[legalcheerleader]

marks for European Fast Stream are beginning to come out. I didn't get it...bummer.

[Berty_g]

(Original post by livingston)
Don't let the numbers put you off. The FS is the only part of the CS not impacted by the hiring freeze. For that reason its the only real way for many departments to replace departing staff and is more necessary than ever for departments. So although numbers are down, statistically, your chances aren't that much worse compared to, say, two or three years ago.

So don't be put off by how competitive it is.

I'm not sure about that. For me, the GES reduced their numbers drastically from previous years, shown by the fact they are only having 1 round this year, as they did last year.

Yes there are jobs going through the Fast stream, but I don't get the impression that they are as plentiful as in previous years. .

Having said all that, I believe that the Fast Stream is definitely worth applying for if that is what you want to do. Don't worry about how many others are applying, just concentrate on what you're doing.

[Daui]

(Original post by FUNKYDADDIO)
Hi, I applied for NI stream last year and got as far as the assessment center in London. Unfortunately did not get it but am going to give it a go this year again. They give you about 5 pages of feedback from center which is really useful at identifying where you went wrong. Some of the guys at my assessment day had their previous feedback with them and said it helped greatly.....hth....

How soon after the deadline will we get invited to assessment days/rejected?

[wmossuk]

Anyone had online results back for Graduate Scheme yet?

Just wondering as I've done them now and how long the wait might be?

[fleetfox]

Well done to those who have passed the GFS selection tests!

It seems there are three GFS people who have posted here who have had their results - has anyone else heard back, either good news or bad?

For those of you who haven't heard anything yet, myself included, it's worth bearing in mind that the number of successful candidates in the first batch of results is pretty small - because the scheme is open until the end of November and the pass mark is a relative score, they have to be quite conservative with the initial pass mark.

Last year's thread had a small number of people getting results mid-October (actually around the 20th, so later than this year) and then a much larger number of results followed from the 1st of November. Difficult though it is - and I include myself in this - it's best not to read too much into the absence of results at what is still an early stage.

[ellie_flower]

Got an invite to e-tray assessment day in JANUARY? Thats ages away! Anyway, very happy

[Terrafire]

Weird, mine (yesterday) came through as mid-November. Doesn't make sense that they wouldn't fill up the first ones first. Maybe yours is at an assessment centre that doesn't do them earlier on? (mine's in Birmingham)

[Antzlck]

I understand that the Fast Stream is a 3-5 year program, after which the goal is that fast streamers will be ready to take up a more senior position on the path to the senior civil service. But like any graduate scheme, there's obviously not going to be a 100% retention rate. Many graduates (at least in the private sector) switch roles a couple of years down the line. I can see how the Civil Service might be different but even so I'm sure there will be a number of people who may have had every intention to establish a career in the Civil Service but for whatever reason decide at that point (or before) to drop out. What do those that leave the Fast Stream go on to do?

Question is obviously more aimed at those who work or have worked in the Civil Service/ Fast Streamers ... not applicants

[chrrry]

(Original post by Daui)
Next week? Dude, I'm pretty sure the scheme closes tomorrow.

Not sure if it's just for the NI Fast Track, but it says the deadline isn't til 30th November?

I just did the first part of the self assessment online this evening and I only managed to make it into the top 45% in the verbal reasoning part lol

Crappity crap - def not looking forward to the numerical one, since I'm supposed to be stronger at the verbal stuff. Ho hum, I can see I'm going to be studying a lot this week before I have to take the actual tests!!!

[Daui]

(Original post by chrrry)
Not sure if it's just for the NI Fast Track, but it says the deadline isn't til 30th November?

I just did the first part of the self assessment online this evening and I only managed to make it into the top 45% in the verbal reasoning part lol

Crappity crap - def not looking forward to the numerical one, since I'm supposed to be stronger at the verbal stuff. Ho hum, I can see I'm going to be studying a lot this week before I have to take the actual tests!!!

Sorry for the confusion. The Analytical Stream closes on Sunday but you have plenty of time if you're applying to the general stream. I found that my performances in online tests improved drastically the more of them I did. I'd say practice and come back next month but they have a one week deadline between sections don't they?

[Antzlck]

E-tray exercise invite for early November. I'm pleasantly surprised that they are not dragging this out at all.

[IzzyWizzy]

When you do the online tests, do you have to do them all together or do they appear separately, to be taken at any time during the 7 days? How many separate sections are there? Verbal, maths and..?

[Kt.b]

(Original post by IzzyWizzy)
When you do the online tests, do you have to do them all together or do they appear separately, to be taken at any time during the 7 days? How many separate sections are there? Verbal, maths and..?

You can do them separately but you have to do them all by deadline ie. you can't do verbal reasoning at the end of your 7 days and then get another week for maths. There is verbal reasoning, maths and then a competency test which is a bit of gamble really, can't prepare for it and it isn't timed.

Edit: You also have to do them in that order.

[chrrry]

(Original post by Daui)
Sorry for the confusion. The Analytical Stream closes on Sunday but you have plenty of time if you're applying to the general stream. I found that my performances in online tests improved drastically the more of them I did. I'd say practice and come back next month but they have a one week deadline between sections don't they?

Yeah not really sure what the score is - once you've begun your application it seems like you've got a week to get through a self assessment, then optional practice tests and then the real deal online tests themselves?

No matter! The verbal reasoning ones went ok for me in the self assessment, and I'm just going to practice the f*** out of the numeric ones over the next few days and then give the real thing a rattle. Between work and looking after my 14 month old baby, it's not like I'd ever manage to squeeze in a lot of practice at any point over the next month so I'll just give it my best shot this week and hope for the best!!

[Nitebot]

I bet not many people apply for Fast Stream with a baby in tow!! Tough one!!

[ellie_flower]

(Original post by Antzlck)
E-tray exercise invite for early November. I'm pleasantly surprised that they are not dragging this out at all.

Mines in January!

[chrrry]

(Original post by Nitebot)
I bet not many people apply for Fast Stream with a baby in tow!! Tough one!!

Heh - dunno, Nitebot, loads of people online seem to be on their 4th or 5th go and there's also a whole bunch of people in their thirties going for it so I'd guess a few of them have kids. Def makes fitting in practice tests that bit harder tho!!

This evening's went better than yesterday's tho, so hopefully by the time I do the real ones on Saturday...

Well, we'll see anyway!

Good luck everyone else applying

[IzzyWizzy]

I've just done the verbal self assessment test and I'm annoyed that we aren't given the correct answers or any explanation of why one answer is correct instead of another. I've done practice tests on other sites and I don't agree with some of the answers. For example, if the text says 'there is some evidence that smokers are more likely to die of a heart attack' and the question is 'Smokers may die of a heart attack', the correct answer is 'cannot say'. But IMO it should be 'true' - the usage of the word may in itself implies that the statement might or might not be true. Even if there's only the tiniest bit of evidence or even doubt, they still may die of a heart attack. If the question was 'smokers are more likely to die of a heart attack than non-smokers', then I'd understand why it's 'cannot say'

Anyway, I was told that I was in the top 45% of candidates and that I have a reasonable chance of passing. Would be much more useful to receive actual feedback.

So do we have to take a practice test for each of the different schemes we're applying for?

[Nitebot]

Hmm...tricky. Was that an actual question? At first I agreed with you. But then I thought there's not actually enough information in the original statement to make any conclusions so the answer has to be 'cannot say.'

But they shouldn't be testing people on stupid word play like that. A much better way is how the OU does it. You give people a whole article to read and then ask them if they agree or not with statements related to the text.

[IzzyWizzy]

(Original post by Nitebot)
Hmm...tricky. Was that an actual question? At first I agreed with you. But then I thought there's not actually enough information in the original statement to make any conclusions so the answer has to be 'cannot say.'

But they shouldn't be testing people on stupid word play like that. A much better way is how the OU does it. You give people a whole article to read and then ask them if they agree or not with statements related to the text.

There were several questions just like that. I thought the trick was that they used the word 'may', so therefore there's always the possibility of it being true. I'd have thought 'cannot say' was only used for statements which could not possibly be answered from the text. I don't think they should be using the word 'may' or 'might' at all.