Civil Service online tests: practice for every test
The Civil Service uses eight online tests in recruitment, and each job advert names the ones you will take. Practice each one in its real format with original questions, free drills and the reasoning behind every answer.
The judgement test offered from AA/AO to Grade 7: rate four actions in each workplace scenario at your grade, with the reasoning for every rating.
Or find your test below
The eight Civil Service online tests
Grades are where each test is offered, from the recruiters’ guidance. Departments choose which tests to use for each job, so your invitation is the final word.
| Test | Format | AA/AO | EO | HEO/SEO | G7, G6, SCS 1 | Timed | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Service Judgement Test | Self-assessment questions, then workplace scenarios: rate four actions each from Counterproductive to Effective, three scenarios per behaviour the job selects. | Yes | Yes | Yes | G7 only | No | Judgement Test practice |
| Civil Service Verbal Test | A passage and a statement: true, false or cannot say. Adaptive, so the length varies. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Verbal Test practice |
| Civil Service Numerical Test | Graphs, tables and other figures with a multiple-choice question. Adaptive, so the length varies. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Numerical Test practice |
| Civil Service Management Judgement Test | 15 management scenarios with four actions: choose the one you would be most likely and least likely to take. | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Management Judgement practice |
| Civil Service Work Strengths Test | Agreement with statements about you, then 10 scenarios to rate and 5 most/least likely choices. | AA–EO version | AA–EO version | HEO–SCS 1 version | HEO–SCS 1 version | No | Rating practice (Judgement Test) |
| Civil Service Styles Assessment | 276 pairs of statements: choose which is more like you, and by how much. No right answers. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Self-assessment, no right answers |
| Casework Skills Test | A case file with true/false/cannot-say statements, 6 casework scenarios to rate, then 10 minutes of checking. | AO only | Yes | No | No | Part 3 (10 minutes) | Casework Skills practice |
| Customer Service Skills Test | Customer conversations (choose a reply, then reply to the follow-up), 6 scenarios to rate, then 10 minutes of checking. | Yes | Yes | No | No | Part 3 (10 minutes) | Customer Service Skills practice |
Sources: GOV.UK: Civil Service online tests; GOV.UK: Selecting online tests (updated 27 January 2026).
Practice by test
- Civil Service Judgement TestRate four actions per scenario at AA/AO, EO, HEO/SEO or Grade 7, with a drill for each of the nine behaviours.
- Management Judgement TestFifteen management scenarios: choose the action you would be most and least likely to take. EO to SEO.
- Casework Skills TestA case file with true, false and cannot-say statements, casework scenarios, and 10 minutes of timed checking.
- Customer Service Skills TestCustomer conversations with follow-ups, service scenarios to rate, and 10 minutes of timed checking.
- Civil Service Verbal TestDecide whether a statement is true, false or cannot be determined from a passage.
- Civil Service Numerical TestTables, charts, percentages and ratios, with worked explanations.
- Fast StreamWork-based Scenarios, the Case Study assessment and the assessment center.
- Civil Service behavioursThe nine Success Profiles behaviours, what they look like at your grade and how the tests check them.
- EPSO (EU institutions)Verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning practice for EU careers.
One Civil Service Judgement Test pass covers the Judgement, Management Judgement, Casework Skills and Customer Service Skills tests and the Fast Stream online tests. Verbal and Numerical each have their own pass. Every drill has a free attempt.
Civil Service grades and the tests offered at each
| Grade | Typical role | Average starting salary |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant / Administrative Officer (AA/AO) | Entry-level and junior roles in administrative support or operational delivery. | £23,000 |
| Executive Officer (EO) | Typically junior management roles; line management is unlikely. | £27,000 |
| Higher Executive Officer (HEO) | Middle management: project managers and team leaders. The Fast Stream starts at this level. | £32,000 |
| Senior Executive Officer (SEO) | Mid-level management, often managing teams of AAs, AOs and EOs. | £39,000 |
| Grade 7 (G7) | A senior manager handling complex work. | £49,000 |
| Grade 6 (G6) | Very senior management, accountable for delivering a program. | £59,000 |
| Senior Civil Service (SCS) | Deputy director, director, director general and permanent secretary. | £76,000 |
- AA/AO: Verbal, Numerical, Judgement, the AA–EO Work Strengths Test, the Styles Assessment, Customer Service Skills, and Casework Skills at AO.
- EO: all of the above plus the Management Judgement Test.
- HEO/SEO: Verbal, Numerical, Judgement, Management Judgement, the HEO–SCS 1 Work Strengths Test and the Styles Assessment.
- G7 and above: Verbal, Numerical, the Styles Assessment, the HEO–SCS 1 Work Strengths Test, and the Judgement Test at Grade 7.
Source: Civil Service Careers: Grades and pay; GOV.UK: Selecting online tests.
Tests named in department job adverts
Each advert sets its own tests, so these are examples rather than rules. Read the “Selection process” section of your advert.
| Department | Role | Online tests in the advert |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC | Customer Service Advisor | Civil Service Customer Service Test, then a video interview |
| HMRC | Review Officer | Civil Service Numerical, Verbal and Work Strengths tests |
| HMRC | Tax Specialist Programme | Verbal and Numerical, then the Civil Service Judgement Test and the Styles Assessment |
| DWP | Operational Leader (HEO) | Civil Service Management Judgement Test |
| Home Office (Border Force) | Officer and Assistant Officer | Civil Service Verbal Test, Numerical Test and Customer Service Test |
| Home Office (Border Force) | Higher Officer | Civil Service Management Judgement Test, then a written statement and interview |
Prison officer recruitment (HMPPS) uses its own scenario-based and values-based tests rather than these eight.
How the tests fit Success Profiles
The Civil Service recruits against Success Profiles, which have five elements: behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical. The Verbal and Numerical tests measure ability. The Judgement, Management Judgement, Casework and Customer Service tests ask you to judge workplace actions, which is how they assess behaviours. The Work Strengths Test measures strengths. Read the nine Civil Service behaviours before any judgement test or interview.
Common questions
What online tests does the Civil Service use?
There are eight commonly used Civil Service online tests: the Verbal Test, Numerical Test, Judgement Test, Management Judgement Test, Work Strengths Test, Styles Assessment, Customer Service Skills Test and Casework Skills Test. The job advert says which ones you will take.
Which Civil Service tests will I take?
The recruiting team chooses the tests for each job, so check the advert and your invitation. Use of the tests is local and discretionary, and each test is offered only at certain grades: for example, the Management Judgement Test is offered at EO, HEO and SEO, and the Casework Skills Test at AO and EO.
Are the Civil Service online tests timed?
Most are untimed. The Casework Skills Test and Customer Service Skills Test each end with a 10-minute timed checking part. The official guidance recommends allowing about an hour for most tests.
What is the pass mark for Civil Service tests?
There is no fixed pass mark. Your score is a percentile against a representative group of applicants. Each job level has a minimum standard, and after the deadline the recruiter can raise the pass mark for the job based on everyone’s scores.
Can I retake a Civil Service test?
If you do not reach the minimum standard, you can take the test again in a future application. Some test results can be banked for six months within a grade group, while Judgement Test scores cannot be banked because each vacancy selects its own behaviours.
Are there official Civil Service practice tests?
Yes. The Civil Service publishes an unscored practice test for each of the eight tests, linked from the GOV.UK online tests page. They show the look and feel of the real tests; our practice adds full original question banks, scores and explanations.
Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Civil Service. Test names, formats and grades are from official GOV.UK and Civil Service Careers guidance, read November 8, 2026.