How the Work Strengths Test works
Part 1 gives you statements about how you usually behave at work, which you rate from very strongly agree to very strongly disagree. Part 2 has 10 scenarios, each with four actions you rate Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective. Part 3 has 5 scenarios where you pick the action you would be most likely and least likely to take.
Your pattern of responses gives one score, reported as a percentile against other applicants. A pass is banked for six months for jobs in the same grade grouping.
The strengths for your grade
Strengths are tested in pairs. For jobs from Administrative Assistant to Executive Officer: Analytical/Problem Solver, Relationship Builder/Team Player, Adaptable/Explainer, Organiser/Decisive and Service Focussed/Focussed.
For jobs from Higher Executive Officer to SCS 1: Analytical/Problem Solver, Relationship Builder/Team Leader, Adaptable/Resilient, Explainer/Influencer and Organiser/Strategic. Check the grade on your advert so you know which set you will meet.
How to approach each part
- Part 1: answer as you actually work in an ordinary week, not as you think the Civil Service wants.
- Part 2: decide whether each action helps or not before deciding how much. Several actions can share a rating.
- Part 3: rule out the least likely action first, then pick the one that solves the problem and keeps people on side.
Worked example
A Part 2 style scenario on the Organiser strength: three pieces of work are due on the same Friday and you cannot finish them all to a good standard.
List the deadlines, tell your manager which one is at risk and suggest what could move: Effective. Work late every night to try to finish all three: Fairly Effective, as it may work but risks quality. Start whichever task looks quickest: Ineffective. Say nothing and hand in all three rushed: Counterproductive.
These ratings are our reading. The Civil Service does not publish its key.
Tips for the real Work Strengths Test
- Read the strength names for your grade and think of a real example of each from your own work.
- In Part 1, describe your typical behaviour at work rather than agreeing strongly with everything.
- Answer the scenarios at the level of the job you applied for.
- There is no clock, so read every action in full.
Practise the Work Strengths Test on CogniPrep
Our version has all three parts in the AA to EO or HEO to SCS 1 version: 30 strengths statements on a six-point scale, then 10 rated scenarios, then 5 most and least likely choices. It is untimed and you cannot go back to a finished part. The Part 1 length and the six points are ours, because the Civil Service does not publish them. Your score comes from Parts 2 and 3, as a percentile against other CogniPrep users, and Part 1 comes back to you as a strengths profile.