Higher Executive Officer 2024

coffeesiphon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122385053#Comment_122385053

so its graded on a curve kind of? if everyone only gets 1 or 2 questions right the people who get 2/15 still progress?

Rikand

Flew through the verbal in less than 15 minutes. Maths probably took closer to 25 minutes and that was with a couple of guesses thrown in

coffeesiphon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122385993#Comment_122385993

how tricky is the wording in the verbal, lots of traps?

Rikand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122386035#Comment_122386035

I didn't think so, but maybe I got them all wrong 😂

Dublintigger

Me too.... I thought I'd left something out!!!

Dubjane

2 of my numerical questions were guessed, I spent a few minutes on the 1st one and didn't want to waste time on the 2nd same type of question, I couldn't figure them out at all. Not saying I got the rest of them right but definitely not those 2

hungerjames

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122385859#Comment_122385859

It's tiger rules, you only have to be faster than the other guy.

EmmaMol

I found the numerical one extremely difficult, the graphs were shockingly hard to read and a couple of the questions I just had to guess, 25% chance of getting them right I suppose, definitely failed it.

The verbal was fine but definitely a lot more cannot says than expected.

prin2023

Going to do mine after lunch, any tips? Everyone seems to think it is very difficult..

lucat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122387044#Comment_122387044

Refresh your memory on the estimation of trends.

The answer options are five figures long and only have minute differences, so estimation shouldn't actually be possible, and in the real civil service you'd be put on a PIP for "estimating" data like that, but it's what'll get you through this ridiculous test.

prin2023

Found the Verbal okay I think? I feel like there was a lot of trick Qs in it though which resulted in a lot of cannot says as answers. I found the Numerical very difficult. Don't think i have a chance of passing based on the numerical. I think the sample sova assements were much easier

sambo_forever

Spoke to a few people in my department applying for this and they found some of it quite difficult. Makes me feel better about my performance and it being possible that the curve might be quite low for progressing through the competition.

Aabbccdd

At least we will have our results in the next two weeks!

gestappo

My laptop is now not working, I cannot figure out the issue, I’m guessing it’s water damage from my kids. I can use my sons’ PC with a webcam.

I don’t have access to the familiarisation material here, but does anyone know if the webcam is sufficient for the assessment?

gestappo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388377#Comment_122388377

two weeks?

JennyZ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388401#Comment_122388401

States built in or web camera both fine to use. You will know at the verification stage whether all ok.

JennyZ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388377#Comment_122388377

Where is this stated?

gestappo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388443#Comment_122388443

thanks a million! Of course leaving it until the last minute as usual is never a good idea!!

Pickysue

I hear ye - I found the numerical had far more “can’t say” responses. I found the numerical v unclear. Answer me this - how do they calculate the pass mark? I heard today if the overall is low they have to lower the pass mark - is that right?

Trips

Just done mine.

I went into it with the idea that I'd try focus on accuracy and let the speed just be whatever it is.

I found the verbal straight forward and finished it in surprisingly reasonable time... as in, under 20 mins.

I'd say I was a half hour on the numerical.

The first block of 5 questions was straight forward enough.

The second block of 5 questions was really tough. The numerical grid and the questions of it were doing my head in and I spent way too long at them.

Third block went quicker.... I guess the adaptive questions got easier as I spent so long on the second block 😄

Fug it, it's done now.

Good luck everyone!

Totally Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388377#Comment_122388377

That soon thought maybe a bit longer 🤔

coffeesiphon

d

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388591#Comment_122388591

I got 9/15 if I had to guess, the same for verbal, time wise I spent a horrible 35 minutes on numbers and 13 minutes on the verb, I think if points get taken off for time that'll give me the boot out of this one.

Trips

Sounds like we're in the same boat! :)

Good luck to u Coffeesiphon!

CivilCybil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388826#Comment_122388826

Same here. Took well under 20 minutes for the verbal but definitely at least half an hour on the numerical. It wasn't intentional. I just sort of lost track of time trying to figure it out

blondie007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388454#Comment_122388454

In the Stage 1 Familiarisation Booklet, in the Next Steps paragraph, before Data Protection -

4. It is anticipated that results of Stage 1 will issue to your publicjobs messageboard by
beginning of August 2024. In the event of any unexpected delays, you will be notified.

Aabbccdd

I seen it in the familiarisation booklet😊 We will have results before the beginning of August. At least we won’t be waiting months like usual

Trips

I also did the Interdepartmental 2022 comp.

A wee rundown of how that went, with some info others may find useful, or may not....

The Numerical/Verbal tests were Stage 1:
These had a score of 20 to pass, with a max of 80.

I got 36 and 44 in the two tests and got placed low 60s in OOM for my nominated county (not Dublin).

The written application was Stage 2:
The written application score was 21 to pass, with a max of 50.
The scores were based on how you answered each competency.

Those were:
1.Team Leadership Experience.
2.Managing Projects & Delivery of Results.
3.Judgement, Analysis & Decision-Making.
4.Interpersonal & Communications Skills.

I just scraped by with a score of under 25 in each of those.

Surprisingly this jumped me up to under 30th in OOM for my nominated county.

I contacted PAS a few times over the 2 years to see if I had moved in OOM and the last check I did I was told that I was still on the same place in OOM.

Then the announcement for this year's interdepartmental HEO came out, and I applied for that, this comp, and thought nothing more of the 2022 comp.

Then, boom! I got a contact for interview for the HEO 2022 comp... Couldn't believe it.

Anyway... I didn't get it.

I came very, very close though, having passed 9 out of the 10 criteria.
Those criteria split as follows:
6 competencies for the interview part, and I passed all.
And 4 criteria for the presentation q&a, but passed only 3.

I know what I messed up in so I won't be making that mistake again.

My point for this long post....

Even if you don't do great (see my scores above for Numerical/Verbal above), you're still in with a chance of making it to interview :)

That's that, hope someone gets something out my sharing this.

Good luck again, everyone!

JacenSolo

Ok I done the tests yesterday and here is my feedback…

WHAT. THE. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL. WAS. THAT!!!

Unless I am going for a specialist maths or finance role, those question were COMPLETELY unsuitable for a general intake! If getting top marks in higher level Leaving Cert maths is a requirement say it. If you want an intake of HEO who a math wizz's fine, but say it! Don't expect people to try to remember formulas they haven't used in years. I don't know what PAS is expecting.

MaryKaye79

is it jobs as rocket scientists we applied for or HEOs? 😫 and was it just me or was some information that you needed to get the answer missing from the table?

one set of questions came up in a previous EO test so at least I got them right 😮‍💨

best of luck everyone, we can relax now til results are out. anyone for a gin on a school night 🥂

Get In There

Just done both tests; to echo some of the sentiments on here - the numerical test; goodness me, I was feeling most deflated halfway through trying to come up with answers to them. Reading the replies here, I take solace in knowing I'm not alone :-)

Did the verbal reasoning afterwards; not too sure how I felt I scored but one thing I know for sure was that it was nowhere as stressful!