Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service

you_there

I give up for now. Will try again in the small hours. Still, whole thing looks pretty effifng shambolic.

AliBaba2010 wrote: »

So annoyed It's Stupid that they weren't ready for the high volume of people.
I planned everything around this today, I wasn't expecting so many people jaysus.
Feel like I've no chance now!!

Eh, if there's that many of us having problems, i don't think it's gonna be just ignored.

lenoude wrote: »

I was on 98%

Sorry to hear!

FloatingVoter

You have a three day window in which to do the test. My test arrived on Friday afternoon. I began it 24 hours later. There are no marks for starting or finishing first. Do what I did - relax, sober up (if needed) and take it in your own good time without considering anybody else.

starlit

That's mad I did mine on Saturday late afternoon if anything happened and I'd been a bit busy the other days to do it. You need a lot of quiet time and do it at your own pace. It took me about 30 mins in my own time not rush it. Its amazing they weren't aware of that high volume of traffic might occur despite giving people a window time to do it. They did mention to do it in advance.

Subutai

doovdela wrote: »

That's mad I did mine on Saturday late afternoon if anything happened and I'd been a bit busy the other days to do it. You need a lot of quiet time and do it at your own pace. It took me about 30 mins in my own time not rush it. Its amazing they weren't aware of that high volume of traffic might occur despite giving people a window time to do it. They did mention to do it in advance.

Ya they did, but some people do have other commitments. For example I've been in work for the past 3 days (Friday, 9am-4am; Saturday 9am-4am; Sunday 9am-6pm, and today) I suppose I could have done it Sunday evening but I was wrecked and wanted to be fresh doing it.

Presumably they'll have to extend the deadline in fairness.

bulmersgal

Subutai wrote: »

Ya they did, but some people do have other commitments. For example I've been in work for the past 3 days (Friday, 9am-4am; Saturday 9am-4am; Sunday 9am-6pm, and today) I suppose I could have done it Sunday evening but I was wrecked and wanted to be fresh doing it.

Presumably they'll have to extend the deadline in fairness.

What time was your deadline?

sebbplatter

Working fine for me, I tried it again and sailed through it in 10-15 mins.

Divisadero

Same happened during the TCO comp in 2013. They have obviously come on in leaps and bounds! Careful now about ridiculing the Public Service as some of you will be part of it this time next year. If you ever get through the application process that is!

Milly33

Weathercheck wrote: »

Lads I wouldn't be planning your day around this..

The questions are fairly basic fair, you don't need to do any prep for this and should take 30mins at most.

Relax and do it later.

At the end of the day it is just a glorified lottery as to who makes it to the next round.

Good Advice..Just done it there and was like this is it this is what they base the jobs on feck sake, they should have walk in interviews but anywho tis grand don't stress about it common sense.. Tis up and running now if anyone is waiting

yenom

I just done mine. They were the exact same as the TCO questions.

Tarzana

Question, does everyone get offered the chance to do the online aptitude tests, or do they do a cull after Part A?

RoadhouseBlues

I think you have to get through Part A first. Its to cut down the numbers I suppose.

Divisadero

RoadhouseBlues wrote: »

I think you have to get through Part A first. Its to cut down the numbers I suppose.

It used to be the case that they culled after the questionnaire. But with the introduction of the online aptitude test the first cull now takes place after the first aptitude test. Once you complete the questionnaire you will be invited to do the online aptitude test. Then the culling begins!

Tarzana

Divisadero wrote: »

But with the introduction of the online aptitude test the first cull now takes place after the first aptitude test. Once you complete the questionnaire you will be invited to do the online aptitude test. Then the culling begins!

This seems fairer.

Divisadero

Perhaps Tarzana but I don't see it that way. Having an aptitude test on a computer in an unsupervised setting is anything but fair. Okay before you could still get help with the questionnaire so in theory that was unfair. But having a test where you could have a friend or family member help or just do it for you is very unfair. I know why they are doing it. They want to avoid having to bring in so many in to the testing centre. But I'm sorry this makes a joke of the equal opportunity process. Now I know we are told that if your supervised results differ significantly from the online results you
may be eliminated but that sounds more like a threat than anything else. Even if my imagination is getting the better of me and it is the case (that a significant difference in results could lead to elimination) the previous system where all applicants sat one supervised test was at least fair and transparent.

RoadhouseBlues

Divisadero wrote: »

It used to be the case that they culled after the questionnaire. But with the introduction of the online aptitude test the first cull now takes place after the first aptitude test. Once you complete the questionnaire you will be invited to do the online aptitude test. Then the culling begins!

Oh right. So there is still hope for me yet:-)

FloatingVoter

Divisadero wrote: »

Perhaps Tarzana but I don't see it that way. Having an aptitude test on a computer in an unsupervised setting is anything but fair. Okay before you could still get help with the questionnaire so in theory that was unfair. But having a test where you could have a friend or family member help or just do it for you is a very unfair. I know why they are doing it. They want to avoid having to bring in so many to the testing centre. But I'm sorry this makes a joke of the equal opportunity process. Now I know we are told that if your supervised results differ significantly from the online results you
may be eliminated but that sounds more like a threat than anything else. But if it is the case (and perhaps it is and I am wide of the mark) nevertheless the previous system where all applicants sat one supervised test was at least fair.

There might still be a cattle-call in the RDS like in the old days after all this. I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best as always.

Divisadero

FloatingVoter wrote: »

There might still be a cattle-call in the RDS like in the old days after all this. I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best as always.

Perhaps but at least before everyone had the same chance of getting that far. I'd say they might use the testing centre in the PAC Chapter House this time. They have done both in the past.

Anyway F.V. good luck this time around.

davydoc

Divisadero wrote: »

Perhaps Tarzana but I don't see it that way. Having an aptitude test on a computer in an unsupervised setting is anything but fair. Okay before you could still get help with the questionnaire so in theory that was unfair. But having a test where you could have a friend or family member help or just do it for you is very unfair. I know why they are doing it. They want to avoid having to bring in so many in to the testing centre. But I'm sorry this makes a joke of the equal opportunity process. Now I know we are told that if your supervised results differ significantly from the online results you
may be eliminated but that sounds more like a threat than anything else. Even if my imagination is getting the better of me and it is the case (that a significant difference in results could lead to elimination) the previous system where all applicants sat one supervised test was at least fair and transparent.

The way I read the information booklet suggested that everyone would do the online aptitude test, and those with the highest combined scores would be called to do a similar, supervised test, and if the scores didn't tally with the unsupervised test, then you would be discounted and assumed that you had help with the original test - those are my own words, but its the general gist I took from the candidate info...

Tarzana

Divisadero wrote: »

Perhaps Tarzana but I don't see it that way. Having an aptitude test on a computer in an unsupervised setting is anything but fair.

Anyone who does that will be caught out at the next stage. They have to cut down the numbers somehow!

I suppose they could do the big supervised test, but it's probably much cheaper to do it this way.

Diddlina

How many people are expected to apply?

The_Conductor

Diddlina wrote: »

How many people are expected to apply?

Ask someone in PAS how many applicants there are?
It could well be over 10,000- in keeping with some recent figures for more confined competition types..........
Ask though- any of us here would only be pulling figures out of thin air.

GalwayGirl26

Hi all,
Did the aptitude test last night (never did anything similar before) and was wondering if anybody else found the "workplace scenario" questions kind of ambiguous? As in, the responses weren't clean cut black and white. Anyway, just wondering how those questions are marked? Do you either get it all right or all wrong, or some marks if you got part of it right?
Thanks!

Mini

With part b being another online assessment - how can you reschedule if necessary.

Would this count against you? I am out of the country next week and concerned I won't be able to complete the next part if I'm successful of course.

KERSPLAT!

Mini wrote: »

With part b being another online assessment - how can you reschedule if necessary.

Would this count against you? I am out of the country next week and concerned I won't be able to complete the next part if I'm successful of course.

I don't think you can or at least you couldn't in the Garda Recruitment one and they're both run by PAS

The_Conductor

They say you can't- but do ring them, they're human too......

K4t

Still haven't received word on the aptitude test after completing the part A questionnaire..struggling to think how I could have messed that up..

FloatingVoter

K4t wrote: »

Still haven't received word on the aptitude test after completing the part A questionnaire..struggling to think how I could have messed that up..

No word here either. I wouldn't worry - some people are just starting part A today.

Tarzana

K4t wrote: »

Still haven't received word on the aptitude test after completing the part A questionnaire..struggling to think how I could have messed that up..

Well apparently we all get the chance to do Part B so don't worry.

The_Conductor

Tarzana wrote: »

Well apparently we all get the chance to do Part B so don't worry.

Normally- you have to reach a minimal qualifying standard at Part A- before you're brought in to do the supervised Part B.

Tarzana

The_Conductor wrote: »

Normally- you have to reach a minimal qualifying standard at Part A- before you're brought in to do the supervised Part B.

What about the unsupervised part B, the online tests?