The Student Room Group

Civil Service Direct Appointment Scheme 2021

Hey everyone,

If you are like myself and missed out on a Fast Stream place, all is not over. The Direct Appointment Scheme should start sending out emails in the next month or two.

You might be contacted about the DAS if you either failed the FSAC with a high score, (>8), or if you passed the FSAC but failed the FSB again with a high score. You don’t need to have scored >2 in all the competencies tested in the FSAC to be eligible for DAS


General information on the scheme:
- The first emails were sent out at the end of February, with some being as late as April.


- The email contains an Expression of Interest (EOI) and lets you know that there could be interest in hiring you through the DAS. You fill out the form with a preference of your location and start date.


- At this stage, your email will indicate whether it's an EO or HEO position you're being considered for. There will be an FAQ attached to the email. Whether you're offered an EO or HEO role seems to depend on your FSAC score. Some with scores between 9-10 were offered HEO roles. I'm not sure what the cutoff score was, it could depend on the department or scheme you applied for.


- There can be a wait up to 3-6 months to hear back once you've returned your EoI. Some people heard back within a month.


- Responses come back department by department, BEIS was the first last year, followed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), DEFRA, DExEU, Home Office, MoD. (I may have missed one or two, they are not in order of responses other than BEIS being first)


- You are contacted to let you know one or more of these departments are interested in you. It can take a month or so to be contacted by the department directly.


- Once contacted, you arrange an informal phone call to discuss your role and suitability. It seems this is a friendly call with no prior preparation required.


- Once offered a role, you go through the standard pre-employment checks. This can take 6-8 weeks. For some roles such as MoD, you may require a DV security check with can take 3-6 months.


- Start dates seemed to begin from June-September onwards.


- EO offers generally go out a few weeks before HEO offers, as some high scorers will still be in FSB-limbo.

Patience is key when applying via Direct Appointment. It is not a guaranteed job or route to the Civil Service. Make sure to carry on applying for other jobs. Even after receiving an EOI, it may include a round of interviews. So be prepared.
(edited 2 years ago)

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Do we know roughly how many people get a role this way? Is it the majority of people with a high enough score or just a few?
Reply 2
Original post by tarapelley
Do we know roughly how many people get a role this way? Is it the majority of people with a high enough score or just a few?

Not sure exactly but there are people getting offers from last years Fast Stream recruitment.
Reply 3
Yh unfortunately I got rejected from FSAC Finance role, so will be looking out for DAS recruitment emails. Do you know when they come out? and what scores are needed for HEO roles?
Reply 4
Original post by Nawab494
Yh unfortunately I got rejected from FSAC Finance role, so will be looking out for DAS recruitment emails. Do you know when they come out? and what scores are needed for HEO roles?

Sorry to hear! They seem to come out over time but can start in April. What score did you get at the AC if you don't mind me asking?
Hey everyone. Sadly just got rejected from my S&E FSB. Scored 12.71 at the AC so praying for DAS to come through. Unsure when this will be though...!
Reply 6
Got 9.93 for my FSAC score. Also do you know what happens if you are graduating in september/october because I have an exam deferred till september, will the DAS accomodate for that? I also have an sdip internship this summer which was meant to be last year but got deferred to this year, so I probably won't be able to start in june-july anyway.And btw how did your FSAC go?
Original post by Rid123
Saw your post on the main thread, I got rejected from S&E FSB this morning too! 12.71 is an amazing score, so you should get something through DAS, I'm hoping 11.00 is enough as well.

DAS seems strange, like you get an EO EOI if you're a near miss as FSAC, and a HEO email if you're a near miss at FSB, but what if you passed the FSAC and maybe failed the FSB badly - you wouldn't be a "near miss" for either? I wonder if in that case, you wouldn't get anything (I hope that's not the case!)

Good luck to all here hoping to receive EOI's in the next few months (thought I was done with nervously refreshing emails from the CS agh!!)

Yes I know I was thinking the same! Surely that wouldn't be the case.. I know will be constantly checking! 11 is also amazing so very interesting we didn't do so well. Just want to know now if I won't be getting anything so I can get over it haha. Best of luck as always x
Reply 8
I just failed AC for Finance at 10.59. I presume this puts me in the running for an HEO role based on last year? Or does one need to have been on a scheme that does FSB to get HEO?
Just found out that I have failed FSAC with a score of 9.81.
Just failed AC with a score of 9.90, hoping for a DAS role!
I failed HR with 10.44. Is a DAS offer at all likely with that?
I got offered a DAS role last year after failing the FSAC. My score meant I was offered an EO role. I think if you get above 10 you might get offered a HEO role. I received the EOI form in July and they offered me a role a few weeks later. They ask for your CV and you tick the areas you are interested in, I think there were about 8/10 areas to choose from :smile:
Reply 13
Hi guys,

Just found out I've been unsuccessful on Sci&Eng at AC with a score of 10.00. Failed for my other preferences at online tests.

I'm wondering if DAS is completely based upon the AC score? Will I be considered for DAS even though I didn't make it through to the FSB?
Reply 14
Original post by Rid123
Yeah, from looking at the 2020 thread, lots of people who failed at AC got EOIs from DAS! I think if you fail at AC you most likely get an EO EOI.:smile:

Thanks for confirming, a possibility of an EO position without further interviews is still really promising. Hoping to hear back from DAS soon as I know it can still be a lengthy process time-wise.
Reply 15
What is the DAS process like? I failed with 9.94
Reply 16
Looks like a lot of emails went out today. Failed SR with a 9.56 so hoping for DAS as well.
(edited 3 years ago)
New to this discussion, failed DDaT with a score of 10.50. Here's hoping for us all 😁
Reply 18
Original post by katherynhudson
I got offered a DAS role last year after failing the FSAC. My score meant I was offered an EO role. I think if you get above 10 you might get offered a HEO role. I received the EOI form in July and they offered me a role a few weeks later. They ask for your CV and you tick the areas you are interested in, I think there were about 8/10 areas to choose from :smile:

Hi, so please you were offered an EO role Kathryn. Do you mind me asking what your score was? The first post on this string suggests that people with a score over 9.5 were being offered a HEO role last year rather than score over 10. Just asking as I’m wondering what my chances are of being offered a HEO role. Thanks
Does anyone know if you've got a chance of doing policy-related or diplomatic-related work? I understand you select your interest and then you potentially get offered a role, but what if you've an interest but no direct experience?

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