NEW 2018 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

Max Mustermann · 02-10-2019 7:37am

oodles19 wrote: »

Hah, that's great news Max! I got top ten myself, I actually thought of yourself when I was posting just there would you believe! I'm delighted you did so well, fair play to you! Now we have to wait to see where we end up...ðŸ˜³

Thanks oodles. Hopefully we get good posts. I'm guessing it will be at least 4 to 6 weeks before they get to us, so Im just going to enjoy being on the panel for now.

Commiserations to anyone who didn't get through on this occasion. To pass on some advice from a previous poster on here who got it on their 6th attempt, just keep tweaking your game and you'll get there eventually. This was my 4th AP interview, so I can certainly vouch for that.

tigger123 · 02-10-2019 8:42am

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Thanks oodles. Hopefully we get good posts. I'm guessing it will be at least 4 to 6 weeks before they get to us, so Im just going to enjoy being on the panel for now.

Commiserations to anyone who didn't get through on this occasion. To pass on some advice from a previous poster on here who got it on their 6th attempt, just keep tweaking your game and you'll get there eventually. This was my 4th AP interview, so I can certainly vouch for that.

I'd second that. I got it yesterday on my 6th attempt. Without doubt, I got closer every time, and learned something new every time.

oodles19 · 02-10-2019 9:32am

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Thanks oodles. Hopefully we get good posts. I'm guessing it will be at least 4 to 6 weeks before they get to us, so Im just going to enjoy being on the panel for now.

Commiserations to anyone who didn't get through on this occasion. To pass on some advice from a previous poster on here who got it on their 6th attempt, just keep tweaking your game and you'll get there eventually. This was my 4th AP interview, so I can certainly vouch for that.

Regarding the posts, it's in the lap of the gods now I suppose, as you said, the thing to do is just enjoy making the panel for now.

You're absolutely right about persevering with the attempts, every time I took part in a competition I feel I improved, whether it be on the job simulations/etray, or at interview, the thing to do is to keep plugging away, as we all know it's not an easy process but speaking from my own experience if you keep at it you'll get there.

On a side note I contacted PAS, and was advised that the number left on the previous (Batch 2?) batch is in the low teens.

Remind me · 02-10-2019 10:49am

Well done to all who have been placed on the panel.

Very quick getting the results out. I’d expect a 4th batch to be called with 12 months left to run on the competition.

TaurenDruid · 02-10-2019 11:06am

oodles19 wrote: »

Regarding the posts, it's in the lap of the gods now I suppose, as you said, the thing to do is just enjoy making the panel for now.

You're absolutely right about persevering with the attempts, every time I took part in a competition I feel I improved, whether it be on the job simulations/etray, or at interview, the thing to do is to keep plugging away, as we all know it's not an easy process but speaking from my own experience if you keep at it you'll get there.

What I find so frustrating about the process is the lack of meaningful feedback and therefore a far reduced chance of improving.

I've passed the interview - and failed the etray. "Your score is your feedback."
I've failed the interview - and passed the etray. (Fair enough, found what competencies I'd "failed").
I've failed the job sim in the supervised test that I'd previously aced in the unsupervised and the previous two attempts, both unsupervised and supervised! Back to "Your score is your feedback."

And if you print out the job sim examples and give them to 3 different serving APs and POs, you get 3 different sets of answers and explanations as to why their answers are right... :-)

Ah well... 2021 isn't too far away...

Summer2019 · 02-10-2019 11:25am

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Congrats Oodles. Same here and can't believe I made the top 10. Absolutely delighted :-)

Congratulations Max Mustermann. Any advice to give on the etray?

SFC1895 · 02-10-2019 2:25pm

PAS are at about 48 on the open panel now.

Max Mustermann · 02-10-2019 5:05pm

Summer2019 wrote: »

Congratulations Max Mustermann. Any advice to give on the etray?

Thanks Summer.

I would practice formal letter and report writing for the etray i.e. a report should start with an Executive Summary and end with a list of Conclusions or Recommendations (or whatever). You won't know the content until the day but if you can quickly get the structure right, that will save you time to work on the content.

I also took the following course, kindly shared by someone else on here earlier, and which I found very useful. It's about €40 for a month so I'd wait for a test date.

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/irish-civil-service-assistant-principal-prep

I don't imagine it will be too long before they call batch 4, so good luck!

Rebelcat1909 · 02-10-2019 5:13pm

SFC1895 wrote: »

PAS are at about 48 on the open panel now.

I’m in the high 50’s so not long now - people here before have said that clearance takes about a month. Is that about right or have people had other experiences?

Summer2019 · 02-10-2019 5:39pm

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Thanks Summer.

I would practice formal letter and report writing for the etray i.e. a report should start with an Executive Summary and end with a list of Conclusions or Recommendations (or whatever). You won't know the content until the day but if you can quickly get the structure right, that will save you time to work on the content.

I also took the following course, kindly shared by someone else on here earlier, and which I found very useful. It's about €40 for a month so I'd wait for a test date.

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/irish-civil-service-assistant-principal-prep

I don't imagine it will be too long before they call batch 4, so good luck!

Thanks for the tips! Kindly appreciated! Best of luck and thanks for your contributions on this board.

tigger123 · 03-10-2019 10:13am

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Thanks Summer.

I would practice formal letter and report writing for the etray i.e. a report should start with an Executive Summary and end with a list of Conclusions or Recommendations (or whatever). You won't know the content until the day but if you can quickly get the structure right, that will save you time to work on the content.

I also took the following course, kindly shared by someone else on here earlier, and which I found very useful. It's about €40 for a month so I'd wait for a test date.

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/irish-civil-service-assistant-principal-prep

I don't imagine it will be too long before they call batch 4, so good luck!

There's a long way on this panel to go yet!

Addle · 03-10-2019 6:59pm

Have the expected retirements materialised?

Max Mustermann · 03-10-2019 10:20pm

Addle wrote: »

Have the expected retirements materialised?

Batch 2 started clearance on 22nd July and had reached 48 as of yesterday.
That's 48 appointments in 52 working days, or practically 1 new AP every working day on average just from this competition, for Dublin only, which is huge.
I don't know if the rate has increased or not as expected since the pay rise on 1st September.

Jean15963 · 04-10-2019 6:37am

Any movement on regional panels?

tigger123 · 04-10-2019 8:52am

Max Mustermann wrote: »

Batch 2 started clearance on 22nd July and had reached 48 as of yesterday.
That's 48 appointments in 52 working days, or practically 1 new AP every working day on average just from this competition, for Dublin only, which is huge.
I don't know if the rate has increased or not as expected since the pay rise on 1st September.

Cheers for that!

What's clearance? Is it Garda clearance? Does it apply to currently serving civil servants?

Also, was it 48 on the open panel that they'd reached?

I'm high (enough) open and inter-d and just wondering when I can expect an offer.

harmarsuperstar · 04-10-2019 9:36am

I'd expect the panel will be exhausted before the end of the month.

irishbigfoot · 04-10-2019 4:23pm

tigger123 wrote: »

Cheers for that!

What's clearance? Is it Garda clearance? Does it apply to currently serving civil servants?

Also, was it 48 on the open panel that they'd reached?

I'm high (enough) open and inter-d and just wondering when I can expect an offer.

Phoned today since it's getting close for me...

48 Open and 34 Inter

Not sure of all the details on the clearance.

tigger123 · 04-10-2019 4:30pm

irishbigfoot wrote: »

Phoned today since it's getting close for me...

48 Open and 34 Inter

Not sure of all the details on the clearance.

You're in batch 2 I take it?

How many in total in that batch?

Rebelcat1909 · 04-10-2019 5:23pm

tigger123 wrote: »

You're in batch 2 I take it?

How many in total in that batch?

Goes into at least the high 50s ( I’m in there )

Max Mustermann · 05-10-2019 11:45am

Rebelcat1909 wrote: »

Goes into at least the high 50s ( I’m in there )

They're down to the low teens remaining on batch 2, so that would be 61 or 62 in total.

Max Mustermann · 05-10-2019 12:04pm

tigger123 wrote: »

Cheers for that!

What's clearance? Is it Garda clearance? Does it apply to currently serving civil servants?

Also, was it 48 on the open panel that they'd reached?

I'm high (enough) open and inter-d and just wondering when I can expect an offer.

I'm not too sure but maybe someone who has been through the process recently can confirm. I assume when they reach your place on the panel they offer you a position subject to clearance.

Clearance for currently serving civil servants includes Garda vetting and they check with your local HR on attendance/ sick leave etc. as far as I know. Standard Garda vetting takes a week or two but if you're going to certain departments such as Justice then it's far more rigorous and can take several months.

When you have passed clearance you can then agree a start date with your new and old departments.

Max Mustermann · 06-10-2019 3:37pm

Max Mustermann wrote: »

I'm not too sure but maybe someone who has been through the process recently can confirm. I assume when they reach your place on the panel they offer you a position subject to clearance.

Clearance for currently serving civil servants includes Garda vetting and they check with your local HR on attendance/ sick leave etc. as far as I know. Standard Garda vetting takes a week or two but if you're going to certain departments such as Justice then it's far more rigorous and can take several months.

When you have passed clearance you can then agree a start date with your new and old departments.

I read the message from PAS again which clarified it for me as follows:

Should your place on the order of merit be reached, we will commence a “clearance” process before offering you an appointment.

BobCat123 · 09-10-2019 12:24pm

Any movement in terms of another batch being called?

harmarsuperstar · 10-10-2019 12:26pm

BobCat123 wrote: »

Any movement in terms of another batch being called?

I don't know but the current panel seems to have slowed right down

Remind me · 10-10-2019 2:21pm

Still a year left. I’d be surprised if one wasn’t called.

prettyboy81 · 10-10-2019 2:52pm

Remind me wrote: »

Still a year left. I’d be surprised if one wasn’t called.

Fingers crossed they go down to my magical number of 90 :pac:

Rebelcat1909 · 10-10-2019 4:02pm

harmarsuperstar wrote: »

I don't know but the current panel seems to have slowed right down

I wish they’d speed up again - they’re nearly at my number!

SFC1895 · 13-10-2019 6:50pm

Up to low 50s on the Open by last Thursday. Was offered a posting but have turned it down for my internal place. Things still moving anyway. Best of luck to all on here for the rest of the competition.

irishbigfoot · 14-10-2019 1:29pm

SFC1895 wrote: »

Up to low 50s on the Open by last Thursday. Was offered a posting but have turned it down for my internal place. Things still moving anyway. Best of luck to all on here for the rest of the competition.

Am 50 Open and 36 Inter and in clearance from last Wed. Nothing on email to indicate which stream the offer will be from- might be clearer once offer is made.

oodles19 · 14-10-2019 2:36pm

irishbigfoot wrote: »

Am 50 Open and 36 Inter and in clearance from last Wed. Nothing on email to indicate which stream the offer will be from- might be clearer once offer is made.

Just on that topic, and I'm sure this has been asked and answered before, but I can't find it from a quick search of the thread. What is the position with open/inter offers? Obviously one would (nearly) always have a better ranking on the Inter stream than open, does that mean you would (nearly) always get your offer from the Inter stream/panel, and more importantly, would you be entitled to refuse your InterD offer in the hope of getting something different from the Open stream?

NEW 2018 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

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