Clerical Officer Campaign 2016

tiny14

just got message for part b!!!

Chloesmammy

Those tests are unreal the time is killing me not enough of it

ando88

tiny14 wrote: »

just got message for part b!!!

Same here

tiny14

ando88 wrote: »

Same here

dont think il even bother because the practice ones are awful😩😩

applejunkie

Has anyone actually done the Part B yet ?

Just looking for some feedback

tiny14

applejunkie wrote: »

Has anyone actually done the Part B yet ?

Just looking for some feedback

only got it about an hour ago but havnt done it yet but i might not bother as the sample tests were awful an have 0 confidence after trying them but il post about them if i do end up doing it😀😀

Effie10

applejunkie wrote: »

Has anyone actually done the Part B yet ?

Just looking for some feedback

The information booklet stated the link would be live at 3pm Friday.

Effie10

applejunkie wrote: »

Has anyone actually done the Part B yet ?

Just looking for some feedback

The information booklet stated the link would be live at 3pm Friday.

LoonyLovegood

Got the link there. I'm kinda looking forward to it.

If anyone's worried about the practice test, I'm gonna say don't be. I did the gradireland student challenge last year, it was the exact same test as those practice ones. So wait and see?

jonevin

I just did both the tests, i ran out of time in the numerical reasoning test I only got through about 30 questions id say i think i was answering them correctly but man the time goes so quick.
I thought i would do better in the verbal reasoning ones but i for some reason found finding the information required to answer tougher. I did manage to answer all of them though with about 15 seconds to spare!

applejunkie

Effie10 wrote: »

The information booklet stated the link would be live at 3pm Friday.

Its already live

SweetCaliber

Just did them there,

Didn't mind the Verbal one, got through all the questions with 50 seconds to go.

Numerical one, it was fine but required a lot more thinking so slowed me down, 12 minutes is not enough for 36 questions but still got through them.

But man, do 12 minutes go by quickly!

How did everyone else find them?

LunarSea

Interesting! Are they broadly similar in difficulty to the example questions?

I find that they're pretty easy, but the time limit is the difficulty.

mystic86

Effie10 wrote: »

The information booklet stated the link would be live at 3pm Friday.

no, it said you would receive it by that time (at the latest, in other words), and if you didn't then you should contact them.

Good luck with the verbal reasoning section...

claregal1

Just did the verbal there - what is interesting about it is it's the exact same one that was used a few weeks back for positions in the Irish villages in Dubai which my sister did .......

corkonian41

I was way too slow, 19 numerical 24 verbal!
Ah well!☺

Tinkerbell.123

hi does anyone know what percentage do you have to get to pass the tests?

Addle

That won't be decided until all entrants complete the tests and they know the results.

uck51js9zml2yt

You need to have answered them all to be considered for the next round.

lukesmom

I'm going to do mine in the morning when I have space and peace to do so. Good luck to you all.

lukesmom

Meant to ask will I need a calculator for the numerical test??

claregal1

Just finished the numerical - found it very fast , gor them all answered whether they are right or not haven't a clue- I used a calculator

mdwexford

Yamileth Fresh Rob wrote: »

You need to have answered them all to be considered for the next round.

You mean attempted them all?

Seems stupid.

If I answer 25/30 right it's surely better than someone who got 15/42.

claregal1

mdwexford wrote: »

You mean attempted them all?

Seems stupid.

If I answer 25/30 right it's surely better than someone who got 15/42.

I asked that question as well last night as that was my understanding of it when I read the booklet. Its hard to know really which is why I sped up on the last 5 or 6 and wildly guessed from previous passages I had read .

juncert

Is the level in the verbal one the same?did you find it like the practice one or easy/harder? thanks

claregal1

juncert wrote: »

Is the level in the verbal one the same?did you find it like the practice one or easy/harder? thanks

I found the verbal one easier than the practice one - read the question first look for the correct tab and then look for a standout word in the passage that is also in the question so it will save you having to read it all - only read whats relevant to the question .

Best of luck and watch your time cos it really flies !!!

juncert

Thanks Claregal1

screamer

I wonder how many of the current civil servants would pass these tests.. the examples are awful and seem more intended to catch you out than determine how suitable a candidate you are. Waaay too much effort for a minimum pay entry level job, waay too much.

claregal1

screamer wrote: »

I wonder how many of the current civil servants would pass these tests.. the examples are awful and seem more intended to catch you out than determine how suitable a candidate you are. Waaay too much effort for a minimum pay entry level job, waay too much.

Not too many I guess from the office I am a TCO in but if it gets me a permanent job I don't care:D

Addle

screamer wrote: »

I wonder how many of the current civil servants would pass these tests.. the examples are awful and seem more intended to catch you out than determine how suitable a candidate you are. Waaay too much effort for a minimum pay entry level job, waay too much.

29,000 applicants.
Can you think of a more efficient way to reduce numbers?

audi12

Addle wrote: »

29,000 applicants.
Can you think of a more efficient way to reduce numbers?

why are so many people applying for a crap job

mdwexford

audi12 wrote: »

why are so many people applying for a crap job

They want more money.

Pretty fcuking simple.

Georgie Berkeley

screamer wrote: »

I wonder how many of the current civil servants would pass these tests.. the examples are awful and seem more intended to catch you out than determine how suitable a candidate you are. Waaay too much effort for a minimum pay entry level job, waay too much.

Very, very true; but, as an earlier poster (Technocentral?) suggested, it's what you have to do nowadays if you want a job with working conditions that are at least close to humane.

Richie71

Does anyone know if negative marking is being used? In other words are you better off answering 6/10 and getting them all correct rather than 6/10 correct and guessing 4/10 wrong?

Tpau

I just did the pre-test and surprised myself by doing better in the numerical reasoning and did terrible in the verbal reasoning. I kept looking at the clock ticking and got distracted by it. You really need to speed read!! Not looking forward to the real thing at all. I'll just have to practise and speed up.

corkonian41

That's how I interpeted it (negative marking) so I concentrated on getting them right and not guessing. Probaly took it a bit too far as I didn't answer as many as most!

LunarSea

audi12 wrote: »

why are so many people applying for a crap job

Wages aren't great (although the longer you're there there's reasonable increases), but most departments have flexi time, guaranteed hours, no shift work, Mon-Fri, less pressure than a lot of private sector jobs, no "silly season" (eg. Christmas in retail), no late evenings, pensionable and some of the best job security on the go.

As someone that once got stuck on a zero hour contract and has managed to scrape by on less than 40 quid a week (after rent), all of the above make it a far cry from a crap job.

LunarSea

Richie71 wrote: »

Does anyone know if negative marking is being used? In other words are you better off answering 6/10 and getting them all correct rather than 6/10 correct and guessing 4/10 wrong?

There's no mention of it in the booklet (and I don't think previous campaigns used it).

LunarSea

claregal1 wrote: »

Just finished the numerical - found it very fast , gor them all answered whether they are right or not haven't a clue- I used a calculator

Seeing as you used a calculator - were the questions more like the ones found previously on PAS, or more like the interpretation ones they were dishing out yesterday in the examples?

audi12

LunarSea wrote: »

Wages aren't great (although the longer you're there there's reasonable increases), but most departments have flexi time, guaranteed hours, no shift work, Mon-Fri, less pressure than a lot of private sector jobs, no "silly season" (eg. Christmas in retail), no late evenings, pensionable and some of the best job security on the go.

As someone that once got stuck on a zero hour contract and has managed to scrape by on less than 40 quid a week (after rent), all of the above make it a far cry from a crap job.

22,000 is it not no ??

Addle

LunarSea wrote: »

pensionable.

You pay for your own pension.
You can do that in any job.

Richie71

LunarSea wrote:

There's no mention of it in the booklet (and I don't think previous campaigns used it).

The mock exam tells you how many you got wrong, that's why I'm thinking that. I've no experience doing these type of tests, do they always tell you the marking structure?

Wheety

You do not need to answer all of the questions. You need to attempt parts a and b. You're not really expected to have time to answer all of the questions in the tests themselves.

Make sure you do it in a quiet room, preferably on a pc or a laptop with a mouse and a wired ethernet connection. You do not want anything slowing you down.

The pass rate won't be known yet as you're compared to all other people who complete the tests.

The last point there is the reason you should at least attempt the tests. If you find it hard, everyone else might too and you just need to do better than them. Also, you'd be surprised how many people drop out at each stage by not completing the tests/interviews.

Don't leave it until the last minute as there were almost 30k initial applicants and most people tend to leave it until the last minute.

(Source: The GF knows someone who used to work in PAS :P)

garycoyle1

How is the Online Assessment evaluated?
In the case of performance tests, we usually allocate points for each correct answer and deduct points for every incorrect answer. At the end of the test, the points are calculated to give the final result. I copied this from cut-e page
So wrong answers are deducted!! I'll do me test Tuesday I'm off that day!!

corkonian41

In the "Familiarisation booklet" it suggests avoid wild guessing. Again it's a chance I took to concentrate on getting them right which did slow me down a bit and probaly could cost me.
Best of luck to all!

ladyella

Just finished. Not sure what to think of it. I didn't get through all the numerical, I took the slow and steady approach so was short by about 7 I think then with the verbal I got through them all but spent a lot of time clock watching because of the numerical so I'm afraid I made stupid mistakes... arghhh
done now and I'm glad it's done; I just need to try not obsess over it!

mystic86

Yamileth Fresh Rob wrote: »

You need to have answered them all to be considered for the next round.

seriously doubt that

old woman

corkonian41 wrote: »

In the "Familiarisation booklet" it suggests avoid wild guessing. Again it's a chance I took to concentrate on getting them right which did slow me down a bit and probaly could cost me.
Best of luck to all!

I don't know what to do about these tests, I'm quite slow at the best of times and get quite flustered and have been told i over think things, not a good combination I know. Annoying thing is I was a clerical officer in civil service for 20 years. I would be inclined to take my time and try to get it right but I'd probably only get about half the questions done. Any advice much appreciated. Thanks and good luck to all

audi12

old woman wrote: »

I don't know what to do about these tests, I'm quite slow at the best of times and get quite flustered and have been told i over think things, not a good combination I know. Annoying thing is I was a clerical officer in civil service for 20 years. I would be inclined to take my time and try to get it right but I'd probably only get about half the questions done. Any advice much appreciated. Thanks and good luck to all

Am I only one who cant understand how 29,000 would apply for this job this mental.

uck51js9zml2yt

audi12 wrote: »

Am I only one who cant understand how 29,000 would apply for this job this mental.

What don't you understand ?:)