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Teach First Assessment Practice

Preparation guide for Teach First's Training Programme application and task-based assessment

Assessment Time

15–50 min

5 days to complete from invitation

Test Provider

Not published

Teach First does not name a provider publicly

Process Stage

Second stage

Follows the online application form

Teach First Doesn't Publish Its Assessment Provider

Teach First, the UK's graduate teacher training and leadership development charity, is transparent about the structure of its application process but does not name the company that builds or hosts its task-based assessment. Teach First's own knowledge base confirms that once you submit your application form, you receive an email the next working day inviting you to complete a task-based assessment, which should be finished within 5 days. That same source describes the application as including competency questions, hypothetical scenarios, and the task-based assessment, without identifying a specific test publisher. This page covers Teach First's documented process stages and the skills worth practising, rather than naming a provider we cannot verify.

Documented Application Stages

  • Online application form, including competency questions and hypothetical scenario responses
  • Task-based assessment, sent by email the next working day and to be completed within 5 days
  • Assessment centre, run face-to-face or online, including a competency-based interview and a case study group exercise
  • Offer and onboarding, including subject-knowledge requirements relevant to your chosen subject

What the Process Generally Measures

Without a named test provider, we cannot tell you the exact question format of Teach First's task-based assessment. Based on Teach First's own description of hypothetical scenarios and competency questions, and on the skills its Training Programme is built around, the process is designed to surface traits relevant to teaching: resilience under pressure, empathy, sound judgement in ambiguous situations, and the ability to think clearly and quickly. The later assessment centre adds a competency-based interview and a case study group exercise, and your subject-knowledge is separately assessed as part of the wider Training Programme requirements.

Teach First Programmes Using This Process

Training Programme

  • Secondary School Teaching
  • Primary School Teaching
  • STEM Subject Specialists
  • Humanities & Arts

Leadership Development

  • Ambassador Programme
  • School Leadership
  • Social Mobility Initiatives
  • Community Impact Roles

How CogniPrep Helps

Because Teach First doesn't confirm its exact test format, we cannot simulate its task-based assessment question-for-question. What does transfer regardless of provider is the underlying skill: responding clearly to scenario-based and judgement questions under a time limit, and doing so consistently. Practising situational judgement and timed cognitive question formats builds the comfort and pacing that carries into Teach First's assessment, even though the exact task mechanics will differ.

Top Tips

Don't leave it to the last day

You have 5 days from your invitation to complete the assessment. Choose a time when you're alert, well-rested, and free from distractions; don't rush it at the deadline.

Practise judgement under time pressure

Teach First's own description mentions hypothetical scenarios and competency questions. Practising situational judgement questions against a clock builds the specific skill of reading a scenario and deciding on an effective response quickly.

Resilience and empathy matter

Teaching is a demanding, people-focused role. Whatever the exact task format, Teach First's assessment is built to surface traits like emotional resilience, empathy, and the ability to stay calm under pressure, so let those come through naturally rather than trying to guess an "ideal" answer.

Find a quiet environment

Even though you have a flexible 5-day window, complete the assessment in a single sitting free from interruptions. Some tasks are timed and require full concentration.

Start Practicing for Teach First Today

Build the timed judgement and reasoning skills that transfer to Teach First's process

Begin Teach First Assessment Practice

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Teach First use Arctic Shores?

There is no verified evidence that Teach First uses Arctic Shores or any other specific assessment publisher. Teach First's own knowledge base describes a task-based assessment with competency questions and hypothetical scenarios, but does not name the company that builds or hosts it. Treat any claim naming a specific provider for Teach First with caution unless it comes from Teach First itself.

How long is Teach First's task-based assessment?

Teach First states that the assessment takes between 15 and 50 minutes depending on the tasks included. You have 5 days from your invitation email to complete it.

Is practising helpful if the exact format isn't known?

Yes. Practising timed judgement and reasoning questions builds general comfort with scenario-based formats and time pressure, both of which are documented features of Teach First's assessment, even without knowing the exact task mechanics in advance.

Continue Preparing for Teach First

Practice the tests themselves

Later stages