Updated 2 October 2026 by Ben Gallagher. Sources below.
Civil Service interviews are built on Success Profiles. A recruiting manager chooses a few of the nine Civil Service behaviours, and the panel asks you for real examples of each, or how you would act in a situation. The questions below come from jobs that use the behaviours, from work coach to prison officer, and each is tied to the behaviour it tests. Read the advert for the behaviours and grade of the job you are applying for, then prepare one real story for each.
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What they're testing: Listening, acknowledging frustration and using conversation to find what could change the result.
What they're testing: Adjusting communication so that the claimant is in no doubt about what is expected and the consequences.
What they're testing: Calm, respectful de-escalation in front of an audience without losing authority.
What they're testing: Owning errors quickly, because a wrong record can affect someone's money.
What they're testing: Reliable follow-through and keeping people informed.
What they're testing: Listening to a complaint, fixing it and stopping it happening again.
What they're testing: Weighing evidence, giving the claimant a fair chance to explain and recording the reasoning.
What they're testing: Checking the facts with the right person before deciding.
What they're testing: Clarifying quickly through the right channel and putting safety first.
What they're testing: Working with partners so that people get joined-up help.
What they're testing: Spotting an improvement, testing it and bringing people with you.
What they're testing: Receiving feedback with openness and changing something as a result.
What they're testing: Prioritising and still delivering what you promised.
What they're testing: Understanding the purpose of the role and treating claimants fairly.
The Civil Service's Success Profile Framework moves recruitment away from a purely competency based system. It lets managers assess candidates against a range of elements using different selection methods. The elements are behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical. Behaviours are the actions and activities people do which result in effective performance in a job. Strengths are the things you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. Ability is the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard, experience is knowledge or mastery gained through involvement, and technical is the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.
Not every element is used for every role. The Civil Service Careers site says each advert shows which elements are included, and that you may see one, two or more of them. So the first job in preparing is to read the advert and note which of the five it uses.
The Civil Service has defined a set of behaviours that, when demonstrated, are associated with job success. Recruiting managers choose the ones best suited to the job, and you will not be asked to demonstrate all of them for one role. The official definitions are:
The behaviours are specific to the grade of the job. The framework sets out examples at six levels, from administrative assistant and administrative officer at level 1, executive officer at level 2, and higher and senior executive officer at level 3, to grades 7 and 6, deputy director and director. Read the examples for your level, because a question for an executive officer asks for a different scale of decision from one for a senior manager.
The framework lists the ways behaviours can be assessed, including an application form, CV, Civil Service Judgement Test, interview, presentation, in-tray exercise, written exercise, role play, oral briefing and assessment centre. You may be asked for examples of when you demonstrated a behaviour, which can be from work, work experience, volunteering or a hobby, or asked how you would behave in a given situation, for example in a situational judgement test or situational interview question.
The Civil Service Careers site advises choosing examples that clearly demonstrate the behaviour, let you explain in some detail what you personally did, and had positive results, although a less successful example can be used if you can show the lessons learned and how you would avoid the error in future. Start with a short direct answer, then tell the story: the situation, what you needed to do, what you did and what happened. Use the first person, because the panel is scoring you, not your team.
They are the actions and activities that result in effective performance in a job. There are nine, such as making effective decisions, communicating and influencing, and managing a quality service. The advert lists the ones used for the role.
No. The Civil Service says recruiting managers choose a selection of behaviours best suited to the role, and you will not be asked to demonstrate all of them for one role.
Yes. The Civil Service says examples can come from work, work experience, volunteering or a hobby. Choose one where you can explain in detail what you personally did.
Strengths are the things you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. Where an advert uses strengths, the panel asks about what you enjoy and do best. Read the advert to see whether they are included.
Related topics: NHS values, The 6 Cs, Clinical governance, Safeguarding, Nurse interview questions, Behavioral interview questions, Common interview questions.
Related: Band 5 nurse, Band 6 nurse, Band 7 nurse, Healthcare assistant.