Civil service fast stream 2014/2015

I have never been able to find good practice questions other than the ones Fast Stream recommend. What I do know is:

1. Cubiks is the company that designed the Fast Stream online tests so their practice questions are the most realistic.

2. Once you have registered for Fast Stream you get two opportunities to take practice tests in both numerical and verbal reasoning. The questions in these practice tests are great preparation for the actual tests. i.e. they are the same kind of questions.

3. Before taking the actual tests make sure that you have read:
http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/application-process/application-process/
http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/media/129988/onlinetestsadvice.pdf

4. Remember that you are not given any opportunity to practice the competency questionnaire. This is the longest of the three selection tests and its easy to overlook it when preparing for the numerical and verbal reasoning tests.

Thanks so much! If anyone else comes across any particularly useful website for practicing, please do share the info.
And I will definitely take the competency part very seriously - thanks for the warning.

Reply 21

tz94

I realise the competency questionnaire is about fast stream competencies - all of this http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Civil-Service-Competency-Framework-July-2012.pdf

But could anyone explain what the competency questionnaire is actually like? Example questions etc.

Reply 22

LawFastStream

Hi, Does anyone have any advice on what type of mathematical questions are asked on the fast stream? Or what kind of mathematical questions one should practice for? I am the kind of person who is ok at maths and is only good at it when i have studied 3 weeks or so prior to actually taking the test.

Many thanks in advance,

Reply 23

anyone_can_fly

11

Original post by LawFastStream

Hi, Does anyone have any advice on what type of mathematical questions are asked on the fast stream? Or what kind of mathematical questions one should practice for? I am the kind of person who is ok at maths and is only good at it when i have studied 3 weeks or so prior to actually taking the test.

Many thanks in advance,

There are practice tests here. :smile:

Reply 24

itneverends

Original post by tz94

I realise the competency questionnaire is about fast stream competencies - all of this http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Civil-Service-Competency-Framework-July-2012.pdf

But could anyone explain what the competency questionnaire is actually like? Example questions etc.

Before you even start it there's an example question.
You're just given 31 sets of 4 statements and for each statement you have to rate, on a scale of 1-4, how much it relates to you.

Simples :smile:

Reply 25

jelly1000

21

Original post by itneverends

Before you even start it there's an example question.
You're just given 31 sets of 4 statements and for each statement you have to rate, on a scale of 1-4, how much it relates to you.

Simples :smile:

oooh I thought it was one of those 'give an example of a difficult situation you have faced' type questions where you have to give your own personal examples.

Reply 26

jelly1000

21

Done the basic bits of my application like name and address but I'm not quite ready to rush into the next bit.

Reply 27

tz94

Original post by itneverends

Before you even start it there's an example question.
You're just given 31 sets of 4 statements and for each statement you have to rate, on a scale of 1-4, how much it relates to you.

Simples :smile:

I see, so you can't practice for that part.

Thanks

Reply 28

itneverends

Original post by jelly1000

oooh I thought it was one of those 'give an example of a difficult situation you have faced' type questions where you have to give your own personal examples.

As far as my understanding goes, the first few stages are just a means of weeding people out in as objective a way as possible. I don't think the 'why are you better than everyone else ever?' stuff comes into it until muuuuuuch later!

Reply 29

jelly1000

21

Original post by itneverends

As far as my understanding goes, the first few stages are just a means of weeding people out in as objective a way as possible. I don't think the 'why are you better than everyone else ever?' stuff comes into it until muuuuuuch later!

I see, thanks for that.

Reply 30

norav27

How come the practise numerical tests fail to include currency conversion questions? surely the real test will have those types of questions right?

Reply 31

ManifoldManifest

13

Original post by norav27

How come the practise numerical tests fail to include currency conversion questions? surely the real test will have those types of questions right?

The content/type of the questions in the practice tests is pretty much exactly the same as those in the full test.

Reply 32

Monodew

6

https://www.gov.uk/civil-service-fast-stream-how-to-apply

Links to Practice Tests and Practice e-tray are all on that page.

Reply 33

Katie_p

15

Eeek! Just finished all the online tests for my application, and now I'm waiting for the results (or possibly enough other people to have done them for me to be banded, based on what previous applicants said?)!

It feels so weird to be applying for a graduate job when I only got back from my third year placement three weeks ago!

Reply 34

username1552505

I want to apply for the Fast Stream this year. I've been checking the website quite regularly and just noticed that the applications are now open. For the lots of positions it says that the deadline is 3rd Nov. I was just wondering if there is a deadline within this time period when you have to have done the online applications by? I.e. whether you have to have completed the online applications within the first couple of weeks or something?

Also, how much time would you suggest practising for the online tests?

I've got to get down and read all of the information online now :cool:

Reply 35

Katie_p

15

Original post by zoe_v112

I want to apply for the Fast Stream this year. I've been checking the website quite regularly and just noticed that the applications are now open. For the lots of positions it says that the deadline is 3rd Nov. I was just wondering if there is a deadline within this time period when you have to have done the online applications by? I.e. whether you have to have completed the online applications within the first couple of weeks or something?

Also, how much time would you suggest practising for the online tests?

I've got to get down and read all of the information online now :cool:

You have 7 days to complete most things from completing the last stage....So if you start an application for a stream, you have 7 days to do the first practise tests, then 7 days from doing them to do the next practise tests, then 7 days to do the real tests etc. I think most stages will be like this - once their end is updated, we have 7 days to act (but can request extensions from them if necessary).

The tests that I did were one set of compulsory practice qs, one set optional (numerical and verbal each time) which gave you feedback - you would have scored in top XX% of people who sat these tests - so you know if you need to do more practise or you're probably OK etc.
There was no practice for the competency questionnaire.

So basically, you probably have a maximum of 21 days from adding a stream to having to sit the actual online tests. Tbh, I think you're better off practising a bit elsewhere now, then sitting both sets of their practice tests AND the real tests in one go - it's a long slog that way, but probably better for knowing what you're doing.
I did this through the generalist stream application, not sure if the process is the same across the board!

Reply 36

LAX Inc

10

Original post by Katie_p

Eeek! Just finished all the online tests for my application, and now I'm waiting for the results (or possibly enough other people to have done them for me to be banded, based on what previous applicants said?)!

It feels so weird to be applying for a graduate job when I only got back from my third year placement three weeks ago!

Have you done the competency questionnaire as well? I'm still waiting for the result as well...

Reply 37

Katie_p

15

Original post by LAX Inc

Have you done the competency questionnaire as well? I'm still waiting for the result as well...

Yep, I found that really difficult! I thought most applied to me, but then wondered if that made me sound arrogant? And for some of them, choosing a "least like me"....ummm......help!!

I think we'll have to wait for a while, not many people will have completed this much yet, so they have nothing to score us against.

Reply 38

ManifoldManifest

13

Original post by zoe_v112

I want to apply for the Fast Stream this year. I've been checking the website quite regularly and just noticed that the applications are now open. For the lots of positions it says that the deadline is 3rd Nov. I was just wondering if there is a deadline within this time period when you have to have done the online applications by? I.e. whether you have to have completed the online applications within the first couple of weeks or something?

Also, how much time would you suggest practising for the online tests?

I've got to get down and read all of the information online now :cool:

The closing date for the application windows is the date by which you need to have registered your application and chosen a scheme.

After that you have 7 days for each of the steps. So you could register on Nov 3 and have until Nov 10 to do the self-assessed tests, then Nov 17 for the practise tests, the 24th for the Situational Judgement Tests (which are new this year), and the 1st December for the verbal, numerical and competency tests.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 39

Luccy.

8

Original post by Katie_p

Eeek! Just finished all the online tests for my application, and now I'm waiting for the results (or possibly enough other people to have done them for me to be banded, based on what previous applicants said?)!

It feels so weird to be applying for a graduate job when I only got back from my third year placement three weeks ago!

How did you find the tests and how long did they take?

Civil service fast stream 2014/2015

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