About the exam
Civil Service Judgement Test Exam structure
An independent study guide for the current Civil Service Judgement Test, covering its two-part public structure and all nine published Success Profiles Behaviours without reproducing protected scenarios.
Issuer and path
Civil Service Judgement Test Study Guide is administered through UK Civil Service. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
Part 1: Work Preferences Self-assessment
0 scored + 0 pretest
Untimed ratings of typical workplace behaviour and preferences; contributes 15% of the overall CSJT score.
Part 2: Behavioural Situational Judgement
0 scored + 0 pretest
Untimed job-level scenarios with four independently rated actions; three scenarios are presented for each behaviour selected for the role.
Before starting the invitation
Confirm the vacancy grade and selected Behaviours, use a quiet setting with stable internet and preferably a larger screen, and contact the recruitment team at least two working days before the deadline if support is needed. The test is untimed, but GOV.UK recommends allowing at least one hour.
Official Outline Coverage Map
Coverage is mapped to official outline item counts so content depth can be checked without hard-coding a single exam.
| Topic | Official outline items | Your questions | Your flashcards | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-assessed Potential to Progress | 0 | 90 | 12 | Good |
| Seeing the Big Picture | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Changing and Improving | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Making Effective Decisions | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Leadership | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Communicating and Influencing | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Working Together | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Developing Self and Others | 0 | 57 | 12 | Good |
| Managing a Quality Service | 0 | 56 | 12 | Good |
| Delivering at Pace | 0 | 56 | 12 | Good |
How to use this guide
How to prepare for the CSJT
Start with the vacancy's selected Behaviours and grade, learn the official rating scale, then practise independent judgements with original scenarios.
1. Identify the part
For Part 1 answer about typical work preferences honestly; for Part 2 identify the scenario, selected behaviour and grade level.
2. Anchor to the public behaviour
Use the current definition and relevant grade examples, together with the facts supplied in the scenario.
3. Rate the action independently
Judge whether that action worsens, fails to help, partly helps or effectively helps the situation; do not rank the four options.
4. Check proportionality
Confirm that the response fits the responsibility, information and people shown without importing an undisclosed departmental rule.
Honest Typical Work Preferences
Treat Part 1 as a self-assessment of typical workplace behaviour rather than a situational puzzle with a hidden best option.
Key rules
Rule 1
typical behaviour
Exam cue: Answer for how you typically behave at work, not for an imagined ideal candidate.
Rule 2
work preferences
Exam cue: Keep responses honest and internally coherent because they may inform interview discussion.
Rule 3
honest self-assessment
Exam cue: Answer for your honest typical workplace behaviour; do not reverse-engineer an imagined perfect personality profile.
Rule 4
possible interview follow-up
Exam cue: Identify the part, anchor to the selected public behaviour and grade, rate independently and check proportionality.
Common traps
Trying to reverse-engineer a supposedly perfect personality profile.
Prevention: Do not copy secure scenarios, invent a universal behaviour combination, rank independent actions, apply the wrong grade or treat internal planned counts as official.
Answering for a rare exception instead of a typical preference.
Prevention: Do not copy secure scenarios, invent a universal behaviour combination, rank independent actions, apply the wrong grade or treat internal planned counts as official.
Memory anchors
What does Part 1 ask for?
Your typical workplace behaviour and preferences.
What is the safest response basis?
Honest self-assessment, not a guessed ideal.
Why keep answers authentic?
You may be asked about them at interview.
Is Part 1 a scenario ranking task?
No. It is the CSJT self-assessment section.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
Nadia usually plans carefully but once improvised during an emergency. A work-preference statement asks how she normally approaches tasks. What should guide her response?
Tom enjoys teamwork on most projects but sometimes needs quiet work. How should he answer a statement about preferring collaborative work?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test
Current Government People Group candidate guidance for purpose, structure, ratings, timing, practice, scoring and support.
Official CSJT Practice Test
The unscored familiarisation tool linked from the current GOV.UK candidate guide.
Success Profiles
The current Civil Service recruitment framework and its five elements.
Success Profiles: Civil Service Behaviours
Current definitions of all nine Behaviours and public examples by grade or equivalent level.
Selecting online tests (vX)
Current recruiter guidance for CSJT availability and its behavioural-potential and self-assessed-potential purpose.
Civil Service online tests
Current general candidate guidance for the Civil Service test family, percentile results and test security.
Reasonable adjustments for online tests
Current candidate guidance for requesting adjustments and using transcripts or BSL with CSJT video questions.
Official CSJT video
The short Civil Service Judgement Test video linked from the current GOV.UK candidate guide.
FAQ
Common Civil Service Judgement Test questions
Is this an official Civil Service test or question bank?
No. This is an independent study guide using only current public test instructions and Success Profiles Behaviours. It does not copy the official unscored practice, live scenarios or a protected scoring key.
Which behaviours will appear in my CSJT?
That depends on the vacancy. Recruiting managers choose the behaviours most relevant to the role, and GOV.UK says you will not be expected to demonstrate all Civil Service Behaviours for one role. Read the job description and invitation.
What is assessed in Part 1?
Part 1 is an honest self-assessment of typical workplace behaviour and preferences, including ambition, motivation and flexibility. It contributes 15% of the overall score, and you may be asked about your responses at interview.
How many scenarios are in Part 2?
GOV.UK publishes three scenarios for every behaviour selected for the test, with four actions in each. Because the behaviour combination varies by vacancy, there is no single public total scenario or action count for every candidate.
Should I rank the four actions?
No. Rate each action independently as Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective. More than one action may receive the same rating.
Is the CSJT timed?
No. GOV.UK says most people take two to four minutes to answer one scenario and recommends allowing at least an hour for the whole test. Those are planning guides, not a countdown.
Are behaviours the same at every grade?
The nine behaviour names and definitions are shared, but Success Profiles gives grade-specific examples. Use the examples for the grade or equivalent level in your vacancy and do not assume a senior-grade response is appropriate at every level.
How is the score reported?
GOV.UK says the number and difficulty of questions produce a score compared with a representative group and shown as a percentile. Specific-answer feedback is not provided for security reasons.
What score is required to pass?
There is no single fixed public mark for every vacancy. The minimum depends on job level, and the recruiter may raise the vacancy pass mark after the deadline. Meeting a minimum does not guarantee progression.
Are these 601 questions official?
No. They are original single-best-answer study items. Part 1 teaches honest self-assessment without inventing an ideal personality response; Part 2 uses explicit best- or worst-action choices as an app-friendly adaptation. The official test instead asks candidates to rate each action independently, and this bank is not a live-test blueprint.