Civil Service Success Profiles: A Complete Guide (2026)

The Success Profiles framework is a system developed by the UK Civil Service to assess candidates for job roles, introduced in 2018 to replace the previous Civil Service competency framework. Rather than relying on a single fixed set of criteria, it assesses candidates across five possible elements: Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience, and Technical Skills.

Not every element is relevant to every position, so each job role is mapped to its own combination. This mapping gives recruiters a clear picture of exactly what a role demands, and gives candidates a clear picture of what they'll be assessed on throughout the application and selection process.

The way each element is assessed can also vary, not just from role to role but by seniority. The Behaviours element, for example, is judged against different characteristics and different measurement tools for a candidate applying to a director-level role than for someone applying to a junior position.

Let's take a closer look at each of the Success Profiles elements in turn:

The Ability element measures your general mental capability, primarily your verbal and numerical reasoning skills. Rather than testing specific knowledge or experience, it looks at how well you're likely to perform in a role based on your capacity to process and work with information.

Ability is almost always assessed using online psychometric tests, usually early in the recruitment process, since this offers a quick and consistent way to screen a large number of candidates. The two most commonly used are the Civil Service Verbal Test (CSVT) and the Civil Service Numerical Test (CSNT), which assess your verbal and numerical reasoning respectively.

These tests are marked automatically, and you'll be told whether you've met the required pass mark. Passing isn't the only factor in your overall application, though, so you'll receive further information about the next steps regardless of your result.

The Technical element assesses specific professional skills, knowledge, or qualifications relevant to a particular role. There are numerous professions across the Civil Service, each with its own requirements for skills, knowledge, and qualifications, defined by the relevant Head of Profession.

A range of methods may be used to assess your technical ability, including:

• Application forms
• CVs
• Interviews
• Technical presentations and exercises
• Technical tests
• Work samples
• In-tray exercises
• Job-related simulations
• Oral briefing exercises
• Written analyses or exercises
• Assessment centres

If a specific qualification or professional membership is required for the role, you may also be asked to provide evidence of it.

Behaviours are the actions and activities that lead to effective performance in a role. Unlike Ability, which is fairly consistent across roles, Behaviours are tailored to each specific vacancy. You'll typically be assessed against three to five of the nine defined behaviours, as specified in the job advert, rather than all nine at once.

The nine Civil Service Behaviours are:

• Seeing the Big Picture: Understanding how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives, and recognising the wider priorities at play
• Changing and Improving: Seeking out opportunities for effective change and reviewing ways of working, including seeking and giving feedback
• Making Effective Decisions: Using evidence and knowledge to support accurate, well-reasoned advice, while weighing up alternatives and risks
• Leadership: Showing pride and passion for public service, creating and engaging others in a shared vision, and valuing diversity and inclusion
• Communicating and Influencing: Communicating with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm, while respecting others' needs and opinions
• Working Together: Building effective partnerships across a range of backgrounds, both inside and outside your immediate team
• Developing Self and Others: Focusing on continuous learning and development, for yourself and those around you
• Managing a Quality Service: Delivering service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs
• Delivering at Pace: Taking responsibility for delivering timely, quality results with focus and drive

Behaviours can be assessed at multiple stages of the recruitment process, including your CV or application form, online tests, interviews, job simulations, role-plays, and assessment centres.

Two of the most common tests used to assess Behaviours are the Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) and the Civil Service Management Judgement Test (CSMJT). At interview level, Behaviours questions typically follow a "tell me about a time when ..." format, and the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a widely used way to structure your answers with enough detail.

Strengths are the activities or behaviours you excel at, enjoy doing, and find motivating. The Civil Service Strengths Dictionary defines 36 individual strengths relevant to Civil Service culture and work, and these apply regardless of grade.

When evaluating your strengths, the Civil Service is looking to determine whether you're a genuine fit for the organisation and the specific role. This is judged against three criteria:

• Performance: Your ability to perform an activity or behaviour at a high level of skill or proficiency
• Engagement: How motivated, enthusiastic, and empowered you feel while doing it
• Frequency of use: How regularly and often you actually do it

Strengths can be assessed through a range of methods, including interviews, recorded video interviews, customised situational strengths tests, simulation assessments, and personality tests. If your application includes a dedicated Work Strengths Test, it's specifically designed to measure this element.

For more detail on the full list of strengths the Civil Service assesses, see their official Success Profiles Strengths guidance.

Experience refers to the knowledge and skills you've gained through participation in or exposure to a particular activity or subject. In the Civil Service, it's typically a prerequisite for senior or professional roles.

When assessing your experience, the Civil Service focuses on relevant accomplishments or expertise in a given field, rather than simply how long you've been doing it. Experience doesn't need to come from paid work either, as skills developed through hobbies or voluntary work, such as teamwork or communication, can just as easily demonstrate what a role requires.

Experience is typically assessed in one of three ways: Your application form, your CV, or an interview. Together, these give recruiters a fuller picture of what you've actually done, beyond just what a test or single conversation could show.

Once you understand which elements apply to your role, a few practical habits can make a real difference to how well you perform.

• Understand the Success Profiles Framework: The first step to excelling in your application is understanding how Success Profiles actually work. Familiarise yourself with the behaviours and other elements it assesses, and think about how they relate to the specific role you're applying for.
• Know what you're actually being tested on: Not every role tests the same combination of elements, so find out which ones apply to your application before you start preparing. This also determines which specific tests you'll face, whether that's the Verbal or Numerical test for Ability, the Judgement Test for Behaviours, or the Work Strengths Test for Strengths. Check your job advert carefully, and prepare for what you'll actually face rather than everything at once.
• Pay close attention to the instructions: Make sure you understand exactly what each test or exercise is asking of you, including any time limits, before you start answering. Taking a moment to read carefully upfront saves time and mistakes later.
• Practise, practise, practise: The single best way to improve is repetition. Plenty of resources, including here at JobTestPrep, offer practice tests and sample questions to help you get familiar with the format and spot where you need to improve.

None of these require luck, just a bit of preparation and attention to detail, and they apply just as much to a Behaviours-based interview as they do to an online test.