Civil Service Interview Guide - How You Will Be Assessed - How to Prepare
Civil Service Interviews: How to Prepare
How You Will Be Assessed –
A Helpful Guide to Ensure Your Preparation is on the Right Track
If you've been invited to a Civil Service interview, understanding the assessment process is one of the most effective ways to improve your performance. The Civil Service interview process is generally transparent, with most roles assessed against elements of the Success Profiles Framework, which commonly includes:
Behaviours – 9 Behaviours
Strengths - 36 Strengths
Experience
Occasionally Technical or Ability criteria
Most interviews focus heavily on Behaviours and Strengths, with presentations sometimes used to assess experience or technical expertise.
Ability is often assessed through tests such as a situational judgement test Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test - GOV.UK or a Written / Arithmetic test.
What You Should Prepare
1. Review the Job Description carefully
The job advert and interview invitation will tell you exactly what will be assessed, head to the ‘Things you need to know’ section. Focus on the Success Profile elements listed and download the Success Profiles document if you haven’t already done so. Links are typically provided but you can find all the documents here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
2. Prepare Behaviour Examples
The behaviours being assessed will be listed in the advert, often there are between three and five.
You should prepare strong STCAR (Situation, Task, Challenges, Action, Result) examples for each behaviour. If you've already written behaviour examples for the application stage, refine and expand them.
You can also request a helpful template by contacting us here: matteastlake@interviewpereformance.co.uk
Also see videos on our YouTube Channel, short videos for each behaviour.
3. Prepare for Strength Questions
Strengths are rarely listed individually and even though it is often said you cannot prepare for them I believe you can, and should, prepare for everything. Read our Blog post How to prepare and answer Civil Service Strength Questions - My Framer Site or ask for my full Strength Based Interview guide: matteastlake@interviewperformance.co.uk I would be happy to share it with you.
However, you can anticipate likely strengths by:
Reviewing the behaviour requirements.
Studying the role description.
Comparing both against the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
Reading the description of each carefully and then thinking of a recent example you could use.
Prepare short examples that support the strengths you have identified.
4. Be Ready to Demonstrate Experience
Experience may be assessed through:
A presentation.
Follow-up probing questions.
Situational questions related to the role.
How Behaviour Questions Are Marked
Behaviour questions are usually allocated 7 minutes which includes:
Your main answer.
Follow-up questions.
I would suggest you aim for 4mins – 5 minutes when giving your answers.
Typical Marking Scale
Most departments score behaviours on a scale of 1 to 7:
1. Not demonstrated - No positive evidence of competence
2. Minimal demonstration - Limited positive evidence of the competency
3. Moderate demonstration - Moderate positive evidence of the competency
4. Acceptable demonstration - Adequate positive evidence of the competency
5. Good demonstration - Substantial, positive evidence of the competency
6. Strong demonstration - Substantial, positive evidence of the competency and includes some evidence of exceeding expectations
7. Outstanding demonstration - Evidence provided wholly exceeds expectations at this level
Generally, a score of 5+ is considered competitive. You cannot score less than a 4 on any behaviour answer as 3 and below is a fail.
How the Marks are apportioned:
Situation, Task & Challenges (approx. 2 marks)
Keep these concise:
What was happening?
What was your responsibility?
What needed to be achieved?
Why this was going to be a difficult task i.e. Challenging (see my YouTube video services for a more detailed explanation and framework)
Action (approx. 4 marks)
This is where most of the marks can be awarded.
The panel wants to know:
How you overcame the Challenges to deliver on your Task
How you influenced outcomes.
How you overcame any unforeseen challenges.
We want to hear How you achieved your Task and less about the What and Why. The stronger and more detailed your actions, the higher your score is likely to be.
Remember: it’s ‘I’ and not ‘We’, you have to be the hero of your answers!
Result & Reflection (approx. 1 mark)
Briefly explain:
What happened.
The impact achieved.
What you learned.
The Importance of Delivery
Two candidates can provide similar examples but receive different scores because of how they communicate.
High-scoring candidates typically:
Tell a clear story – stay close to the STCAR approach.
Speak with confidence.
Demonstrate enthusiasm and energy.
Show passion for their work.
Communicate concisely.
Interview panels may see many candidates, so making your answers engaging and easy to follow can make a significant difference and also ending with a brief summary of how your answer demonstrated the is a very important way to leave the panel in no doubt that you understand the behaviour.
Follow-Up Questions
Probing questions are usually not scored separately.
However, they help the panel:
Clarify evidence.
Test depth of experience.
Confirm ownership of actions.
Strong responses to follow-up questions reinforce the overall behaviour score but be mindful of the time and keep your answers brief.
How Strength Questions Are Assessed
Strengths are usually scored out of 4. You should be seeking a score of at least 3.
1 = Weakness 2 = Learned Behaviour 3 = Potential Strength 4 = Strength
Panels are looking for:
Energy and enthusiasm.
Natural motivation.
Positive body language.
Confidence in your response.
Brief supporting examples.
Strength questions are often less about what you've done and more about whether the activity genuinely energises and motivates you.
Key Takeaways
✅ Study the job description and Success Profiles carefully.
✅ Prepare a strong STCAR example for every behaviour being assessed (4 – 5-minute answers).
✅ Focus most of your answer on the Actions section (2.5 minutes).
✅ Prepare for likely strength questions with short supporting examples.
✅ Practise delivering answers clearly, confidently and concisely.
✅ Be ready for probing questions that explore your examples in more depth.
✅ Demonstrate enthusiasm, positivity and genuine interest in the role.
The Formula for Success
Planning + Preparation + Practice = Higher Interview Scores
Strong examples are essential, but excellent delivery often separates successful candidates from the rest. The more you practise telling your stories, the easier it becomes to communicate with confidence, energy and impact.
