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Public sector / Civil Service · researched 2026-09-30. Processes change every year, so confirm on the employer's own page.
Fast Track (historic): 16+, no degree, 5 GCSEs at 4/C or above including English and Maths; Policy, Digital and Project Delivery also needed two A-levels; nationality/residency rules applied. Current apprenticeships: entry varies by role; intermediate/advanced roles ask for GCSE English and maths or willingness to work towards them; degree-level roles ask for A-levels or equivalent. source
Opens Fast Track historically opened in early March to early April (aggregator). Current roles open year-round through individual departments rather than one window. · rolling (apply early) · The Fast Track programme is closed: gov.uk says the programme is now closed and its guidance was withdrawn on 27 November 2020; a news item notes there was no application window in 2019. Some third-party pages still say it is active; treat them as out of date. The last published recruitment timetable targeted outcomes by July 2018 and starts by October 2018. source
1. Online application form (historic Fast Track)
About 20 minutes: personal details, scheme and location preferences, accessibility needs, optional diversity questionnaire. · about 20 min
Official source source
2. Online tests (historic Fast Track)
Sent by email with seven days to complete, on laptop/desktop only. Verbal reasoning (36 questions, 6 minutes), numerical reasoning (24 questions, 6 minutes), situational judgement questionnaire (about 20-30 minutes), competency questionnaire (about 20-30 minutes). Digital/Data applicants did only the last two. · about 70 min
Scores decide who is invited to the assessment centre; no published cut-off.
Official source source
3. Half-day assessment centre (historic Fast Track)
Written task (40 minutes), formal strengths/competency interview with up to 12 questions, and a group exercise with up to six participants (40 minutes). Some schemes add scheme-specific assessment. · about 240 min
Several candidate reports source
4. Current Civil Service apprenticeship recruitment (departmental)
Typical steps now: application on Civil Service Jobs with written evidence, optional online tests (judgement, numeracy, verbal reasoning) in some campaigns, assessment against published Civil Service Behaviours and strengths, and usually a video interview.
Single report source
Short, tightly timed verbal (true/false/cannot say from a passage) and numerical (table and graph data extraction) tests, plus an untimed-feeling SJT with 20 scenarios and a competency questionnaire. Write look-alike items at GCSE level with minimal jargon. Applies to the historic scheme; current campaigns vary.
Official source source
Historic Fast Track half-day centre: group task, written task, strengths-based interview. Current departments vary.
Official source source
Formal strengths- and competency-based interview with up to 12 questions (historic Fast Track). Current apprenticeships: behaviours/strengths interview, usually by video.
Several candidate reports source
Integrity: putting the obligations of public service above your personal interests · Honesty: being truthful and open · Objectivity: basing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence · Impartiality: acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving governments of different political persuasions equally