Temporary Clerical positions

in the

Public Service

Stage 1

Pre-Test InformationBooklet

This is an important document so please set some time aside to read it in advance of the test session.

©Public Appointments ServicePage 1

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your application for Temporary Clerical positions in the Civil Service.

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the central recruiter for theCivil and Public Service and will conduct all of the selection process on behalf of its’ public service clients. Throughout this campaign, panels of suitably qualified individuals will be established from which Civil Service 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 this role.

Thepurpose of this pre-test information material is tohelp you to understand the next stage of the selection process and introduce you to the format of the Assessment Questionnaire. Work through this information carefully as it will help you understand what you have to do and what you can expect,in particular and it will also ensure that you are prepared to perform to the best of your ability.

PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS SERVICE

March 2016

©Public Appointments Service, 2016

The reproduction of any part of this document by any process whatsoever is breaking copyright law.

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.
  • 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 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.

Stage 1

Assessment Questionnaire

In order to assess your potential suitability for the TCOrole,the Assessment Questionnairecollects information on your skills, interests and preferences and your responses to potential scenarios you may face in the role.

It is essential that you answerall 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 havewithdrawn from the campaign.

As this Questionnaire is about youthere is no need for practice material.

When must I take my Assessment Questionnaire?

You have been allocated the following specific time window in which to complete your Assessment Questionnaire:

Between Tuesday 8th March and 12 noon Tuesday 15th March.

When will I receive my link to the Assessment Questionnaire?

By Tuesday 15th March you will receive an e-mail to your publicjobs message board containing the link to your Assessment Questionnaire:

The Questionnaire

Typically this Questionnaire should take you no longer than 90 minutes to complete however you must complete and submit it within the set time frame above.

This questionnaire is divided into two parts

The first part is broken down into three sections.

Section 1 A contains a series of statements and you are asked to indicate how well each of the statements describe you.

Section 1 B contains a series of statements and you are asked to indicate how well each of the statements describe you.

Section 1 C contains a series of tasks and skills and you are asked to rate yourself against these tasks/skills.

In the second part of this questionnaire, you are given a series of scenarios, similar to what may be encountered in the role. After each scenario you are given a number of options as to how a TemporaryClerical Officer might deal with the scenario. You will be asked to rate each of the options in terms of their appropriateness.

  • We encourage you to complete the test quickly, rather than deliberating over each question;
  • Candidates must complete the questionnaire on their own behalf; responses will be verified should you come under consideration.
  • A third party must not personate a candidate at any stage of the process

If you have not fully completed and submitted the Questionnaire before the deadline, your application will receive no further consideration.

Candidates will be ranked on the outcome of the Questionnaire and may be called to Stage 2 in accordance with their ranking.

Next Steps

  1. You have received information above regarding your allocated testing window.
  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 90 minutes to complete however you must complete and submit it within the set time frame (8th March to 12 noon on 15thMarch).
  4. You are 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 languageintroduction page of yourAssessment Questionnaire. You should check that your name appears on the screen. If not,to seek assistance, click on the following link:

Support is available Monday to Sunday 8.00am to 8.00pm

Please ensure that you read carefully the instructions provided on the screens.

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.

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.
  1. 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.

©Public Appointments ServicePage 1