Executive Officer
in the
Civil Service
Stage 1
Pre-Test Information Booklet
Part A
This is an important document so please set some time
aside to read it in advance of the test session.
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your application for Executive Officer positions in the Civil Service.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the central recruiter for the Civil and Public Service.
Through this competition, PAS will establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which
vacancies may be filled
The PAS is committed to the principles of good recruitment practice and these principles
involve fair and impartial selection. This selection process has been developed to assess the
key skills and attributes necessary to perform in an Executive Officer role. Candidates will be
required to take a number of assessments and tests which are designed to evaluate their
potential for this. The process comprises several stages.
The first stage consists of:
(Part A) an Assessment Questionnaire, and
(Part B) Aptitude tests.
You will take these tests online and in an unsupervised environment, as previously outlined in
the Information Booklet for Candidates.
The purpose of this pre-test information material is to help you to understand Stage 1 of the
selection process and introduce you to the format of the Assessment Questionnaire primarily.
Work through this information carefully as it will help you understand what you have to do and
what you can expect during Stage 1 (Part A) in particular and it will also ensure that you are
prepared to perform to the best of your ability.
Those who fully complete and submit their Assessment Questionnaire will receive information
on Stage 1 (Part B - Online Aptitude tests) in advance of receiving the link to the aptitude tests.
PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS SERVICE
January 2015
©Public Appointments Service, 2015
The reproduction of any part of this document by any process whatsoever is breaking copyright law.
©Public Appointments Service
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Overview
To facilitate candidates the initial selection stage will be conducted online. Therefore you will
require a PC or laptop to complete the tests.
As indicated earlier, Stage 1 of the selection process is divided into two parts as follows:
(Part A) Assessment Questionnaire, and
(Part B) Aptitude tests
Candidates must reach the required standard in both Part A and Part B. Those who achieve
the required standard will be ranked accordingly. Only those who qualify and are placed
highest at Stage 1 will be invited to Stage 2. However, the number to be invited forward will be
determined by the PAS from time to time, having regard to the likely number of vacancies to be
filled.
Qualification at Stage 1 is no guarantee that a candidate will be invited to Stage 2 or
subsequent stages.
There will be a set time frame during which you must take the Assessment Questionnaire.
You are strongly advised to complete the Assessment Questionnaire early in the testing
window.
Please note that while candidates complete these assessments online in an unsupervised
environment, those who qualify and are placed highest on the order of merit may be required to
sit similar assessments in a supervised environment at a later stage in the process. If a
candidate’s performance at a supervised test is outside the expected scoring range from their
unsupervised test, it will call into question the validity of their unsupervised test scores and they
may be excluded from subsequent stages of the selection process.
Please note:

You may take the Assessment Questionnaire in a venue of your choice wherever you
have access to a computer and a reliable internet connection;

Please be aware that taking this Questionnaire within a secure IT network e.g. such as
your work, a government Department/Office or college network which may have
firewalls or other security technology in place, may cause you technical difficulties. In
such instances PAS (or any company or service provider operating on behalf of PAS)
will not be liable;

As the Assessment Questionnaire will require your full concentration, please ensure that
you take the Questionnaire in a quiet environment, where there are no distractions and
where you will not be disturbed;
You are advised to take the Questionnaire on a PC or laptop and to use a mouse you
are familiar with. Do not attempt to take the Questionnaire on a smart phone, mobile or
tablet device;

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
Close down all other applications except for your browser windows and internet
connection, and stop all other activity on your computer e.g. printing could cause the
assessment questionnaire to terminate;

Further information on the PC /Laptop requirements to take this Questionnaire is
provided at Appendix 1 at the end of this document;
During the period of the tests, email support facilities will be available to deal with any
technical issues you may have in relation to the Questionnaire and tests themselves.

Honesty Contract
Integrity and honesty are key values within the Civil Service. As potential employees you are
expected to honour these values, both in how you approach this competition and by agreeing to
follow the rules and procedures laid down. By taking part in the selection process, you are
confirming that you are the person named on the application and you agree to complete the
Questionnaire and tests honestly and without assistance. A third party must not personate a
candidate at any stage of the process. By accessing or attempting any assessment / test
materials you are agreeing to be bound by the terms set out.
Your attention is drawn to the important information set out in Appendix 2 on page 7.
©Public Appointments Service
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Stage 1
Part A – Assessment Questionnaire
In order to assess your potential suitability for the Executive Officer role, the Assessment
Questionnaire collects information on your skills, interests and preferences and your responses
to potential scenarios you may face in the role.
It is essential that you answer all of the questions on this Questionnaire within the dates and
time allocated to you.
If you do not complete and submit the Assessment Questionnaire you will be deemed to have
withdrawn from the campaign. You will not be invited to undertake the aptitude tests if you
have not completed and pressed the ‘Submit’ button at the end of the Assessment
Questionnaire.
As this Questionnaire is about you there is no need for practice material.
Next Steps
1. You will have received information regarding your allocated testing window for Part A to your
publicjobs Messageboard along with this Pre –Test Information Booklet.
2. At the appointed time you will receive the link to your Assessment Questionnaire. This will
be delivered to your publicjobs Messageboard.
3. Typically this Questionnaire should take you no longer than 45 minutes to complete however
you must complete and submit it within the set time frame (22nd to 12 noon on 29th January).
4. You are strongly advised to complete the Questionnaire in one sitting. Give yourself sufficient
time and do not wait until the final hours of the testing deadline to complete the Questionnaire.
5. Once the deadline for your testing window has passed, you will not be able to commence the
Questionnaire. No time extensions will be given.
Accessing the Assessment Questionnaire
Once you open the link in your Messageboard you will be taken directly to the language
introduction page of your Assessment Questionnaire. You should check that your name
appears on the screen. If not, to seek assistance, use the support link on the top right hand
corner of the screen. Please ensure that you read carefully the instructions provided on the
screens.
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Appendix 1
PC/Laptop Minimum Specification Requirements
The following are the minimum requirements to successfully take the tests on a PC or laptop.
Most computers will meet these requirements.

Operating system
Windows 2000 or later
Apple Mac: MAC OS X

Your Adobe TM flash player will need to be up to date: adobe flash plug-in v11

To take a test, we recommend a broadband internet connection with a download speed
of at least 256kb/s. Users with dial-up connections and broadband connections with a
download speed less than 256kb/s may have difficulty rendering some items.

Supported browsers:
Internet explorer versions 7 +
Google chrome 4.0+
Mozilla firefox 3.0+
Safari 3.0+
Opera
Netscape 7.0.2
The tests will work best with the following minimum resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels. A screen
resolution lower than this will cause the pages of the test to scroll. The tests will check the
screen resolution at the start and a warning is given if the available screen is not big enough.
The test delivery software requires pop-up windows and session cookies are enabled in your
browser.
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Appendix 2
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Terms and Conditions
Your attention is drawn to this important information. By accessing or attempting any assessment / test
materials you are agreeing to be bound by the terms set out below.
1. All test and assessment materials are subject to copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of
the tests/ assessment materials (including any text, questions and/or potential answer options) or
associated materials (including practice and/ or familiarisation materials) may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, printing,
photographing, recording, written or otherwise, at any stage. To do so is an offence and may result
in you being excluded from the selection process. Any person(s) who contravenes this provision,
whether an applicant or other, or who assists another person(s) in contravening this provision, is
liable to prosecution and/ or civil suit for loss of copyright and intellectual property.
2. Your attention is drawn the Commission for Public Service Appointment’s Code of Practice for
Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service. In particular please note Section
5 - Responsibility of Candidates (see below).
Canvassing
Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify them and will result in their exclusion from
the appointments process.
Candidates’ obligations
Candidates in the recruitment process must not:
 Knowingly or recklessly provide false information
 Canvass any person, with or without inducements
 Interfere with or compromise the process in any way.
A third party must not personate a candidate at any stage of the process.
Penalties for failure to comply
Any person who contravenes the above provisions, or who assists another person in contravening
the above provisions is guilty of an offence. A person who is found guilty of an offence is liable to a
fine and/or imprisonment.
If a person found guilty of such an offence was or is a candidate in a recruitment process, then:
Where he/she has not been appointed to a post, he/she will be disqualified as a candidate
Where he/she has been appointed subsequent to the recruitment process in question, he/she
shall forfeit that appointment.
3. The admission of a person to the competition, or invitation to undertake any element of the
selection process is not to be taken as implying that the Public Appointments Service is satisfied
that such a person fulfils the essential requirements.
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