Civil Service Fast Stream 2016/2017

Slightly concerned that I am getting terrible scores on Numerical/Verbal reasoning tests but it's still early days.

Hi I have a few questions!
Did you apply during your last year of uni or did you apply when you had finished. Also did you get any relevant work experience/internship? I don't have anything at the moment and I don't think I will in time to apply this year. So I am wondering if it would be better to wait till I have graduated and then I could get some work experience along the way! I was thinking about having a gap year any way!
But yeah any tips and advice would be really useful!
Thank you!

Hiya - I was actually doing my Masters, so I had handed in my final project at the end of August and applied when the streams opened in September. Most people I work with at the moment applied during final year of uni, but I know a lot of others who have come from other areas rather than straight from uni.

I didn't have any particular work experience or internships that were relevant! So certainly don't feel that you won't have a chance of getting in if you don't. If you're considering a gap year anyway it sounds like it might be worthwhile, but remember as there's a lot of competency-based stuff, those examples can come from any number of situations, not just from relevant work experience. The most important thing is what you've learned from situations, what skills you've shown and how those skills can be applied.

Slightly concerned that I am getting terrible scores on Numerical/Verbal reasoning tests but it's still early days.

Hi Liv.

Thanks very much for popping by, very kind of you.

I was just wondering about your comment that a lot of people come from their final year of uni straight into it. I was wondering if you thought there was a certain age that you tend to see a cut off at?

Is it uncommon to see freshly started 25/26/27/28 year olds? I'd love to do it, but naturally don't want to feel a bit out of place if most people are 21/22.

Did you buy books/ or go anywhere specifically ot practice for the tests?

i'm starting year 12, and ultimately the civil service fast stream (ideally diplomatic) is my goal! as prospective fast streamers can you offer any advice on what i should be doing to strengthen my application when the time comes? i'm doing geography, sociology and philosophy degrees, and want to do a geography and international relations degree- does this sound good/suitable? thanks!

First things first you have to get through the tests regardless of degree, but I'd say if you're aiming for diplomatic it would be extremely beneficial to have a second language, particularly a difficult one like Russian or Arabic.

ah okay, would that have to be an a-level or is it acceptable to acquire language skills from elsewhere???

ah okay, would that have to be an a-level or is it acceptable to acquire language skills from elsewhere???

No not at all, elsewhere is fine! If you can achieve a fluency, or at least working fluency, that would make you a great candidate for diplomacy.