NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

Gadgetman99 · 13-02-2023 1:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231142#Comment_120231142

There is no detail that I am aware of that sets out how they mark the questions in detail bar the testers themselves and as far as I know they are obliged not to speak about it.

interview coaches like Carr Communications I’ve heard are good for civil service interview preparation (final stage), I haven’t used them myself but know people who have and they seem to have done well. I understand they do mock interviews and then critique you something along those lines.

please see my post above, I don’t think there is a set formulae or interpretation as everyone’s experience and examples will vary wildly, I think the key is answering every part of the question asked, giving evidence and tying it together. But that is just my approach and I’m sure others who have been as or more successful in the scoring than me will have their own approach too

lozen · 13-02-2023 1:44pm

Scored below 114 but passed all. So this means I will be called eventually rather than 'may' be called?

Some posts here referring to presentation and interview. Do we know for definite it is a presentation and not some other form of assessment?

Gadgetman99 · 13-02-2023 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120235677#Comment_120235677

More than likely yes as I mentioned in a previous post, PAS do multiple batches.

My PAS message says "We are currently inviting those candidates who achieved a total score of 114 or higher to Stage 3 of the selection process - Main Interview and Strategic Analysis Exercise. Candidates who achieved a total score lower than 114 will be called forward in due course."

The strategic analysis exercise in 2021 was to prepare a report then also do a presentation that is based on your report and then an interview. Look at the 2021 thread plenty of info on there on what's happened previously and what to expect.

mcgort · 13-02-2023 5:36pm

I just got the interview date, eeek, in 3 weeks time! Suddenly becoming real, I had thought this would be months and months and end-of-year type thing...

durthacht · 13-02-2023 6:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120236828#Comment_120236828

Good luck to you. I hope it goes well.

Ritournelle · 13-02-2023 6:33pm

Does anyone know if you can amend your location preference at this stage

Ritournelle · 13-02-2023 6:33pm

Or will both 1 and 2 be considered

res1 · 14-02-2023 12:17am

As far as I know if you are successful you will be placed on both panels and depending on how high your scores after this round it will determine where you will be placed for both locations. For example you could end up placed 10 for Clare and 100 for Dublin thats dependant on how many apply for the different counties. Chances are your number could come up in Dub first because obviously thats has the higher movement. I think you can decline but its at the risk that your number would come up in your other county. Movement tends to be slower in other counties so theres a risk that the panel could expire before your number is reached. That why a lot tend to take Dublin initially and try to do mobility back to the county they want. Im open to correction on this ? But that is my understanding of it. Best of luck with your next stage.

CS2023 · 14-02-2023 12:48am

Is it the case that you don't really know what number you are for the second county after doing the Dublin interview until after the interviews for that other county are done? For example, if I was to hypothetically get marked at 250 in my interview for Dublin, then I'd have to wait until after the other people for that second county interviewed and then I'd actually get a place on the panel.

res1 · 14-02-2023 10:04pm

Once again I am open to correction. As far as I can recall this is all scored based so you are awarded scores and obviously the higher the scores the higher the placement for both counties. You only do one interview and whatever the other exercise or presentation is. After this you receive your placement for both counties. As I understand it, there could be more than one person that actually attains the same placement number and thats because there will be others that score the same if that makes sense. They do all the interviews etc for this first batch (those that scored plus 114) in the one period of time possibly a couple of weeks depending on how many and everyone gets their results for both their county choices at the same time. Once this has been completed they tend to repeat and rinse with the next batch, possibly everyone that passed the initial stage will get there day, this would probably depend on numbers and someone else might be able to confirm this.

lozen · 15-02-2023 8:11am

So after PAS interview and score first batch do they wait until that batch have been placed as an AP before moving to a second batch to interview (those under 114)? Or do they score first batch and move straight to interview for second batch before first lot placed thus forming different panels?

res1 · 15-02-2023 11:22pm

No. In 2018 it took approx 5 months from announcing online results to everyone and calling first batch forward for interviews etc and then 2nd batch being called forward. It is highly unlikely that the panel created from first batch would all have been placed in 5 months. This timeline is only an example everything is dependant on how many applicants and every other thing that could be chucked into mix.

res1 · 15-02-2023 11:28pm

Also there will be an order of merit for the first batch and each batch thereafter. The next group that will be called forward that were successful on passing the online assessments and that did not reach the 114 or higher and that are successful after interview etc will be in placed in Batch 2. Confusing but I hope that helps.

Nibs2023 · 17-02-2023 11:49am

When you say first batch and second batch. Is it possible for people from the second batch below 114, to score so well on their application and subsequent interview/presentation that their total score would put them ahead in the OOM of someone from batch 1? Or would they keep the 2 groups separate as per the origional OOM after the tests?

res1 · 17-02-2023 4:05pm

As I understand it the two batches remain separate - once again Im open to correction. The successful candidates from Batch 1 will be ahead on the panel to successful candidates in Batch 2.

agnena · 17-02-2023 4:10pm

Just to confirm, that each batch is treated separately.

Best of luck to those having their interviews shortly.

Rose Violet · 18-02-2023 3:39pm

For those who didn't get into the first batch i.e. scored less than 1159 but passed all the psychometric test I understand they will form batches 2 and 3 if the numbers are needed. Can I ask if everyone from batch 1 and all it's sub batches from the forms shortlisting need to be through the interview process first before they open up say batch 2. Trying to predict timelines for those in the early 600's etc from the online tests as in whether it is likely that there will even be a batch 2 and if so whether it would be during 2023 or whether I should just give up hope!!! Good luck to everyone getting to the interview stage so far.

res1 · 18-02-2023 6:07pm

It is absolutely likely there will be a second batch brought forward to next round and possibly more batches too. Im not sure if they exhaust all those that were successful in the online tests maybe someone else can advise that. It is very unlikely that all of those in the first batch will get through to interview in the first place as some will likely fall down on the application. Then obviously more will perhaps not be successful in the interview. So the process will continue on until they fill the panel. I cannot remember if the panel/competition is open for 2 years but most are. So I would not give up hope at all you never know.

agnena · 18-02-2023 9:26pm

I think 4 batches were called (maybe even more) for the interviews from the last AP competition.

Stickmam · 21-02-2023 10:23am

Does anyone know when the interviews are starting / finishing? Just trying to work out how many they might be interviewing in this batch?

Gadgetman99 · 21-02-2023 11:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120268748#Comment_120268748

If you are trying to gauge how long it might take to get appointed if successful there is no way to know for sure as you don't get a revised OOM after short listing just a score.

But to give you an idea of wait times:

Batch 1 2021 from what I remember was a very large Batch. There are usually multiple boards over several weeks again no way to know for sure but my board interviewed over two weeks so on average 6 a day could have been 60 interviewed by that board alone.

Also as far as I know no appointments will be made from this panel until the end of July or when they run out of candidates on the 2021 panel, whichever comes first. There is still a Batch 4 panel in place as well as a Batch 4.1 panel left that I am aware of at least.

Stickmam · 21-02-2023 12:25pm

Thanks Gadgetman99 - it was more musing about numbers in this batch rather than when people might be placed and I'm curious about when the interviews are starting/ending, nothing more, but thanks for your insights.

mcgort · 21-02-2023 5:25pm

I have an interview week commencing 6/3, no idea when they are starting though or where I am in the batch, or how big the batch is! Anxiously awaiting the strategic exercise information.

Born to Run · 21-02-2023 9:01pm

Best of luck with your interview. Do you know if it is an in person interview or on-line?

mcgort · 21-02-2023 10:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120271970#Comment_120271970

Online, which suits me perfectly.

Born to Run · 21-02-2023 10:51pm

Thanks McGort. You've made my day. I'm in the next batch to be interviewed and was dreading going back to in person interviews, much prefer online.

lozen · 22-02-2023 12:03am

I'm aware of a colleague who has interview same week. Also DSP have announced internal AP comp with applications to be in by 10th March. That may take some numbers out of equation given it is a large Dept with a few HQ buildings within the Dublin area.

Vinoveritas29 · 23-02-2023 1:06pm

Question folks....

Got my strategic analysis today and I have gotten one of the same topics I prepared for the last interview (where I passed the analysis but failed the interview). The documentation says they will perform a duplication check, but it was my own work the last time round.

So can I use the same material and say nothing? Or should I check with PAS?

the_freaky_one · 23-02-2023 1:20pm

If it's your own material that you are reusing, surely they can't call you out for plagiarism of yourself 👀

boris232 · 23-02-2023 1:26pm

Well if you cannot plagiarise yourself who can you plagiarise

NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

Comments