2020 Executive Officer Civil Service

jonnybangbang

Dublintigger wrote: »

Page 7
You have 15 minutes to complete the Verbal Reasoning – 15 questions and answers are only True, False or cannot say.
15 minutes to complete the Numerical reasoning tests – 15 questions.

The next sentence is a bit ambiguous – one minute we are timed next we are not being timed?
Note that the numerical reasoning assessment is not time limited, your response time is recorded and will contribute to your result.
A combination of time taken and the accurate response is used to calculate your results.

The information pack states that the assessment will take approximately 15 minutes to complete not that you will have 15 minutes to complete it.

Nekarsulm

delricyo wrote: »

I would really recommend getting a standalone one - even if you will physically be able to use the PC one.
Having done lots of these tests before, the standalone calculators are better

I'd have to agree, and obviously use one you are familiar with.
This is not the time to find out that your new calculator needs a different sequence of key strokes to calculate a % figure...
Not all work the same way.
Also, ones with fiddly small keys would be best avoided..

AngryLips

Dublintigger wrote: »

The next sentence is a bit ambiguous – one minute we are timed next we are not being timed?
Note that the numerical reasoning assessment is not time limited, your response time is recorded and will contribute to your result.
A combination of time taken and the accurate response is used to calculate your results.

Thanks for the very thorough write up. The way I interpreted it, I think the question about timing could allude to individual questions having no time limit but with the overall test being time-limited to 15 minutes.

Dublintigger

AngryLips wrote: »

Thanks for the very thorough write up. The way I interpreted it, I think the question about timing could allude to individual questions having no time limit but with the overall test being time-limited to 15 minutes.

Looking at it again - your interpretation does make better sense. Thank you.

Dublintigger

Nekarsulm wrote: »

I'd have to agree, and obviously use one you are familiar with.
This is not the time to find out that your new calculator needs a different sequence of key strokes to calculate a % figure...
Not all work the same way.
Also, ones with fiddly small keys would be best avoided..

Casio are cheap and cheerful and they have a fairly large key input - and (even better) no battery needed.

Anonire

I second casio calculator I have mine going on 20 years, yes I am that old.

Even if excel or calc on screen is allowed you would be better off with a stand alone one. You won't have time to be flicking between screens during this assessment. Despite the different interpretation of the guidelines given usually these tests are testing your speed for how many you get correct. You don't want to fall short of the mark by being delayed due to not having a calculator to hand.

Mellybelly

Can you use an iPad for the test?

job seeker

Mellybelly wrote: »

Can you use an iPad for the test?

Personally, I wouldn't recommend it. Purely as PAS suggests using a laptop or PC, I would assume that the tests aren't designed for table/phone. You must know someone who would lend you a laptop for an afternon?

Mellybelly

job seeker wrote: »

Personally, I wouldn't recommend it. Purely as PAS suggests using a laptop or PC, I would assume that the tests aren't designed for table/phone. You must know someone who would lend you a laptop for an afternon?

Hi ya I have laptop just checking.. iPad would have been handier. Thankyou

gestappo

Mellybelly wrote: »

Can you use an iPad for the test?

It states in the booklet you can use a tablet or mobile device but not to use safari

hillbloom

Just want to check is the HELPDESK SUPPORT available on Saturday & Sunday 10am to 1pm.

newbie18892

hillbloom wrote: »

Just want to check is the HELPDESK SUPPORT available on Saturday & Sunday 10am to 1pm.

Yes

job seeker

gestappo wrote: »

It states in the booklet you can use a tablet or mobile device but not to use safari

I stand corrected!

gestappo

newbie18892 wrote: »

Yes

Public jobs; no but the test supplier; yes.

Sorry not an it/Tech guy here but for the record/review stuff -to show my Identification card - do i just use the camera/video function on my laptop and take a photo/quick video showing a pic of me and my id......for the proof no one in the room do i take a video as well??

And when im doing the test, do i use the video/camera on my laptop or do i have to use some app - apologies as im not familiar with using webcams things

jonnybangbang

Brooks Incalculable Blackboard wrote: »

Sorry not an it/Tech guy here but for the record/review stuff -to show my Identification card - do i just use the camera/video function on my laptop and take a photo/quick video showing a pic of me and my id......for the proof no one in the room do i take a video as well??

And when im doing the test, do i use the video/camera on my laptop or do i have to use some app - apologies as im not familiar with using webcams things

You should have the webcam on and ready. Once you log into the assessment you will probably get a pop up asking to allow permission to access the webcam. Click OK. You should see yourself on the screen then.

You will be prompted from then on what to do, but you will start by holding your photo id beside your head, so both you and the ID can be seen on the screen. You will then be asked to do a 360 of the room that you are in. Just pan the laptop around the room in a circle and then you set the webcam/laptop down to start the assessment. The webcam will be on at all times during the assessment and you should be visible at all times.

Aleece2020

Brooks Incalculable Blackboard wrote: »

Sorry not an it/Tech guy here but for the record/review stuff -to show my Identification card - do i just use the camera/video function on my laptop and take a photo/quick video showing a pic of me and my id......for the proof no one in the room do i take a video as well??

And when im doing the test, do i use the video/camera on my laptop or do i have to use some app - apologies as im not familiar with using webcams things

The one they had me do the last time was over Zoom. At the start of the session they asked me to give it access to my camera and microphone. After that they had me turn on screen-share so they could see what I had open on my laptop. So, for the entire exam they could see me, hear me and see what I was doing on the laptop etc.

For ID verification, they had me turn the camera on first. They asked me to login to the exam portal and then they told me to hold the ID up to the camera for them to view it. I had to pan the camera at that stage too. I was not asked to show ID again or pan the camera again afterwards (though my entire test was on-screen and involved no rough-work, so I wasn't looking away/at paper/at calculator etc.)

hillbloom

Aleecca2020 Was it Sova that was conducting that test you did.

Aleece2020

hillbloom wrote: »

Aleecca2020 Was it Sova that was conducting that test you did.

I believe the service they used was called Examity.

job seeker

jonnybangbang wrote: »

You should have the webcam on and ready. Once you log into the assessment you will probably get a pop up asking to allow permission to access the webcam. Click OK. You should see yourself on the screen then.

You will be prompted from then on what to do, but you will start by holding your photo id beside your head, so both you and the ID can be seen on the screen. You will then be asked to do a 360 of the room that you are in. Just pan the laptop around the room in a circle and then you set the webcam/laptop down to start the assessment. The webcam will be on at all times during the assessment and you should be visible at all times.

There is a lot of post saying "pan" the laptop around. I can't understand if you should be in view of the the webcam or not. i.e. holding the laptop normally so that you can be seen. Or holding it with the back of the screen facing you so that you're not in the shot and thus providing a better view of the room..

Aleece2020

job seeker wrote: »

There is a lot of post saying "pan" the laptop around. I can't understand if you should be in view of the the webcam or not. i.e. holding the laptop normally so that you can be seen. Or holding it with the back of the screen facing you so that you're not in the shot and thus providing a better view of the room..

They mean take the laptop and rotate it a full 360 degrees around so the entire room can be seen clearly. You don't need to be in the shot when you're rotating it. That was the case for the previous exam anyway.

job seeker

Aleece2020 wrote: »

They mean take the laptop and rotate it a full 360 degrees around so the entire room can be seen clearly. You don't need to be in the shot when you're rotating it. That was the case for the previous exam anyway.

Ah perfect! Thanks!

hillbloom

Has anyone tried the Sample Questions? Is there no such thing as a PASS in the Numerical? Is it all about speed & accuracy.

yenom

hillbloom wrote: »

Has anyone tried the Sample Questions? Is there no such thing as a PASS in the Numerical? Is it all about speed & accuracy.

There was one percentage question that I could not get the answer to the 32% one.

Samuel T. Cogley

hillbloom wrote: »

Has anyone tried the Sample Questions? Is there no such thing as a PASS in the Numerical? Is it all about speed & accuracy.

Numerical is pass or fail and doesn't count towards your OOM.

Unless they've changed it this year.

gestappo

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Numerical is pass or fail and doesn't count towards your OOM.

Unless they've changed it this year.

Which, at this stage, wouldn't surprise me.

Aleece2020

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Numerical is pass or fail and doesn't count towards your OOM.

Unless they've changed it this year.

I hope they have; I score a lot better in verbal and numerical reasoning tests than I do on the personality tests. IMO they're easier because answers are clearly either right or wrong and can be explained/studied. Personality tests are just trying to guess what qualities they like or dislike.

hillbloom

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Numerical is pass or fail and doesn't count towards your OOM.

Unless they've changed it this year.

It seems to be all changed with this company. You must complete 15 questions in each - the Numerical & the Verbal. It's not timed on the screen but it is taken into account how slow or fast you are at answering. You need to work quickly & accurately.

job seeker

hillbloom wrote: »

It seems to be all changed with this company. You must complete 15 questions in each - the Numerical & the Verbal. It's not timed on the screen but it is taken into account how slow or fast you are at answering. You need to work quickly & accurately.

Hmmm, interesting. I don't know though! Like I get it's a new program/software. But why go to the hassle of changing the algorithm? Surly that would be extra work and training, which would be unnecessary hassle given the current circumstances. Then again it's all speculation..

redmgar

Can you use a calculator?