Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) The Civil Service Success Profiles Framework Syllabus

What does the behaviour 'Communicating and Influencing' mean?

Communicating clearly, persuasively and honestly in a way that is appropriate to the audience, and influencing to deliver outcomes.

What does the behaviour 'Working Together' mean?

Forming effective partnerships and relationships, working collaboratively and inclusively, and creating a supportive team environment.

What does the behaviour 'Developing Self and Others' mean?

Taking ownership of your own development and supporting and encouraging others to develop their skills and reach their potential.

What does the behaviour 'Managing a Quality Service' mean?

Delivering service objectives with a focus on customers, planning and organising to provide a high-quality, efficient and reliable service.

What does the behaviour 'Delivering at Pace' mean?

Taking responsibility for delivering timely, high-quality results, maintaining focus, momentum and accountability under pressure.

How do behaviour expectations differ across grades in Success Profiles?

The same nine behaviours apply, but the level of complexity, scope and impact expected increases with grade; each behaviour has level-specific descriptions for different grade clusters.

What are the grade-level clusters used in the behaviour framework?

Behaviours are described at six levels, roughly aligned to grade clusters: Levels 1–2 (AA/AO), Level 3 (EO), Level 4 (HEO/SEO), Level 5 (Grades 6/7), and Level 6 (SCS).

At a senior grade, how does 'Seeing the Big Picture' typically differ from a junior grade?

Junior grades focus on understanding how their own work supports team goals; senior grades shape strategy, anticipate long-term and external trends, and align the organisation to government priorities.

In a Success Profiles application, what should you 'align' your answers to?

To the specific behaviours, strengths and Civil Service values named in the job advert and person specification.

What are the four Civil Service values?

Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity, and Impartiality.

Define the Civil Service value of 'Integrity'.

Putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests.

Define the Civil Service value of 'Honesty'.

Being truthful and open.

Define the Civil Service value of 'Objectivity'.

Basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence.

Define the Civil Service value of 'Impartiality'.

Acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions.

Which value specifically requires political neutrality, and what does it include?

Impartiality — it includes political impartiality, meaning serving the government of the day equally well regardless of your own political beliefs.

In a judgement/situational question, how should you apply values 'under pressure'?

Uphold the values even when inconvenient — e.g. report errors honestly, base decisions on evidence not pressure, and avoid favouritism or political bias, prioritising public interest over personal convenience.

If a manager asks you to omit unfavourable evidence from advice to ministers, which value is engaged and what should you do?

Honesty and Objectivity — you should give full, evidence-based advice and not conceal inconvenient findings, raising concerns appropriately.

What is the purpose of understanding your own strengths in Success Profiles?

To identify roles where you will perform well and be motivated, and to give authentic strengths-based answers; strengths reveal natural energy and potential, not just learned skills.

How does a strength differ from a 'learned behaviour' even when both are done well?

A strength energises and motivates you when you do it; a learned behaviour you can do competently but it may drain rather than energise you.

Why are strengths-based questions often asked rapidly and unscripted?

To capture authentic, instinctive responses that reveal genuine motivation, since strengths are harder to rehearse or fake than prepared behaviour examples.

What is the STAR method and why is it used for behaviour answers?

Situation, Task, Action, Result — a structure for giving clear, evidence-based examples of past behaviour, ensuring you explain context, your specific actions, and the outcome.

In STAR answers, which part should usually get the most emphasis and why?

The 'Action' — because assessors want to know what you personally did, demonstrating the behaviour, rather than what the team did.

What is the Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) and which Success Profiles element does it relate to?

A situational judgement-style test presenting workplace scenarios; it relates to the Ability element and assesses alignment to the behaviours and values.

In a CSJT scenario, what is generally the best basis for choosing the 'most effective' response?

The response that best aligns with the Civil Service behaviours and the four values, balancing effective delivery with integrity, collaboration and customer/public focus.

How can 'Delivering at Pace' and 'Managing a Quality Service' come into tension, and how is it usually resolved?

Speed can compromise quality; the best answers balance both — delivering on time while maintaining standards, escalating realistically if pace threatens quality.

Which behaviour is most relevant when you must persuade a reluctant stakeholder to support a change?

Communicating and Influencing (often combined with Changing and Improving).

Which behaviour is most relevant when coaching a struggling colleague?

Developing Self and Others.

Which behaviour is most relevant when weighing risks and evidence before committing to a course of action?

Making Effective Decisions.

What is the key difference between the 'Leadership' behaviour and 'Working Together'?

Leadership is about setting vision, direction and leading by example; Working Together is about collaborating, building inclusive relationships and being an effective team member.

Why does Success Profiles assess multiple elements rather than competencies alone?

Because the best person for a role is found by looking from several perspectives (behaviours, strengths, ability, experience, technical), improving fairness, inclusion and prediction of future performance.

When tailoring an application, how do you find which behaviours and values to evidence?

Read the job advert and person specification — they list the specific behaviours (and sometimes strengths/technical/experience criteria) and values the panel will assess, and you should provide evidence against each.