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Scottish Government recruitment forms part of the UK Civil Service, but it follows Scottish Government vacancy, application and assessment guidance rather than a single Whitehall-wide test battery. From 1 October 2024, the Scottish Government has used the Success Profiles framework on its jobs site. The elements selected for assessment appear in the vacancy advert, and ability testing is role-dependent.

Do not assume you will sit the same online pack as a Whitehall Civil Service Jobs campaign, and do not assume a named psychometric vendor until your invitation says so. Some third-party prep pages mention brands such as SHL, Talent Q or Kenexa for Scottish public-sector campaigns. Those names are not a standing official guarantee for every Scottish Government vacancy. Treat vendor labels as provisional until confirmed in your advert or assessment email.

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The exercises below are original educational drills. They are not official Scottish Government, Civil Service, assessment-vendor or JobTestPrep items.

After reading the official jobs.gov.scot Success Profiles guidance and your vacancy advert, the JobTestPrep UK Scottish Government preparation overview may help you locate generic SHL, Kenexa or Talent Q practice when your live invitation names one of those providers.

The commercial page relies on broad provider assumptions and an older recruitment-process description. It is not evidence that a current Scottish Government vacancy uses SHL, Kenexa, Talent Q, a telephone screen or a fixed assessment-centre sequence. Your advert, candidate account and the current jobs.gov.scot Success Profiles guidance control the process.

JobTestPrep UK is an independent third-party provider. It is not the Scottish Government, jobs.gov.scot or an official assessment publisher. Verify the current UK price, access terms and included practice before purchase. Commercial preparation cannot guarantee progression, an interview or an offer.

Success Profiles: what is actually assessed

Official Scottish Government jobs guidance describes five Success Profile elements:

Element Meaning (official framing)
Technical skills Professional skills, knowledge or qualifications
Behaviours Actions that support effective performance
Strengths What you do regularly, do well and find motivating
Ability Aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard
Experience Knowledge or mastery gained through involvement or exposure

Candidates are not asked to evidence every element for every job. The advert’s Success Profile section decides what matters for that campaign. Official assessment-process wording emphasises combinations of Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills for many Scottish Government roles. Ability exercises appear when the vacancy requires them.

Later stages commonly include an assessment exercise and an interview. Formats vary by job and may include written assessments, practical tasks, interpretation exercises, role-plays or presentations. The interview stage typically probes the same Success Profile elements named in your advert, so evidence you prepare for the application should carry through to interview answers rather than being treated as a separate exercise.

Scottish Government roles versus the Senior Civil Service

Most Scottish Government vacancies sit outside the Senior Civil Service (SCS) and follow the standard jobs.gov.scot process described above. SCS campaigns are a distinct, more senior recruitment stream with their own guidance page and can include additional psychometric testing covering cognitive ability, personality and behaviours. Do not assume a mid-grade Scottish Government vacancy follows SCS process, and do not assume an SCS process applies to a standard grade; check which guidance page your advert actually points to, and follow the senior careers guidance only if your campaign is explicitly SCS.

Reasonable adjustments

If you need a reasonable adjustment, for example extra time, an alternative format, or a different assessment location, request it as early as possible through the route named in your candidate account or advert rather than waiting until the day of an exercise. Scottish Government’s adjustments guidance describes this as a named request process, not a discretionary favour, and documenting what is agreed protects both you and the assessment team if a dispute arises later.

Where to apply and confirm details

Use the live Scottish Government vacancies service and assessment guidance:

Older bookmarks for Work for Scotland may still appear in candidate memory. Prefer the current jobs.gov.scot pages for process rules, and follow the URL in your vacancy advert if it differs.

Related UK Civil Service numerical and verbal guides on this site can help with transferable practice, but they are not a substitute for Scottish Government vacancy instructions:

How to prepare

  1. Read the Success Profile section of your advert before anything else.
  2. Build STARR-style evidence for behaviours and experience where those elements are listed (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection).
  3. If ability tests are named, note the provider, time limit and remote rules in the invitation.
  4. Practise table reading, percentages and careful “true / false / cannot say” verbal habits without inventing cut scores.
  5. For judgement items, prioritise public value, integrity, inclusion, evidence and proportionate escalation.
  6. Use third-party packs only after official vacancy guidance.

Practice questions

Educational practice only. 30 original items set in Scottish public-service style contexts. Not live psychometric items. Formats and vendors vary by vacancy.

Numerical reasoning (policy and operations style)

1. A directorate’s grant budget is £4.8 million. It allocates 35% to community projects. How much is that allocation?

A. £1.48 million B. £1.68 million C. £1.88 million D. £2.08 million

Correct answer: B Explanation: £4.8 million × 0.35 = £1.68 million. A undershoots using roughly 31%; C and D come from misreading 35% as closer to 39% or 43%.

2. Three teams close case files in a week: 42, 37 and 51. What is the mean weekly closure count?

A. 40 B. 42 C. 43.3 (approx. 43) D. 45

Correct answer: C Explanation: (42 + 37 + 51) / 3 = 130 / 3 ≈ 43.3.

3. A consultation receives 1,250 responses. 28% support Option A. How many responses is that?

A. 300 B. 325 C. 350 D. 375

Correct answer: C Explanation: 1,250 × 0.28 = 350. B and D are close distractors from rounding 28% to roughly 26% or 30%; A undershoots using roughly 24%.

4. Travel spend falls from £26,000 to £20,800. What is the percentage decrease?

A. 15% B. 18% C. 20% D. 25%

Correct answer: C Explanation: Fall = £26,000 - £20,800 = £5,200. £5,200 / £26,000 = 0.20 = 20%. A and B understate the fall; D overstates it by treating the fall as a quarter rather than a fifth.

5. Table - FOI caseload:

Month New Closed
April 110 95
May 98 120
June 105 100

What is the net change in open stock from end of March (assume open stock then = 200) to end of June if stock changes by New minus Closed each month?

A. Rise of 2 B. Fall of 2 C. Rise of 18 D. Unchanged

Correct answer: B Explanation: April +15, May -22, June +5; net -2; 200 - 2 = 198 (fall of 2).

6. A project uses 3:5:7 staffing across Policy, Ops and Digital. Total headcount is 75. How many people are in Ops?

A. 15 B. 21 C. 25 D. 35

Correct answer: C Explanation: Parts = 15; Ops = 5/15 of 75 = 25.

7. A hybrid meeting room is booked 6 hours. Two hours are preparation (unbillable to a programme code). What percentage of the booking is billable?

A. 33% B. 50% C. 67% D. 75%

Correct answer: C Explanation: Billable time = 6 - 2 = 4 hours. 4 / 6 = 0.666… ≈ 67%. B assumes an even split of the six hours; D ignores the two unbillable preparation hours entirely.

8. Briefing packs: 18 packs printed for £54 paper cost, then 12 more at the same unit paper cost. Total paper cost?

A. £72 B. £84 C. £90 D. £96

Correct answer: C Explanation: £3 per pack; 30 packs = £90.

Verbal evaluation (True / False / Cannot say)

9. Policy line: “Consultations lasting fewer than four weeks require deputy director approval.” Statement: “A three-week consultation must have deputy director approval under this line alone.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: A Explanation: Three weeks is fewer than four weeks, so the policy line’s threshold applies directly. The supporting phrase is “fewer than four weeks require deputy director approval”; no outside knowledge about actual approval practice is needed, and no distractor reading is supported by the line alone.

10. Note: “Gaelic versions are provided for nation-wide public campaigns.” Statement: “Every internal staff newsletter has a Gaelic version.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: C Explanation: The note supports only “nation-wide public campaigns.” It says nothing about internal staff newsletters, so neither confirming nor denying the statement is supported by this text alone; importing an assumption about newsletters would be outside knowledge.

11. Guide: “Do not share draft ministerial submissions outside the authorised distribution list.” Statement: “Sharing a draft submission beyond the authorised list breaches this guide.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: A Explanation: The guide’s instruction and the statement describe the same act in different words: sharing beyond the authorised list is the exact behaviour the guide prohibits. The closest distractor, “Cannot say,” is unsupported because the guide directly addresses this scenario.

12. Memo: “Face-to-face assessments are available on request where a digital format would create a barrier.” Statement: “All candidates must attend in Edinburgh.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: B Explanation: The memo supports an optional, request-based provision for candidates facing a digital barrier, not a universal requirement to attend anywhere, let alone Edinburgh specifically. The statement asserts something the memo’s wording does not say, so it is false rather than merely unproven.

13. Report extract: “Most respondents supported the proposal; the sample was self-selecting.” Statement: “The extract proves Scotland-wide majority support.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: B Explanation: The extract itself flags the self-selecting sample as a limitation on generalising the result. Because the passage explicitly signals that limitation, claiming Scotland-wide proof overreaches what the wording supports, making the statement false rather than a “cannot say” gap.

14. Vacancy text: “Ability tests may be used for this grade.” Statement: “You will definitely sit a numerical test for this vacancy.”

A. True B. False C. Cannot say

Correct answer: C Explanation: “May be used” supports only a possibility, not a certainty, and does not name a specific test type such as numerical. The statement claims a definite outcome the vacancy text does not commit to, so the safest reading is “cannot say.”

Situational judgement (study labels only)

Labels mark a Most defensible response for learning. Live scoring frameworks differ by exercise.

15. You spot a spreadsheet of citizen contact details left unlocked on a shared printer in a busy corridor.

A. Secure the papers, tell a responsible colleague, and follow information-security reporting steps. B. Leave it; facilities will tidy later. C. Read rows out of curiosity. D. Post a photo in a team chat for laughs.

Most defensible response: A Explanation: Securing the data and following the reporting process is proportionate to a live data-protection risk: it fixes the exposure without escalating it further. Leaving it (B) under-reacts to a real risk; reading © or sharing (D) the data turns an accidental exposure into a deliberate breach of the public-service integrity principle.

16. A stakeholder asks you to “soften” a risk paragraph so a board pack looks greener than the evidence supports.

A. Soften it quietly. B. Delete the risk section. C. Keep the evidence-based wording and escalate the request through the proper integrity route. D. Argue publicly on social media.

Most defensible response: C Explanation: Keeping evidence-based wording protects the integrity of advice to decision-makers, and escalating through the proper route is proportionate to pressure that falls short of misconduct. Quietly softening (A) or deleting (B) the evidence is a reactive shortcut that misleads the board; a public row (D) is a disproportionate response to an internal request.

17. Two directorates disagree about who owns a consultation timeline you are coordinating.

A. Pick a side to end the meeting faster without facts. B. Ignore both deadlines. C. Invent a fake ministerial instruction. D. Clarify decision rights with the SRO or agreed governance forum and document the outcome.

Most defensible response: D Explanation: Clarifying decision rights through the correct governance forum resolves an ownership dispute proportionately and leaves an auditable record. Picking a side without facts (A) or inventing authority © short-circuits governance; ignoring the deadlines (B) is a purely reactive non-decision that helps no one.

18. You are unsure how a reasonable adjustment should work for a written exercise starting tomorrow.

A. Guess and say nothing. B. Contact recruitment promptly with “Adjustments Assistance” style clarity and document what is agreed. C. Tell the candidate adjustments are impossible. D. Change scoring rules yourself mid-campaign.

Most defensible response: B Explanation: Contacting recruitment promptly and documenting the agreed adjustment is a proportionate response to genuine uncertainty about process. Guessing (A) or refusing outright © is reactive rather than considered, and unilaterally changing scoring (D) breaches the fairness and consistency principle that adjustments processes exist to protect.

19. A colleague claims a named commercial test vendor “is always used” for every Scottish Government job.

A. Check the vacancy and invitation; treat vendor claims as unverified until written confirmation. B. Repeat the claim in your application. C. Buy multiple packs for every brand overnight. D. Accuse the colleague of fraud without evidence.

Most defensible response: A Explanation: Checking the vacancy and invitation before acting mirrors this guide’s wider caution that vendor labels are provisional until confirmed. Repeating the claim (B) or buying multiple packs © reacts to unverified information; accusing the colleague (D) is a disproportionate response to what is more likely confusion than misconduct.

20. You receive praise for a briefing that a junior colleague mostly drafted.

A. Accept sole credit. B. Credit the colleague accurately and share recognition. C. Hide their name from version history. D. Deny their help.

Most defensible response: B Explanation: Accurately crediting a colleague’s contribution reflects the honesty and fairness expected of public-service behaviour. Accepting sole credit (A), hiding attribution © or denying help (D) all misrepresent authorship rather than correct it.

21. An interview panel asks for an example of delivering under ambiguity. Best STARR focus?

A. Vague “I work hard” statements. B. Criticising named officials. C. One concrete situation, your actions, the result, and what you learned. D. Reading a memorised essay unrelated to the behaviour.

Most defensible response: C Explanation: A STARR answer (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection) needs one verifiable example with clear actions and an outcome. Vague claims (A) give no evidence, naming and criticising officials (B) is disproportionate and unprofessional, and an unrelated memorised answer (D) does not evidence the behaviour asked about.

22. A media query arrives about a live consultation while policy lines are still draft.

A. Invent a quotation. B. Leak the unfinished draft. C. Ignore urgent handling rules. D. Follow authorised lines to take / press process; do not freelance policy.

Most defensible response: D Explanation: Following the authorised press process keeps a public response proportionate and accurate while lines are still being finalised. Inventing a quotation (A) or leaking the draft (B) breaches confidentiality and accuracy; ignoring urgent handling rules © is a reactive failure to follow the correct process at all.

Behaviours and application evidence micro-drills

23. Which evidence quality is strongest for an Experience criterion about stakeholder engagement?

A. A dated example with audience, your actions, and a measurable or observed outcome. B. “I am good with people.” C. A list of soft skills with no context. D. Someone else’s project claimed as yours.

Correct answer: A Explanation: Experience evidence needs to be specific, dated and checkable, similar to the “Situation/Task, Action, Result” spine of STARR. B and C are generic and give an assessor nothing to verify; D claims work that is not the candidate’s own, which is an Experience claim rather than genuine evidence.

24. Strengths-style items often reward honesty about preferences. Least helpful approach?

A. Answer consistently with real motivating patterns. B. Read each statement carefully. C. Avoid random clicking. D. Invent an extreme persona you think panels want.

Correct answer: D Explanation: Strengths items are designed around genuine, consistent motivation, not a performed persona; inventing an extreme version of yourself tends to produce inconsistent answers across similarly worded statements and undermines what a Strengths measure is trying to capture. A, B and C are all sound approaches.

25. A written assessment asks you to summarise a 3-page brief for a senior leader in one page. Best priority?

A. Keep every footnote. B. Start with personal opinions. C. Lead with decision needed, key risks, and evidence gaps. D. Use unexplained jargon throughout.

Correct answer: C Explanation: A Technical or Ability-style summarising exercise rewards prioritising what a senior leader needs to decide: the decision required, the key risks, and any evidence gaps. Every footnote (A) buries the point, personal opinion (B) is not what the brief calls for, and unexplained jargon (D) reduces clarity for the reader.

26. Interpretation exercise: two charts disagree on trend direction because of different date ranges. Best first move?

A. Pick the nicer chart. B. State the range difference and avoid comparing them as if identical. C. Accuse authors of misconduct immediately. D. Average the slopes without comment.

Correct answer: B Explanation: An Ability-style interpretation exercise rewards noticing that the two charts are not directly comparable before drawing a conclusion from them. Picking a preferred chart (A) or averaging without comment (D) hides the mismatch, and assuming misconduct © goes beyond what a date-range difference alone supports.

27. Role-play style prompt: a partner organisation missed a data return. Opening approach?

A. Threaten them in the first sentence. B. Escalate publicly before checking. C. Pretend the data arrived. D. Confirm facts, impact, and a realistic recovery plan with clear owners.

Correct answer: D Explanation: A Behaviours-style role-play rewards establishing facts and impact before proposing a proportionate recovery plan with named owners. Threatening (A) or escalating publicly (B) before checking is a reactive overreaction, and pretending the data arrived © avoids the issue entirely.

28. You have two Success Profile behaviours to evidence and a tight word limit. Best tactic?

A. Choose distinct examples that map cleanly to each behaviour. B. Duplicate the same story twice with different headings. C. Ignore one behaviour. D. Paste CV bullet lists without actions.

Correct answer: A Explanation: With limited space, each behaviour is best evidenced by a distinct example that maps clearly to it. Duplicating one story (B) or dropping a required behaviour © leaves an element unevidenced, and bullet lists without actions (D) give an assessor no STARR-style detail to score.

29. Senior campaign note (study): psychometric stages may include cognitive and personality elements. What should you verify first?

A. Online gossip about “always SHL”. B. Unrelated airline test packs. C. The invitation and senior careers guidance for your campaign. D. Friends’ decade-old PDFs only.

Correct answer: C Explanation: Checking the invitation and the official senior careers guidance is the same “confirm before assuming” principle used throughout this guide for vendor claims. Informal claims about “always SHL” (A), unrelated test types (B) and outdated third-party material (D) are not reliable sources for a live campaign’s actual stages.

30. Integrity rule for live tests:

A. Share screenshots of live items in group chats. B. Do your own work; follow confidentiality and verification rules in the invitation. C. Have a friend sit the remote test. D. Reuse someone else’s STARR stories as if they were yours.

Correct answer: B Explanation: Doing your own work and following confidentiality and verification rules protects both the integrity of the recruitment process (Behaviours) and the validity of your own result (Ability). Sharing items (A), having someone else sit the test © or reusing another person’s Experience story as your own (D) all undermine that validity.

Optional commercial practice

If your invitation includes online ability or judgement stages and you want extra timed drills, a third-party familiarisation pack (linked earlier on this page) may help with common formats. Confirm any named provider against official instructions before you buy.

Official resources

FAQ

Is Scottish Government the same as Civil Service Jobs tests?

Related Civil Service values and Success Profiles language appear, but vacancy control sits with Scottish Government recruitment materials. Always follow your jobs.gov.scot advert and invitation.

Will I sit SHL or Talent Q?

Only if your campaign says so. Official Success Profiles pages describe ability as an element that may be assessed; they do not freeze one commercial brand for every role. Qualify third-party vendor claims against written instructions.

Do formats change?

Yes. Success Profiles element mixes and exercise types vary by role and grade.

Next steps

Read your advert’s Success Profile block, request adjustments early if needed, then practise only the abilities and evidence types you have actually been asked for. Return to the UK Assessment Tests hub for other pathways.