Clerical Officer 2018 in Revenue - Customs Trade Facilitation

Em mag

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

There are practice tests included in the link in the email inviting you to stage 2.

Are the maths test in the practice tests very similar to the supervised test in stage 2 I am getting nervous now that I have got through the first part

olly2018

Got an OOM for Dublin and Wexford. Well placed in top 50 for both locations, which i did not expect at all. Feel slightly more pressure now since an improvement in the second stage would look better than a decrease in OOM.

Do all tests in second stage count towards OOM?

Also is numerical more core maths based (i.e. fractions,ratios, equations etc?) or is it like the examples in the familiarisation document?

I have seen the Clerical Officer 2018 thread where people commented on the difficulty of the numerical test.

hhghdghgdjhhg

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

There are practice tests included in the link in the email inviting you to stage 2.

The majority of the practice questions for Clerical Officer role for the Verbal and the Numerical that are on the public jobs website are far more easier and straight forward then you are actually going to get on the day of the test. Way more complex questions asked. Very misleading. Just a word of advice.

Em mag

hhghdghgdjhhg wrote: »

The majority of the practice questions for Clerical Officer role for the Verbal and the Numerical that are on the public jobs website are far more easier and straight forward then you are actually going to get on the day of the test. Way more complex questions asked. Very misleading. Just a word of advice.

What would the best things to practice be as the online tests are more problem solving I just want to be prepared as best I can

n!ghtmancometh

hhghdghgdjhhg wrote: »

The majority of the practice questions for Clerical Officer role for the Verbal and the Numerical that are on the public jobs website are far more easier and straight forward then you are actually going to get on the day of the test. Way more complex questions asked. Very misleading. Just a word of advice.

I know, am a CO currently in peoplepoint and looking for more interesting work. If you practice the examples well, it does help with your speed evaluating the info in the questions which is a big help

olly2018

Everyone seems to have picked Friday as there are only Saturday sessions left to be booked. Also in the booking form, after you have picked a day, it then asks for you to select a time for your interview?

I assume this is an error and the time select is the test time?

November Golf

olly2018 wrote: »

Everyone seems to have picked Friday as there are only Saturday sessions left to be booked. Also in the booking form, after you have picked a day, it then asks for you to select a time for your interview?

I assume this is an error and the time select is the test time?

They may be interviewing the same day. You should double check your emails again as they have done that before for other campaigns.

olly2018

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

They may be interviewing the same day. You should double check your emails again as they have done that before for other campaigns.

Wow. Really?

I would be completely unprepared for that. I have not received any notification regarding same day interview.

Could anyone else shed light on this?

gizmo23

Having read the replies it doesn't suggest anything about interviews.

But I guess better to prepare.

Scratch all the above it says in the document attached invitation to stage 3 (interview) will be determined on your placement in stage 2.

revenent

From the emails sent out it explains success at stage 2 will be followed by invitation for interviews stage 3.Same thing with that in regards to placement from stage 2 tests, getting first picked for interviews. Best of luck with it everyone!

Jimmy_Cork

First time applying through public jobs. Received results for my application in Cork. OOM in the mid 300's. I do not expect to see an invite to stage 2 anytime soon.

billie1b

Jimmy_Cork wrote: »

First time applying through public jobs. Received results for my application in Cork. OOM in the mid 300's. I do not expect to see an invite to stage 2 anytime soon.

I don’t think you’ll be waiting too long, the are looking for 700 staff across the 3 locations.

The first training is starting at the start of October, that was for internal revenue staff only, the first public one (one through PAS) is starting in January.

Jimmy_Cork

billie1b wrote: »

I don’t think you’ll be waiting too long, the are looking for 700 staff across the 3 locations

Thanks billie1b I appreciate the reply. thats reassuring.

2016claire

I do not expect to see an invite to stage 2 anytime soon either as im mid 600 for cork and mid 800 for Dublin :-(
:-(

Em mag

olly2018 wrote: »

Everyone seems to have picked Friday as there are only Saturday sessions left to be booked. Also in the booking form, after you have picked a day, it then asks for you to select a time for your interview?

I assume this is an error and the time select is the test time?

Must be as I picked sat and the time

Em mag

billie1b wrote: »

I don’t think you’ll be waiting too long, the are looking for 700 staff across the 3 locations.

The first training is starting at the start of October, that was for internal revenue staff only, the first public one (one through PAS) is starting in January.

So if we pass stage 2 and 3 the training for the job is after Christmas then also do you know if the practice maths they have online are similar to the ones we will get or are they a lot harder in the real test

Thanks

Em mag

olly2018 wrote: »

Wow. Really?

I would be completely unprepared for that. I have not received any notification regarding same day interview.

Could anyone else shed light on this?

I actually thought what if they interview on the same day as they are asking for ID etc so I will be prepared if I pass stage 2 just in case I am so worried about the maths one

n!ghtmancometh

I emailed the campaign address to clarify would interviews be conducted on the same day and this was the response:

"Stage 2 is supervised testing only.

Interviews will follow at a later date. Candidates will be called forward to interview based on their performance at stage 2."

Paddy2018

I would question the figure of 700 vacancies for this campaign. as I understand it the figure 700 refers mainly to customs officers and agricultural inspectors. If anyone can clarify this it would be useful. There is no point in raising expectations.

Piligrim333

As far as I understand, you only get invitation to Stage 3 (Interview) if you pass Stage 2 (it would take about a week to get results for that) according to updated OOM. There is no way they will hold interviews on the same day as aptitude tests as smb suggested here earlier

November Golf

Piligrim333 wrote: »

As far as I understand, you only get invitation to Stage 3 (Interview) if you pass Stage 2 (it would take about a week to get results for that) according to updated OOM. There is no way they will hold interviews on the same day as aptitude tests as smb suggested here earlier

The tests are computerised so the result would be known to PAS the minutes you finish and thw interviews so ive been told is pass or fail so they don't necessarily need to issue a new OOM after interview if the standard for test is reasonably high.

Nynaeve

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

The tests are computerised so the result would be known to PAS the minutes you finish and thw interviews so ive been told is pass or fail so they don't necessarily need to issue a new OOM after interview if the standard for test is reasonably high.

They couldn't interview someone on the Friday, before the people who have booked in for the Saturday have even had a chance to sit the test! That goes against the whole transparency and fairness idea that they work off

Skarlett Black

Placed in the 20s in order of merit for Cork and Wexford. I wonder how many of us got called to the exam. Few nerves starting.

vector

I've been offered the test in Dublin but am sceptical about the job, this isin't your typical job for life scenario. It's only a THREE year contact.

Normally when you see civil service jobs that are not permanent the pay is better then the norm, but not so here. Well sure there's a shift allowance, but that's not free money, it's because you have shifts!

Here's the bit from the booklet (now removed from website) about the duration
(emphasis added)
"The initial period of the contract is for THREE years after which continued assignment to the
post will be reviewed. Contracts MAY be extended by a further TWO years dependent on
business needs. The officer may have an opportunity to reapply for the contract or may be
assigned to another Clerical Officer role within Revenue that does not carry a shift premium"

olly2018

vector wrote: »

I've been offered the test in Dublin but am sceptical about the job, this isin't your typical job for life scenario. It's only a THREE year contact.

Normally when you see civil service jobs that are not permanent the pay is better then the norm, but not so here. Well sure there's a shift allowance, but that's not free money, it's because you have shifts!

Here's the bit from the booklet (now removed from website) about the duration
(emphasis added)
"The initial period of the contract is for THREE years after which continued assignment to the
post will be reviewed. Contracts MAY be extended by a further TWO years dependent on
business needs. The officer may have an opportunity to reapply for the contract or may be
assigned to another Clerical Officer role within Revenue that does not carry a shift premium"

I would assume from the above that on expiry of the 3 year contract, if the contract is not renewed, you will be assigned to an another CO role?

gizmo23

olly2018 wrote: »

I would assume from the above that on expiry of the 3 year contract, if the contract is not renewed, you will be assigned to an another CO role?

This was my understanding of the situation as well. If you weren't given a contract extension you would be placed into a different department.

Will I Is

vector wrote: »

I've been offered the test in Dublin but am sceptical about the job, this isin't your typical job for life scenario. It's only a THREE year contact.

Normally when you see civil service jobs that are not permanent the pay is better then the norm, but not so here. Well sure there's a shift allowance, but that's not free money, it's because you have shifts!

Here's the bit from the booklet (now removed from website) about the duration
(emphasis added)
"The initial period of the contract is for THREE years after which continued assignment to the
post will be reviewed. Contracts MAY be extended by a further TWO years dependent on
business needs. The officer may have an opportunity to reapply for the contract or may be
assigned to another Clerical Officer role within Revenue that does not carry a shift premium"

Several posts in Customs are termed contracts. This means after 3 years employees can re-apply for their own post, if they like the work, or alternatively look for a transfer within Revenue e.g. Inspectors/CG's. Mostly it's just a formality of re-applying - as with Customs - once you're in, you're in. So rest assured successful candidates are entering permanent CO positions.

November Golf

Nynaeve wrote: »

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

The tests are computerised so the result would be known to PAS the minutes you finish and thw interviews so ive been told is pass or fail so they don't necessarily need to issue a new OOM after interview if the standard for test is reasonably high.

They couldn't interview someone on the Friday, before the people who have booked in for the Saturday have even had a chance to sit the test! That goes against the whole transparency and fairness idea that they work off

Why not? The interview is pass or fail but it doesn't effect your OOM.. if two people were to sit the test (one Friday and one Saturday), and received 2 and 1 on the OOM. The guy on Saturday is next in line for a job unless they failed the interview. In this scenario it doesn't matter if the guy on Friday got interviewed first as they didn't do as good on the test.

Nynaeve

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

Why not? The interview is pass or fail but it doesn't effect your OOM.. if two people were to sit the test (one Friday and one Saturday), and received 2 and 1 on the OOM. The guy on Saturday is next in line for a job unless they failed the interview. In this scenario it doesn't matter if the guy on Friday got interviewed first as they didn't do as good on the test.

In this neat little scenario, it might work. How do they decide how many to interview on Friday then? What if they interview the top 20 from friday but after the test on Saturday, it turns out that only 5 from Friday were worth interviewing. That's a whole lot of wasted time and resources.

The fact is, you don't get an OOM until everyone has sat the test for a reason. You could be the highest scoring applicant on friday, but be number 60 in the OOM. It's called the Order of Merit, not "scored decently well on the first day of testing".

November Golf

Nynaeve wrote: »

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

Why not? The interview is pass or fail but it doesn't effect your OOM.. if two people were to sit the test (one Friday and one Saturday), and received 2 and 1 on the OOM. The guy on Saturday is next in line for a job unless they failed the interview. In this scenario it doesn't matter if the guy on Friday got interviewed first as they didn't do as good on the test.

In this neat little scenario, it might work. How do they decide how many to interview on Friday then? What if they interview the top 20 from friday but after the test on Saturday, it turns out that only 5 from Friday were worth interviewing. That's a whole lot of wasted time and resources.

The fact is, you don't get an OOM until everyone has sat the test for a reason. You could be the highest scoring applicant on friday, but be number 60 in the OOM. It's called the Order of Merit, not "scored decently well on the first day of testing".

Yes that's make prefect sense but you presuming that order of interview matters, it doesn't. They set the qualifying standard for the assessment questionnaire so they already decided who and how many are going to stage 2. they could simply say "we interview all candidates from stage 2 that meet the qualifying standard".

After all it doesn't matter if the guy from Friday ends up number 60 in the order of merit if he failed to pass interview hes gone anyway