ABF Officer Recruit SJT

Expect written scenarios, each followed by several possible responses. You typically rate or select the most and least effective action. It is multiple choice and completed online or at an assessment centre. The official recruitment site confirms the current delivery method and structure.

The official body publishes the current question count and time limit on its recruitment pages, and these can change between recruitment rounds. Check there before your sitting. As a rule, situational judgement tests are tightly timed, so practise reading a scenario and committing to an answer quickly.

Situational judgement tests are usually scored against a benchmark rather than a simple percentage pass mark, and results may be used alongside other assessments. The official body publishes how results are used for each recruitment round. Do not rely on second-hand figures from forums.

Retake rules depend on the recruitment round and are set by the official body, so confirm the current policy on its recruitment site. Many employers apply waiting periods between attempts. If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback and focus your next preparation on the judgement areas that let you down.

Most candidates find the scenarios manageable but the distractors tricky. Options are often all plausible, and the difference lies in lawfulness, transparency and proportionality. Difficulty comes from time pressure and from resisting the intuitive but rule-bending answer. Practice with varied scenarios builds the speed and consistency you need.

Start with the APS Code of Conduct and the ABF's published values and integrity expectations, because most scenarios hinge on them. Then practise scenario reasoning: identify the facts, the stakeholders, the risk and the lawful options. Leave timed practice until you can explain why each option is stronger or weaker.

Choosing the response that solves the problem fastest but bends a rule, staying silent to avoid conflict, escalating everything to a supervisor, or ignoring the impact on travellers and colleagues. Candidates also lose marks by overthinking and running out of time. Aim for answers that are honest, documented and proportionate.

No. The test measures judgement, not technical knowledge, and scenarios are written so that general reasoning is enough. Basic awareness of public service values and integrity obligations helps, but you are not expected to know legislation or operational procedure in detail.

Read the scenario once for the facts, note the key tension, then evaluate options against lawfulness, honesty, safety and respect. Answer and move on rather than revisiting. If the platform allows flagging, mark uncertain items and return only if time remains. Practise under timed conditions beforehand.