that will be highly valued in many different areas of the Civil Service.

It’s crucial to prepare for the numerical reasoning test part of the assessment, particularly if maths isn’t one of your strengths. The best way to prepare for the numerical reasoning test is to take some online practice tests. This will help you become accustomed to question style and format, as well allowing you to identify any areas of weakness to focus on.