DHSC Health Policy Fast Track Scheme 2020

Haven't got round (or plucked up the confidence) to attempt the initial tests yet. When you apply do you get a time limit to complete the tests? Do we just have to expect standard Civil Service SJTs? Well done @veg-queen for passing the initial tests! When you passed how long did you get to submit a personal statement?

The deadline (sometime in Dec) is for the tests and the statement so you can do it all at once or spread out depending on how much time you have.

It was similar to the ones you do for the CS fast stream, but I found them slightly easier. You also get feedback that is much more specific than what we have had so far for the CS fast stream so it says how you did on each behaviour relative to a control group of civil servants.

I can only tell you what I did, no idea if it is right or not at this stage.

I tried to follow the instructions in the advert. So I used the CV and experience section to demonstrate the competencies and then in the personal statement I primarily discussed my motivation.

I have applied to a different role where it explicitly said to use the personal statement to show how you meet person specification (that also had a higher word count) because they didn't ask for that here and they just asked for motivation I tried to just give what they asked for. But like I said I don't really know if that is the right to do

I would be interested in your feedback from the tests once you have submitted... I'm unsure of what counts as good feedback, given it is so competitive

Thank you! One last question: how did you structure your answer in the skills and experience section? Did you write in paragraphs or detail it similar to previous employment, i.e. 'Name of organisation/Role': 'Date started - Date Ended' and then the skills and experience gained from each experience underneath?

You also get feedback that is much more specific than what we have had so far for the CS fast stream so it says how you did on each behaviour relative to a control group of civil servants.

I am doing, and have just got to the full application stage. If you've done this stage, how did you go about filling in the 'Previous Skills and Experience' box in the CV section vs the personal statement they ask for?

To me the personal statement should be a bit about why you want to apply for the scheme and then a bit about why you would be suitable, giving examples of things you've done that match their criteria. I had a look and found this in the Success Profiles which seems to support what I'm saying:

'If you are asked to provide a supporting statement, you should use this as an opportunity
to further highlight how you meet the criteria set out in the job description. You may wish to
include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in
the job advertisement.'


But then what to put in the previous skills and experience box? Seems like I'd be repeating myself...

That sounds really useful. How long did it take for the feedback to come through for you? I've had the email saying that I can now do the personal statement/CV, but no sign of any feedback yet.

I was very confused about what to put in this section as well! I don't remember exactly what I did, I think I wrote about some skills I thought were relevant. I looked at the screen for a long time before I even started typing!

Does anyone know when we'll hear about the next stage? Will they wait until the closing date?

After you submit the full application you can see where you ranked, something like 'you performed better than x% of people who took the test' and download a pdf with more detailed feedback

So my feedback was that I scored better than 50% of the comparison group so literally bang average lol. I got that I was similar to the comparison group for all the behaviours except working together which was a strength and managing a quality service which was a possible area for improvement. It also said aspiration and engagement were both strengths.

For further development I got:
⦁ Practise doing similar tests online (there are many test providers that will allow participants to take tests for free).
⦁ If you are a civil servant, Civil Service Learning is a useful resource for accessing further learning support.
⦁ Explore resources and development opportunities that are available to you that focus on techniques and approaches that can be employed to develop your behaviours.
⦁ Actively seek out challenges which enable you to practise and improve your ability in these areas.

But this seems like the most generic advice ever and not particularly tailored to my feedback so maybe they just say this to everyone. Would be interested to see what other people got if they don't mind sharing!

Going to do my SJT tomorrow. I did the practise tests just now, got above average on the video scenarios and average on the written scenarios. Nervous to start!

I don't know if you did the fast stream tests, but I found the DHSC SJT a lot easier than those ones - nothing to be too nervous about. Good luck :-)