Get Ready for Your Scottish Government Tests with Accurate Preperation

The Scottish Government is always on the lookout for organised and level-headed individuals to fill available positions. If you are interested in a long-term position with the Scottish Government, the hiring process will often include:

• Application Process: Prior to selecting one of the many available jobs from the Scottish Government careers webpage, you will need to register a user account. Once you have done so, you will be able to apply for any position that is suited to your skills and qualifications.
• Initial Screening: Be prepared for a phone interview once the initial screening process has commenced. A brief phone interview may be necessary for some roles in order to get an idea of your interest and suitability for the vacancy.
• Pre-Hire Tests: Psychometric testing is a major part of the hiring process for many companies and government agencies. The assessments you will be expected to take will depend greatly on the role you have applied for.
• Assessment Centre: Assessment centres may be necessary prior to being considered for a vacant role or Scottish Government graduate programme. During an assessment centre you should anticipate participating in many different group activities with other applicants who are vying for the same position.
• Personal Interviews: Your in-person interviews will either be held one-on-one or in a panel setting. During your interviews, you may be required to do any of the following: written exercise, verbal exercise, a role-playing exercise, a presentation, in-tray exercise, etc.

To ensure that you have what it takes to fill the vacant position within the Scottish Government, you will need to complete one or more pre-hire entrance exam. The most common assessments you will encounter during the hiring process include:

The Kenexa aptitude tests evaluate a variety of competencies, including numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and logical reasoning.

Personality tests are used to ensure that you possess all the necessary qualities to fit the role being offered. Keep in mind that although there are no correct or incorrect answers during a personality test, certain responses can negatively impact your overall profile.

The type of SHL test that you will be required to take will depend greatly on the position you have applied for. The most common types of SHL assessments used by employers include numerical, logical, verbal and personality tests.

Situational judgement tests are administered to evaluate your level of work-related problem-solving skills. During this test you will be presented with various hypothetical scenarios and need to select how you would respond to each from the choices provided.

Talent Q aptitude tests are very challenging by their tight time-limit and adaptive questions. The assessment is given to evaluate how well test-takers analyse and comprehend numerical, logical and verbal information. 

The interview process for the Scottish Government is an essential part of its hiring procedures. During your interviews, you will be asked a variety of questions ranging from your relevant experience, as well as competency-based and behavioural-style questions to further assess your work persona and skills. Below you will find many examples of questions you are likely to be asked during this process:

• Describe a challenge that you encountered while working in a team.
• Why would you say that you are the best fit for this role?
• Tell me about yourself.

When answering behavioural questions, be sure to use the STAR interview method. This will ensure that your responses are both structured and engaging for your interviewer or interviewers.