Preparing for the Civil Service Management Judgement Test
Guidance for job applicants who have been invited to complete the Civil Service Management Judgement Test.
Why we use online recruitment tests
The Civil Service uses psychometric tests alongside other assessment methods (such as application forms, evidence of technical skills, and interviews) to decide whether a person meets the requirements of a particular job.
Using tests can:
- allow candidates to demonstrate their strengths
- provide recruiters with objective assessments against relevant criteria
- identify where candidates could develop their skills
Provided that they are used appropriately, our tests are fair and free from bias or discrimination. As such:
- they offer robust and effective measurements
- there is no advantage to having additional educational qualifications or work experience
- they can predict candidate performance in later selection stages
About the Civil Service Management Judgement Test
The Civil Service Management Judgement Test is an online situational judgement test.
It measures your ability to demonstrate judgement and decision-making regarding day to day management of others. The aspects of behaviour measured have been selected as important for line management success in your chosen job.
The five aspects of behaviour measured in the test are:
| Collaborative | Empowering and developing others, working as a team, sharing knowledge |
|---|---|
| Decisive | Using evidence to make effective and fair decisions |
| Empathetic | Considering others’ needs and feelings, acting in a calm and resilient manner |
| Confident | Having courage in your convictions, taking responsibility and setting expectations |
| Agile | Self aware and able to adapt quickly to change |
Behaviours are one of the five elements in our Success Profiles Framework. The Civil Service uses Success Profiles to provide a flexible means of recruiting, giving the best possible chance of finding the right person for a job.
The aspects of behaviour measured in this test are related to the Civil Service Behaviours and have been selected as most important in roles requiring line management. The test is used to identify management judgement skills for people who apply for roles between Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer levels.
Test structure
You will view various workplace scenarios, along with a range of possible actions. You must read the scenario, then choose which one action you would be most likely to take and one action you would be least likely to take.
The quality of management judgement that is assessed in the test is the same across multiple job levels. You will only be asked to complete the test if the level of job you have applied for requires this level of capability.
There are 15 scenarios in total and each scenario includes four actions to review. Scenarios for some of the behaviours are presented as short videos, while the other behaviours are in text format.
The test is not timed, however most people take between two and four minutes to answer one scenario.
Example questions are included at the beginning of each test, and no specialist knowledge or experience is required.
Taking the test
The test is taken online. You will be sent an invitation, which provides full instructions on how to proceed.
Your test answers should be your own; you must not ask for input from anyone. Hiring managers may require candidates invited to interview to retake the test under supervised conditions. You will learn whether you need to do this if you are invited to interview.
Tests work on most modern browsers and operating systems, and while they should work on smartphones or tablets, we recommend using a device with a larger screen. If your browser is not supported, the test will alert you to try an alternative.
Try not to close the browser while taking the test. If you do, you will be able to re-open it where you left off. If you lose internet connection, once you are back online you can continue the test where you left off. If you lose the test page, go back to your application centre to re-open it.
Some questions may be presented as videos. Each video includes:
- subtitles
- British Sign Language translations of the speech
Alternative written transcripts of the video content are available within the test, and each video can be replayed as needed.
Some workplaces block test access - if this happens, you will need to try an alternative device.
If you need any workplace adjustments, or if you experience accessibility issues, contact the recruitment team or point of contact in the job advert.
Preparation
When you are invited to take the test, you should try to do so as early as possible, so you have time to resolve any technical or access issues before the deadline. All queries or help requests should be submitted at least two working days before the test deadline, to ensure a response.
Before you start:
- find a quiet place with no distractions
- make sure you read all test instructions carefully
- Answer every question
- You will need a stable internet connection throughout the test
- Try and take the test when you feel calm, although it is natural to feel a little nervous
While the test is not timed, we recommend allowing at least an hour to complete it.
Practice test
Before taking the Civil Service Management Judgement Test, you should get used to what the test looks like by taking the Management Judgement Practice Test so you are fully familiar.
The practice test is not scored. It is designed to show you the look and feel of the real test while keeping the questions easy to respond to. Taking a practice test can be particularly helpful if you use assistive technology to access web content and want to know if it will work on the real test.
The real test also includes example questions at the beginning of each section.
You can also watch this short video on the Civil Service Management Judgement Test.
Test results and feedback
Your pattern of responses to the test questions is used to produce your score, which is compared to a representative group of applicants who have also taken the test.
After taking the test, you will receive your score and automatically-generated feedback. This will be available from your application centre in Civil Service Jobs. For security reasons, we cannot provide feedback on answers to specific questions.
Your score is presented as a percentile, which tells you how well you performed relative to this group. For example, if your percentile is 44, you scored better than 44% of the group.
All Civil Service jobs are advertised at a particular level. If you pass the test at the minimum required standard for that job level, you will receive a message informing you.
Where any additional tests are needed, you will be sent an invitation to complete them.
After the test deadline, the recruiter will look at all applicant scores to decide what the job’s pass mark will be. They will consider the impact on protected groups, and the number of invitations to the next stage.
The recruiter may decide to raise the pass mark for the job - if so, you will be informed, and you will be told if you have passed or failed at the raised standard.
Meeting the minimum test requirements for a job level is no guarantee of an invitation to continue the selection process.
If you do not pass at the minimum required standard for a job level, you can retake the test during any future applications.
Getting help
If you lose access during the test, sign in to your application centre to relaunch it. You can launch the test as many times as you need, and this doesn’t have to be on the same device.
If you have concerns about the test or you have technical problems, contact your recruitment team - their contact details are in the job advert, or you can use this general contact form. Questions about the advertised job should be directed to the contact on the advert.
When you apply, you will have an opportunity to tell us that you need help with your application, such as needing a reasonable adjustment. You can also contact the recruitment team if you need any further help, or you experience accessibility issues. We have a legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think you need it.
How we use your data
Personal information is held securely in Civil Service Jobs - the test supplier cannot see it, and will only know your name if you choose to share it.
Your information will only be used to support your job application, and evaluate test effectiveness.
For more information, see the Civil Service Jobs Privacy Notice.
Updates to this page
Published 1 September 2020Last updated 18 August 2023 + show all updates
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Updated lead organisation: Government People Group
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Updated practice test wording
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Removed banked scores section as they do not apply to this test
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First published.