NEW 2020 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

Brera

BMHOPE wrote: »

As an Eo I was placed on AP panel for the regions but did not get an offer yet, I need to improve my order of merit to have any chance really. I was since promoted to HEO but made the AP panel before the HEO competition began. So it is possible alright, I have been told though that it's harder to get a high placing in the interview as the management experience at appropriate level is harder to prove.

I wonder what weight are they giving to the management experience as part of the interview ? I know a few AOs that got AP and they would have been in policy orientated areas with little actual management experience.

Cheeseplant

Brera wrote: »

I wonder what weight are they giving to the management experience as part of the interview ? I know a few AOs that got AP and they would have been in policy orientated areas with little actual management experience.

Seems to me that the focus of these competitions changes every time they are run.
For e.g. recent HEO comps have focused on eithr team leadership, or policy experience or project management.
This AP has singled out team leadership, project management and decision making for the form so at a guess, I'd say that's where the focus is this year.

Cheeseplant

Connected99 wrote: »

I am curious to know would most of you be HEO grade applying for this competition?
and are EO grades also applying?
Thanks!!

HEO equivalent and managing 5 areas & two teams in my Division, before promotion EO equivalent with no people management responibilities. Before CS, I was AO equivalent in public sector.. Means nothing unless you can get it across to the board though!
I know of COs and EOs that have been promoted to AP. I reckon it's all about confidence!

TomandGerry

Hi All

First time applying for AP. Just wondering in terms of the test to be completed by 18 May. How many questions do you have to get right to be put forward to the next stage or rather how many are you expected to answer within the 12 minute time frame (right or wrong). Many thanks

Marie_C

TomandGerry wrote: »

Hi All

First time applying for AP. Just wondering in terms of the test to be completed by 18 May. How many questions do you have to get right to be put forward to the next stage or rather how many are you expected to answer within the 12 minute time frame (right or wrong). Many thanks

Hi,
Just wondering if you are referring to AP tax specialist or standard AP? I didn’t receive anything from PublicJobs for the standard AP comp.
Thanks.

TomandGerry

Marie_C wrote: »

Hi,
Just wondering if you are referring to AP tax specialist or standard AP? I didn’t receive anything from PublicJobs for the standard AP comp.
Thanks.

Hi I am referring to the AP tax specialist

BMHOPE

TomandGerry wrote: »

Hi I am referring to the AP tax specialist

Hi Marie, no easy answer unfortunately, it depends on how everyone else does that is competing. Usually maths does not count - just have to pass, but I asked that question but the answer received was not clear, the verbal is definitely counted in order of merit in other competitions -its usually so many on order of merit are called forward to next round, so passing may not be enough. They say they may call you again at a future date but it generally does not happen in revenue competitions unless for Dublin. Esp this panel only lasts a year and movement for regions not that large.

Connected99

Aglomerado wrote: »

I'm a fairly recently appointed HEO. But I have also gone for AP as an EO. While I failed the interview, I took a lot from the experience. But it's not impossible for an EO to jump to AP, I know at least two who have.

Thanks
I am an EO just over 2 years now and waiting on HEO interview for a county that has no panel and probably won't ever have a panel by the look of things to date..... So I've applied for AP.....
Best of luck!!

jaja321

Connected99 wrote: »

I am curious to know would most of you be HEO grade applying for this competition?
and are EO grades also applying?
Thanks!!

I'm applying but not from the civil service at all. Not sure how that would be viewed either positively or negatively!

Cheeseplant

jaja321 wrote: »

I'm applying but not from the civil service at all. Not sure how that would be viewed either positively or negatively!

Plenty of non CS are successful

CS_longshot

ammg wrote: »

Just got a message from Revenue re AP Tax Specialist - online assessment to be completed by May 18th

Can you tell us who the test provider is? Do you have to do two or three tests (verbal, numerical and/or situational judgement) Thanks in advance!

BMHOPE

There are two tests, verbal and numeric. They are cut-e tests, 6 tabs across the top and yes no or can't say. No situational judgement this time. Might be part of next stage, probably questions to answer on line _ like online interview.

Connected99

Cheeseplant wrote: »

Plenty of non CS are successful

True!!!

ammg

Just did test yesterday. It's just numeric and verbal. Omg! 37 numeric in 12 mins with about 4 screens to check. 49 verbal in 12 mins with 6 screens to check.

ammg

What did anyone who did ap tax specialist online think? Normally I enjoy these but I found this tough!

The_Dave

ammg wrote: »

What did anyone who did ap tax specialist online think? Normally I enjoy these but I found this tough!

Moreso the verbal, just struggled with that

compaq32

BMHOPE wrote: »

Very similar, esp maths but English for verbal analysis more complex, negative phrasing etc. throws you as difficult to skim read and usually more tabs, might be marketing and locations for eg. With similar info. But confuses you on which tab info is in.

Hi a few people have asked where's best to practice, I can't see an answer to their question.

Has the provider changed from SHL (there are hints at new providers in the thread)? Is there any online provider with preparation for the 'new' exams? Many thanks

BMHOPE

compaq32 wrote: »

Hi a few people have asked where's best to practice, I can't see an answer to their question.

Has the provider changed from SHL (there are hints at new providers in the thread)? Is there any online provider with preparation for the 'new' exams? Many thanks

Revenue often use cut e tests, you can buy practice ones but they don't have the different tabs, just straight passages from what I've seen. SHl are often used too - but more by PAS I think, they are similar really just different providers. Practice apptitude tests have both these but not the tab choices.

Pdbtsi

Hi all - first time applying to this competition. They haven't yet given dates for the standard AP comp tests, right? Want to make sure I haven't somehow missed the message (or just been excluded already!). Did a few practice tests over the weekend - can see I am going to need as much practice time as possible for the numerical.

Cheeseplant

[PHP][/PHP]

Pdbtsi wrote: »

Hi all - first time applying to this competition. They haven't yet given dates for the standard AP comp tests, right? Want to make sure I haven't somehow missed the message (or just been excluded already!). Did a few practice tests over the weekend - can see I am going to need as much practice time as possible for the numerical.

Nope we haven't heard anything yet. Previous posters are talking about a revenue competition for AP tax specialist that also uses exams for shortlisting.
At least the numerical doesn't count for order of merit- just need to pass!

Rdwrer

Cheeseplant wrote: »

[PHP][/PHP]

Nope we haven't heard anything yet. Previous posters are talking about a revenue competition for AP tax specialist that also uses exams for shortlisting.
At least the numerical doesn't count for order of merit- just need to pass!

Would be helpful if we could separate the threads.

kilburn

Rdwrer wrote:

Would be helpful if we could separate the threads.

There is a separate thread people don't seem to be using it or didn't see it.

ammg

kilburn wrote: »

There is a separate thread people don't seem to be using it or didn't see it.

Can you post a link please? I can't find it.

delricyo

ammg wrote: »

Can you post a link please? I can't find it.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057891302

BMHOPE

ammg wrote: »

Can you post a link please? I can't find it.

There is not actually one for the 2020 competition, this thread was started for the 18 and was used again last year for the 19, and has been used by a few for the 2020 one, it's a quite thread in general, eventhough In general the competition attracts a high number of applicants. The movement off the 19 panel has not been huge either, I believe the 18 panel moved a lot quicker and got to numbers that placed near the end of the panel. With this pandemic the panel has not moved at all for three counties I had down.

An Ri rua

BMHOPE wrote: »

There is not actually one for the 2020 competition, this thread was started for the 18 and was used again last year for the 19, and has been used by a few for the 2020 one, it's a quite thread in general, eventhough In general the competition attracts a high number of applicants. The movement off the 19 panel has not been huge either, I believe the 18 panel moved a lot quicker and got to numbers that placed near the end of the panel. With this pandemic the panel has not moved at all for three counties I had down.

AP 2018
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057902309&page=184

AP Tax Specialist 2018
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=107513419

There was no AP Open InterD 2019....

There was no AP Tax |Specialist Open in 2019. There was an Internal.
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=110843531

If there isn't a thread, a grown adult can start one. This thread-spoiling on Boards in recent years is getting ridiculous. A simple mention and a link would suffice. The youth of today....!

Anonire

Cheeseplant wrote: »

[PHP][/PHP]

Nope we haven't heard anything yet. Previous posters are talking about a revenue competition for AP tax specialist that also uses exams for shortlisting.
At least the numerical doesn't count for order of merit- just need to pass!

Does the numerical not count?

Cheeseplant

Anonire wrote: »

Does the numerical not count?[/QUOTE

Usually, the verbal and situational count towards the order of merit (OOM) but you must pass the numerical. The AP revenue competition mentioned a few posts up seems to be only testing verbal and numerical. I don't know of that will mean just verbal counted for OOM for that competition and whether this OPEN/InterD will be the same?? Who knows!

Anonire

Cheeseplant wrote: »

Anonire wrote: »

Does the numerical not count?[/QUOTE

Usually, the verbal and situational count towards the order of merit (OOM) but you must pass the numerical. The AP revenue competition mentioned a few posts up seems to be only testing verbal and numerical. I don't know of that will mean just verbal counted for OOM for that competition and whether this OPEN/InterD will be the same?? Who knows!

Thanks cheese.

I've done a few of the revenue ones and usually seem to get on well. I'm alot better at numerical than verbal and so I just thought the verbal must have been counted. Correct there was no situational judgement in this latest aptitude sitting. However last year there was no aptitude test at all for the open comp, so I guess each competition can be tweaked.
Also would have thought that numerical ability would be an advantage for somewhere like revenue maybe not.

Next up the aptitudes for this thread. Better go and practice my verbal as my numerical won't be helping me along.
Wonder when they will proceed.

ammg

Just got the email to do aptitude test ��