Hi all,
I will also be taking part in the application process this year (will be the second time applying). I would like to agree with comments above - do take care on the Competency questionnaire. I applied for two streams last year - the Generalist and European. While I failed at the first hurdle in the Generalist stream (my competency test was not good enough), I made it through to the Assessment Centre for the European stream.
If (and it is still a big if) they use a similar marking system to last year, be aware that being successful at a stage for one stream does not guarantee success in others. For example, on the competency test last year, I eventually found out I had scored better than 45% of candidates for the competency questionnaire - that was absolutely great for the European stream (found out I was through to the next stage within a few hours), but I had to wait a few weeks for the Generalist result, only to find out I was unsuccessful.
Still, to end on a happy note, all the best to everyone applying - I hope to meet you in January for the Assessment Centre!