Civil Service Judgement Test study guide
Civil Service Judgement Test · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) is a situational judgement assessment used in recruitment for many UK Civil Service roles. Rather than testing subject knowledge, it presents realistic workplace scenarios and asks you to judge how effective different possible responses would be. The Civil Service Judgement Test study guide has 6 sections and about 1,927 words.
01Making Effective Decisions
Decision items probe whether you gather the right evidence, weigh risk, and then actually decide - at the right level, with the right people, and with a record of why. Evidence-based judgement; risk and impact assessment; proportionality (a reversible, low-cost decision deserves less analysis than an irreversible, high-cost one); decision rights (who is authorised to sign off what); consultation versus consensus (consulting does not mean everyone must agree); and recording the rationale so the decision can be defended or reviewed.
345 words, about 2 min02Delivering at Pace and Prioritising Work
Prioritisation is about impact and dependency, not personal preference. Know the difference between urgency and importance; the critical path (the sequence of tasks that determines the end date); dependencies on other people; and the gap between a hard deadline and a hoped-for one.
317 words, about 2 min03Working Together and Handling Interpersonal Situations
Interpersonal items test whether you address friction early, privately, and at the lowest level, and whether you keep the person and the problem separate. Key ideas: active listening (reflect back and check understanding before responding); separating intent from impact; constructive feedback (specific behaviour, its effect, what would help); psychological safety; and the difference between supporting a colleague and taking over their work.
312 words, about 2 min04Communicating and Influencing
Communication items reward audience-first thinking: what does this person need to know, in what form, and what do I want them to do? Know channel choice (a difficult message deserves a conversation, not an email); plain language; two-way communication (checking understanding, inviting questions); influencing through evidence and shared objectives rather than authority; stakeholder mapping (who decides, who influences, who is affected); and handling confidential or sensitive information appropriately.
315 words, about 2 min05Managing a Quality Service and Customer Focus
Customer-focus items test whether you can meet need and maintain standards at the same time. Know the difference between what a customer wants and what they need; service standards and consistency (the same answer for everyone in the same situation); fairness; accessibility and reasonable adjustments; complaints as free feedback; and root-cause fixing versus quick fixes.
328 words, about 2 min06Changing and Improving / Resilience and Adaptability
Change items reward involving the people affected, testing before rolling out, and learning from what goes wrong. Know the improvement cycle (plan, do, study, act); the difference between a pilot and a full roll-out; engaging stakeholders in change; and handling resistance by listening for the concern behind it.
310 words, about 2 min