2020 Executive Officer Civil Service

AngryLips

Seriously everyone, it was an adaptive test - you're meant to find it difficult, it doesn't mean you did badly. Even if you guessed answers, there's still the same chance as with a non-adaptive test that you got the answers right. Hold tight.

newbie18892

Did the test this morning. I found it okay. The verbal was fine if a bit ambiguous. Numerical isn't my strong point so that was quite difficult. I guessed maybe 3 or 4 answers and spent around 35 minutes answering the numerical so not sure how I did accuracy/speed wise. Will be curious to see what the outcome is.

owen28

When can we expect the results

Gus Ivey

owen28 wrote: »

I agree. I think verbal was ok. But numerical was a whole other experience. I guessed some answers and also picked some answers close to my calculations. If I pass I'll be very surprised.

The numerical was really tough.

I usually score in top 10-20% of numerical aptitude tests, so on that basis I should pass. But I felt like I failed it.

Aleece2020

Verbal was fine, but there was a little ambiguity in some of the questions.

Numerical was more difficult. The questions kept getting progressively harder requiring more and more complex calculations. I didn't guess any of the questions, but I'm pretty sure I got a few wrong just based on the fact that some were finicky and I didn't want to waste time.

Madelyn

I just completed the test..
I was doing verbal and thought I was still doing the practice one. Be careful as it does not tell you that you have started the actual test. Unless I missed something.

The numerical was way easier that I thought it would be.
I have no idea how well I did because it went so fast.

willcartel

Madelyn wrote: »

I just completed the test..
I was doing verbal and thought I was still doing the practice one. Be careful as it does not tell you that you have started the actual test. Unless I missed something.

The numerical was way easier that I thought it would be.
I have no idea how well I did because it went so fast.

Exactly what just happened to me! There's just one practice question for each section.

willcartel

just finished it there. The verbal wasn't too bad despite me not knowing I was doing the real thing and not practice! I found the numerical quite tough in parts. One section about mobile phone customers had me baffled. Now we wait!

Madelyn

willcartel wrote: »

Exactly what just happened to me! There's just one practice question for each section.

yes. I assumed it would say you are now starting the test but nothing.

November Golf

willcartel wrote: »

Now we wait!

Always the worst part of doing these tests. I don't understand why they can't tell you how many you got right/wrong at the end, it would at least give you an idea as to how you did.

Bamboozled2410

Hi all. I will be doing my test tomorrow. Is it fair to say that the format of the numerical questions is nothing like the link (the 36 practice questions) in the familiarization booklet? I found those to be grand but I have done some of the ones in job test prep uk and found them way harder!!!

Dublintigger

Bamboozled2410 wrote: »

Hi all. I will be doing my test tomorrow. Is it fair to say that the format of the numerical questions is nothing like the link (the 36 practice questions) in the familiarization booklet? I found those to be grand but I have done some of the ones in job test prep uk and found them way harder!!!

You would be better practicing from the link in the booklet for Stage 1b - https://www.sovaassessment.com/candidate-preparation-hub/our-assessments/

It is the format and methodology of the actual assessments.

owen28

Bamboozled2410 wrote: »

Hi all. I will be doing my test tomorrow. Is it fair to say that the format of the numerical questions is nothing like the link (the 36 practice questions) in the familiarization booklet? I found those to be grand but I have done some of the ones in job test prep uk and found them way harder!!!

They are always way harder in jobtestprep.co.uk. that saying is still hard. And yeah the familiarisation ones (from sova link) are easy

Bobby2004

Jeez freaked out here now. All I'll say is I thank my lucky stars got placed in the last comp recently. Was only continuning wit this comp to try get closer to home.

gerrro

Just completed it, found it hard to be honest, next time maybe

dulachodladh

I finished mine there awhile ago. Don't know what to think to be very honest, the numerical was tough but its always the verbal reasoning that is my biggest weakness with these tests. I think I ran over the suggested time too.

Oh well, I tried my best, hopefully it's enough.

TommyBatatheon

I did it there in the last hour or so, I think it went ok but it was definitely harder than these types of exams I've done before. Verbal isn't too bad if a little vague at times. Numerical gets trickier as you go, there was a few in there that had me going round in circles with my calculations. It's done now anyway and I gave it a good go.

doc22

For verbal the wording and interpreting left me confused to correct answer as all three could be used depending on interpretation and the numeric spacing none of my calculations matched

newbraces

doc22 wrote: »

For verbal the wording and interpreting left me confused to correct answer as all three could be used depending on interpretation and the numeric spacing none of my calculations matched

What do you mean by numeric spacing? Is this something I’ve completely missed?

Green farmer

Results of this stage , would 4-6 weeks be a reasonable assumption? Do we get our oom at that stage and find out if we make it to the next round ? Not overally confident and will be relieved if I get through.

EO2019

Hard to know. The talk is currently that the last panel expires end of November so that means etray and interview also needs to be done by then. So this result may 2-3 weeks end of first week October, 1 week notice for etray, 1 week to do etray, 2 weeks for results brings us to early November enough time to get interviews and results out.

Nothing to stop them pushing out the expiry of the last panel though and letting this go on a bit longer.

gestappo

newbraces wrote: »

What do you mean by numeric spacing? Is this something I’ve completely missed?

I’m guessing that was in relation to graphs and how they’re so ambiguous

Sadsoul

Hi is there an hour frame on this test? If i did it at 7am or 9pm like? Bit confused as it reads like somebody will be monitoring me online? Or is it just recorded and they watch it back when marking it?

doc22

newbraces wrote: »

What do you mean by numeric spacing? Is this something I’ve completely missed?

containers:pac:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Just spent an age on one bloody question on the practice tests

Couldn't get anywhere close to any of the 4 possible answers no matter what calculations I did. So I guessed, got it right, and moved on to the next question, where I noticed the dots on the graph were sitting between the lines, not on them, went back to redo the previous one and low and behold, the dot was between the lines there too

If it had been the real test I'd have run out of time or got disqualified for throwing a calculator across the room

November Golf

When I did the real test I found the Verbal Reasoning to be ok however the numerical was very difficult towards to end. Normally, I prefer the numerical reasoning and tend to do better on it but here's hoping I met the minimum standard to progress.

Green farmer

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

When I did the real test I found the Verbal Reasoning to be ok however the numerical was very difficult towards to end. Normally, I prefer the numerical reasoning and tend to do better on it but here's hoping I met the minimum standard to progress.

I'm starting to fret now, wondering if I did all the security things like panning the room right and showing I.d. correctly. think we'll drive ourselves mad. Just have to put it out of our mind and move on.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Green farmer wrote: »

I'm starting to fret now, wondering if I did all the security things like panning the room right and showing I.d. correctly. think we'll drive ourselves mad. Just have to put it out of our mind and move on.

I always over think these things too and convince myself it's all a test. Like if you can't figure out the instructions they give you you're already disqualified before you even do the test

cars14

Anyone else finding the photo ID one holds up is difficult to see as it is backward to the viewer?

Bobby2004

Wow I just fin there. I would concur with a lot on here. The verbal very ambiguous. You could choose 2 out of the 3 answers in near every question. Very open to interpretation. The numerical spun my head. Some of the questions had no bearing to the graph I was looking at. I thought I was missing sumtin. Def can't see myself getting any further!