Civil Service Work Strengths Test: Examples, Tips & Practice (2026)

The Civil Service Work Strengths Test, sometimes referred to as the CSWS by candidates, is a behavioural assessment designed to evaluate your professional strengths by analysing your daily routine, performance, drives, and motivations.

Your work strengths indicate if you're a good match for the role you applied for and if the job fits your needs and sense of fulfilment.

Depending on the job level you've applied for, you'll receive one of two versions of the test, with strengths assessed in pairs to ensure fuller coverage. There is no time limit, but most candidates take a few minutes to consider each question.

The CSWS is taken online and comprises three sections, one work-preferences assessment and two situational judgement tests. Here's a closer look at each of the three sections.

This section of the test is a self-assessment of your preferences at work.

You'll be presented with a series of statements regarding work-related behaviours, and you'll need to rate each statement on a scale of "very strongly disagree" to "very strongly agree" according to your level of agreement or disagreement.

This section assesses your responses and way of action in various work-related situations.

You'll be presented with a common Civil Service scenario followed by several possible actions and reactions, and will need to rate the effectiveness of each action on a scale of "effective" to "counterproductive":

• Effective: A good action that'll help resolve the situation
• Partially effective: A useful action that'll be of some help in the situation
• Ineffective: A poor action that won't help the situation
• Counterproductive: An unacceptable action that'll make the situation worse

You're allowed to give the same rating for more than one reaction.

Some scenarios will be presented in a video containing subtitles and a British Sign Language translation.

Similar to Section B of the Civil Service Work Strengths Test, this section also assesses your responses and reactions to work-related situations.

You'll be presented with a scenario followed by four possible reactions, and will need to mark which action you're most likely to take and which one you're least likely to take.

The best way to get comfortable with the format of the Work Strengths Test is by working through some examples.

Below, you'll find sample questions from each section, along with the reasoning behind the answer.

A quick note on Section A: The traits referenced in these sample questions, like Deliberation and Competence, are drawn from established personality psychology rather than the Civil Service's own named Strengths under the Success Profiles framework. They're included to illustrate the kind of self-assessment questions you can expect, not to suggest they're exactly what the real test measures.

The Civil Service Work Strengths Test measures work strength according to three factors:

• Performance: Your behaviour and course of action while demonstrating a high level of proficiency and capability.
• Engagement: Your motivation and enthusiasm while performing an activity.
• Use: The frequency with which you perform an activity.

These three factors are based on a simple premise: If you do something you love, and you're suited to it, you'll be more productive. And a more productive employee has a higher chance of success.

The strengths measured in the CSWS are usually divided into two groups according to the role and managerial position:

Regardless of which group applies to you, the underlying idea is the same: The Work Strengths test is looking for a genuine match between what energises you and what the role actually demands, rather than a fixed set of correct strengths to aim for.

Your Civil Service Work Strengths test score is produced according to your pattern of responses to the questions, which is compared to a representative group of candidates who also took the test.

Your score will be presented as a percentile out of 100%, indicating your performance relative to the representative group. So, if your percentile score is 55%, that means you scored better than 55% of the group.

After the test deadline, the sum of all candidates' scores will determine the test's passing mark.

Your score will be banked for six months if you receive a passing mark or above, meaning you can apply to other Civil Service jobs at the same grade without retaking the test. If your score is lower than the passing mark, you'll need to retake it when applying to other Civil Service positions.

The best way to prepare for the Civil Service Work Strengths Test is to familiarise yourself with the test's structure, sections, and types of questions.

You'll also want to reflect honestly on your own working style, since the test is designed to build an authentic profile rather than reward a rehearsed performance.

Many roles ask for more than one test at a time, so if yours also involves the Civil Service Verbal Test or Civil Service Numerical Test, our dedicated guides cover those in full.

As with many personality assessments, it's easy to overthink the Work Strengths Test, second-guessing how each answer might come across to a potential employer.

Here are a few helpful tips to help you stay focused and approach the assessment with confidence:

• Know the job: Before taking the test, read the job's description and get a sense of the qualities and traits the role calls for. This won't change how you should answer, but it can help you understand why certain questions are being asked, and make it easier to answer thoughtfully rather than on autopilot.
• Read the scenarios carefully: Pay attention to all the details in the scenarios. Some of the optional responses may seem right at first, but if you look deeper, you'll realise that they don't match the scenario. If you're not sure, read it again!
• No hurry: As there is no time limit for the test, you don't need to rush. You have enough time to think through your responses and to make sure you choose the best action for the scenario.

None of these tips are about tricking the test. They're about giving yourself the best chance to respond clearly and consistently, which is exactly what the scoring is designed to reward.