Preparing for your Assessment

You may be assessed in more than one way, but we have outlined the most common ones.

Interviews

Interviews are usually conducted face-to-face, and all our interviewers are trained. They usually last an hour and are likely to be competency based.

Top Tips for Interviews

• Answer all questions honestly. Be yourself.
• Research the role and the department you are applying to.
• Be ready to answer how your skills and qualities fit the role, and why you are interested in doing this role
• Prepare questions to ask the interviewers if there is anything specific you want to know
• When answering competency-based questions, consider using the STAR method:

STAR Method
Situation – Explain the situation you were in
Task – Explain what you had to do

Other assessment exercises

These are often used alongside an interview. They are used to measure the capabilities you will need to be successful in the role, and also give the assessor a chance to see how you are likely to react to different challenges in a realistic setting.
Work Related Exercise
All the information you need to complete a work related exercise will be given to you on your assessment day. These normally involve you analysing information and presenting this back to your assessors as either a written report or a presentation.

Group Exercise
This can measure a whole range of different competencies. For example, interpersonal, team-working and communication skills. They are designed to simulate how you would behave in a group situation, like a meeting. Remember to join in – it’s hard to determine if you are the best person for the role if you don’t contribute.


Presentation
You may be asked to prepare a presentation either on the day or in advance. You’ll be given some information, and you should use this to help you draw conclusions and present back. This is designed to assess you abilities specifically in relation to the role you have applied.