CS Situation Judgement Test

[Supergirlthesecond]

I scored 62% on this test. Does anyone know how that relates to what they are looking for? Thanks

What grade are you applying for? IIRC you normally get notification of where you are in relation to others applying for the same position. If you log into the application centre it should tell you if you've met the minimum standard required. Good luck!

Hi @blackistheneworange -n thanks for replying. It is AA/AO level and the result said I 'scored better than 62% of people who have previously taken this test'.

Sounds Ok, no?

Yes it sounds good to me, fingers crossed you get an interview.

Yes, it sounds ok, you just never know for sure until 100% of the applicants have taken it.

Good point @GinandGingerBeer

Thanks, @black. Got everything crossed at the moment :-)

So, now I have another question for you guys if you have the time. How straightforward is it to progress from AO to EO, etc once you are in the CS? I would imagine you do the training at the level you enter in at and then after say 18 months can look at moving to the next scale or am I completely wrong?

@blackistheneworange @GinandGingerBeer - thanks

Or anyone who knows/understands the CS.

I think if you want it and are able to you can. I moved up 3 grades in a year, but I did take a step down from my previous career when I entered the CS due to personal reasons.

Thanks @black. That’s what I feel I would be doing - start as an AO as a sideways step in order to move further up eventually.

My advice to new entrants is to go in at the highest grade you can. Less hoops to jump through.

@Isleepinahedgefund I’m not sure at what level to pitch myself at, that’s the problem. Ex teacher (sec) lots of admin, worked for a start up, lots of admin experience, lots of planning, report writing. Have postgrad. Good digital skills (technical) with exp.

Your experience would place you at HEO or SEO level. Your CSIST result isn't great, if it's a popular role you may not get an interview, but that's likely to be because your experience is beyond where the job is pitched.

I tend to disagree as Once you are in and through your probation period you will find there are lots of CS internal jobs that open up for you.

@NoBaggyPants see I applied for a SEO position in March and didn’t even get beyond the application form - no online tests at all. Thought I had better go lower and then once in dazzle them with my talents

Don’t know which emoji indicates and

@black that’s what I thought might be a good approach, too

Supergirl I've got similar qualifications to yourself but found it difficult to "break through " into the cs- once you know, you know!

@blackistheneworange it’s a plan, isn’t it? I figured it’s a route in.

@Supergirlthesecond I'm doing the same as you - I've applied for an AO with a view to moving up grades quickly (I hope!)

I looked at some SEO roles but have zero experience of answering the competency based questions and have been in roles that don't seem relevant recently (more relevant experience I had was years ago before children).

I'm hoping that once in and able to understand how the system works I can apply for the higher grades.

Assuming I get in of course!

@BBBear

I have been working for the last 18 months as a volunteer for an organisation where I am part of the executive committee. I hope that this will provide relevant experience/skills/mindset evidence for jobs as I didn’t really have anything that concrete to put down before.

@BBBear yes, best of luck!

I think it is much easier to progress up the grades once you're "in", but only within the department that you first join. With that proviso, 18 months to move up from an AA/AO role is entirely realistic if something comes up that suits your skill set. It can depend on the size of the organisation as to how many such roles you can expect there to be, though. I am in quite a small one - only about 300 employees nationwide - and a lot of what comes up is technical roles that require specific qualifications, so higher-grade posts that I would be able to apply for are not actually all that common. If I was desperate for a promotion, I would probably have to look elsewhere in the CS, and at that point, I think my chances of getting an interview are probably no higher than if I was an external, non-CS candidate.

I agree with trying to get in at as high a grade as you can, but don't be afraid to big up your experience and qualifications. You have a lot of soft skills that are transferable to a general, non-specialist role (which I'm assuming that an AA/AO would be) and a job application or interview is not the time to be modest!

@GraceMarks thanks, Grace. I think that, deep down, something general and not as demanding would suit me at the moment but I don’t want to be stuck there long term. My confidence has taken a real hammering yet I also know that sometimes the best strategy is to aim outside of your comfort zone.

I moved from AO to HO within 13months so the opportunities are there.

@blackistheneworange and was that within the same department out of interest?

It is AA/AO level and the result said I 'scored better than 62% of people who have previously taken this test'

You do know that ^ is not the same as I scored 62% on this test right?

If your confidence levels aren't great, I'd apply for roles where you stand a reasonable chance of at least being able to cope with the "must-have" criteria for the role, so you can build your competence and confidence. It's all very well going for roles where you're having to 'wing it' but that's if you're coming away from a role where you know you've seriously outgrown it and are up for the challenge.

Being thrown in at the deep end when you're already on a low ebb, isn't a nice feeling. Wait and do that when you've got into an organisation, got the lie of the land and feel progression is within your grasp. Don't set yourself up to fail iow