Assessment centres

An assessment centre is a set of exercises, usually over half a day or a full day, in which assessors watch you do tasks that resemble the job. In the public sector they are common for graduate schemes, the Civil Service Fast Stream, police and fire recruitment, some NHS management and leadership roles and larger council campaigns. Typical exercises are a group discussion, an in-tray or e-tray task, a written exercise, a role play and an interview, each scored against set criteria.

Why employers use them

A single interview tests how well you talk about your work. A centre tests what you do. Assessors can see you prioritise a pile of emails, persuade a group, write a short briefing or calm an angry “member of the public” played by an actor. Each exercise targets a few named qualities, and each quality is usually tested in more than one exercise. In the Civil Service those qualities are the behaviours, strengths and abilities from Success Profiles.

Several assessors see you in different exercises, so one bad moment rarely decides the outcome.

Group exercises

You join a group of other candidates and discuss a problem, often with a briefing pack and a time limit. It might be choosing between budget proposals, planning an event or agreeing recommendations to a minister. Each candidate may hold slightly different information.

Assessors watch for:

• ideas based on the information you have
• listening and building on what others say
• bringing quieter people in
• keeping the group to time and to the task
• helping the group reach a decision

Dominating the discussion scores badly, and so does staying silent. A useful habit is to suggest how to use the time at the start, and to summarise where the group has got to when it stalls.

In-tray and e-tray exercises

You get a set of emails, letters, reports and messages, as if it were your first morning in the job, and a limited time to deal with them. Some items are urgent, some are distractions and some conflict with each other. You may be asked to rank them, draft replies, or note what you would do with each and why.

Marking mostly rewards prioritisation and judgement. Read everything quickly before acting, because a later item often changes how you should handle an earlier one. Write down your reasoning. Sensible delegation usually scores well, and ignoring a safeguarding or legal risk scores badly.

Written exercises

You may have to write a briefing note, report, letter or policy recommendation from a pack of information in a fixed time. Assessors look for clear structure, accurate use of the evidence, a recommendation that follows from the analysis and writing suited to the reader. Short paragraphs and headings help. Plan for a few minutes before you write and keep a few at the end to check.

Role plays

An actor or assessor plays a member of the public, a colleague or a stakeholder, and you hold a short conversation with a goal such as handling a complaint, giving difficult feedback or negotiating. You usually get a brief to read first, and you should treat the scenario as real. Listen, ask questions, acknowledge feelings and stay within what the brief says you can offer. Police and prison officer assessments make heavy use of role plays.

Presentations and interviews

Many centres include a short presentation, either prepared in advance or set on the day with preparation time. Our guide to preparing an interview presentation covers both. There is usually a competency, behaviour or strengths interview as well, run like a standard interview.

Online tests

Some centres include ability tests (verbal, numerical or judgement), or repeat online tests you took earlier to confirm the result. The Civil Service online tests guide describes the common ones.

Preparing

Read the invitation closely, since it should list the exercises, timings and qualities being assessed. Practise timed in-tray exercises and written tasks, and run at least one mock group discussion with friends if you can. Read up on the organisation too, because briefing packs often reflect its real work.

If you are disabled or have a long-term condition, you can ask for reasonable adjustments, such as extra time for written tasks, a separate room or materials in a different format. Ask as soon as the invitation arrives; see asking for reasonable adjustments in recruitment.

On the day, treat every part, including breaks and lunch, as part of the process. Each exercise is scored separately, so if one goes badly, put it behind you and start the next fresh. For an overview of the schemes that use assessment centres, see our comparison of public sector graduate schemes.