1. Your typical behaviour
A self-report section asks about your usual work preferences. It contributes 15% of the official score. Answer honestly; your responses may be discussed at interview.
Civil Service Judgement Test practice
Civil Service Judgement Test study guide
Learn to judge each action on its own, recognise a partly useful response and match your approach to the role’s grade.
Original written scenarios · Four independent ratings · Untimed practice
Know which part you are answering
2. Your judgement of possible actions
For each selected behaviour, the official test has three scenarios with four actions each. Rate every action independently. The mix of behaviours depends on the vacancy.
The official test is untimed; allow at least an hour. Its scenarios may be written, video or both. Our original practice is written. Use the free official demo to get familiar with video playback and accessibility options.
Start with the grade in your invitation
CSJT is available at AA/AO, EO, HEO/SEO and Grade 7. The broader behaviours framework groups Grade 6 with Grade 7, but CSJT availability in that band is Grade 7 only.
EO: Own the outcome and coordinate the next step
Consider how your decisions affect colleagues and service users. Set practical priorities, resolve routine problems and involve the right person when a decision falls outside your remit.
Ask yourself: Does the action move the work forward with a clear owner? Automatically passing every problem upwards can be as unhelpful as acting beyond your authority.
Our preparation advice. The facts and authority in each scenario still determine the judgement.
GOV.UK: Selecting online tests · GOV.UK: Success Profiles — Civil Service behaviours
Separate the four effectiveness ratings
Counterproductive
Makes the situation worse.
Look for a new harm: misleading someone, creating an avoidable risk or damaging the working relationship.
Ineffective
Does not help the situation.
An action can sound polite or busy while leaving the actual problem untouched. It need not create additional harm.
Fairly effective
Helps with part of the situation.
There is a useful contribution, but an important need, cause or next step remains unresolved.
Effective
Helps resolve the situation.
The action addresses the stated problem constructively and realistically. It does not need to be the only good option.
You can repeat ratings. Two actions may both be effective, and a scenario need not use all four categories. There is no neutral option. Judge what each action would do if taken on its own; do not assemble the actions into a sequence.
Try the EO worked example
Choose a rating for each action, then open the explanation. Change the grade to explore four different examples, including an EO scenario with two effective actions.
EO · Working together
A handover with no agreed owner
You coordinate a weekly report. Two colleagues each thought the other would supply the final figures. The report is due tomorrow. Both can provide the figures today, and either is authorised to do so. You are responsible for coordinating their contribution. Rate each action independently.
Show our ratings and reasoning
These are our teaching judgements for an original example, not official answers.
A. Fairly effective
The reminder highlights urgency, which may help, but the ambiguity that caused the delay remains.
B. Ineffective
You leave an acknowledged coordination problem unresolved despite having responsibility and time to address it.
C. Effective
This is also a practical resolution: it establishes an agreed owner and makes the allocation clear to both people. A joint meeting is not essential.
D. Effective
A short joint discussion settles the immediate ownership gap and creates a clear commitment before the deadline.
Takeaway: Two different actions can both solve a problem. Rate each against the scenario rather than reserving “Effective” for a single favourite.
Common trap: Forcing the four actions into four different rating categories.
Use the nine behaviours to focus your practice
The Success Profiles framework has nine behaviours. A vacancy selects the relevant behaviours. You will not necessarily be tested on all nine. Read the advert and invitation, then choose those behaviours in practice. If they are not specified, a mixed drill can help you explore the approach.
These prompts explain what to look for when judging an action. They are study aids, not a checklist that every effective action must satisfy.
Seeing the big picture
Connect the immediate task to the service’s purpose. Check who benefits, who else is affected and whether a local gain creates a wider problem.
Practice this behaviourChanging and improving
Identify the problem before changing a process. Seek useful input, test a proportionate improvement and check whether it actually works.
Practice this behaviourMaking effective decisions
Separate facts from assumptions, compare realistic options and take a timely decision. More investigation only helps when it could change the choice.
Practice this behaviourLeadership
Give a clear direction, take responsibility and treat people fairly. Look for actions that address difficult issues while helping others contribute.
Practice this behaviourCommunicating and influencing
Choose information and a channel that suit the audience. Explain the reason for a decision, listen to concerns and check understanding.
Practice this behaviourWorking together
Share relevant information and coordinate responsibilities. Constructive challenge can help a team; avoiding disagreement does not necessarily solve the problem.
Practice this behaviourDeveloping self and others
Turn a learning need into useful feedback or supported practice. Look for a practical opportunity to improve rather than blame or a vague promise of training.
Practice this behaviourManaging a quality service
Understand what the user needs, maintain standards and follow through. A quick response helps only if the information and service remain reliable.
Practice this behaviourDelivering at pace
Prioritise what matters, track progress and address obstacles early. Speed alone does not justify errors, hidden delays or unrealistic commitments.
Practice this behaviourA practical way to read each scenario
1. Locate the problem and your role
Identify what needs to change, who is affected and what you are authorised to do. Use the information given rather than inventing an unstated rule.
2. Read one action in isolation
Ask what would happen if you took exactly this action. Do not improve it by silently adding a helpful follow-up from another option.
3. Distinguish harm, no help, partial help and resolution
Name the consequence before choosing the label. If the action helps, identify whether a material part of the stated problem remains.
4. Check your reasoning before moving on
Look for evidence in the scenario that supports the rating. In practice, compare your explanation with ours and identify the distinction you missed.
Get familiar with the seven-option self-report scale
Here you describe yourself, rather than judge a workplace action. Use your typical experience. The middle choice expresses neither agreement nor disagreement. Choices farther from the middle express stronger agreement or disagreement. There is no profile to memorise.
Original format example 1 of 3 · Unscored
Choose the response that reflects your typical behaviour.
Your selection is cleared when you change statements or leave this page. These personal responses are not saved, sent or scored.
Response labels follow the Free official CSJT practice test. The statements above are original.
Bring the format and the judgement together
Use official practice for the interface
The public demo includes three self-report examples, two video scenarios and three text scenarios. It is unscored and gives general feedback after the scenario sections. It does not provide a per-action answer key.
Open official practiceUse our scenarios to explain your ratings
Choose your grade and relevant behaviours, then review the reasons behind each action. Our feedback measures agreement with our editorial ratings. It does not reproduce official scoring or predict your percentile.
Set up full scenario practiceFor the real test, follow the invitation’s deadline and instructions. Set aside a quiet session, check access early and complete your own answers independently.
The official result is a percentile compared with other applicants, rather than a percentage correct. A recruiter may raise the vacancy’s pass mark; meeting the initial standard does not guarantee progression. GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test
Common questions
Should I rank the actions from best to worst?
No. Judge each action on its own. You may reuse any rating, and you do not need to use all four categories in a scenario. Do not assume that one action happens before another.
Should I always ask a manager or always take initiative?
Neither is a reliable shortcut. Use the role, authority, urgency and consequences stated in the scenario. Asking a manager can be appropriate for a decision outside your remit, while escalating a routine task you can resolve may add delay.
How should I prepare for the self-report section?
Get comfortable with the response scale and reflect on your typical behaviour. Answer honestly rather than trying to create an ideal profile. There is no answer key for the personal statements in this guide.
Do I need specialist Civil Service knowledge?
Use the facts supplied in the question. You do not need to invent a department’s internal policy or assume powers that the scenario does not give you. Read the relevant grade in the behaviours framework to understand the expected scope of responsibility.
Is this the Civil Service Management Judgement Test?
No. The Civil Service Judgement Test and Civil Service Management Judgement Test are separate assessments. Check the exact name in your invitation before choosing practice.
Can a practice result predict whether I will pass?
No. Our explanations give editorial judgements about original scenarios. Agreement with those ratings is a learning measure, not an official percentile or a prediction of the recruitment decision.
Can I reuse my official CSJT result for another application?
Current recruiter guidance says CSJT scores cannot be banked. Follow each application’s invitation and deadline.
Official sources
Checked 14 September 2026. Follow the current instructions for your own application.
- GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test
- GOV.UK: Success Profiles — Civil Service behaviours
- GOV.UK: Selecting online tests
- GOV.UK: Managing online tests
- Free official CSJT practice test
Independent preparation from Game Assessment Prep. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Civil Service. All teaching scenarios and personal-statement examples on this page are original.