Practice room
Civil Service judgement test practice
Build confidence in your reasoning with original workplace scenarios and explanations. Start without a timer, then try a timed challenge if you find it useful. These are independent learning exercises, not official recruitment tests.
Both tests are free with a Sift Assist account. No credits, payment or subscription needed. Practise as often as you like.
Free with account
Practice test
Work through 15 scenarios at your own pace. Rate the four actions independently, then compare your choices with our suggested ratings and explanations.
- No timer
- Feedback after each question
- Choose AO/EO or HEO/SEO practice context
Free with account
Timed test
Try 15 questions in a randomised order with a 30-minute practice countdown. Explanations appear at the end. Our HEO/SEO mode uses most/least choices; AO/EO uses independent ratings.
The timer and mode selection are Sift Assist practice settings, not the format or time limit promised for your vacancy.
Start timed testHow to learn from a judgement scenario
- Read what is known. Identify who is affected and what the person in the scenario is responsible for.
- Consider each action as written. Do not add helpful steps that the option does not mention.
- Explain your choice to yourself before revealing the feedback.
- Compare the reasoning, not just the label. Notice whether you missed a risk, a checking step or someone’s needs.
What do the practice ratings mean?
- Effective: helps resolve the problem appropriately.
- Fairly Effective: offers some help but leaves something important unresolved.
- Ineffective: does not usefully address the problem.
- Counterproductive: makes the situation worse.
When rating actions independently, several can receive the same rating. You are not required to use every label once.
What your practice score does—and does not—tell you
In our rating mode, an exact match with the suggested rating earns 3 points, a one-step difference earns 1, and a larger difference earns 0. Four actions give a maximum of 12 points per question. Most/least mode uses separate choice scoring.
These are our practice rules. Your result is not an official percentile, an expert-certified assessment or a prediction of whether you will pass. The behaviour breakdown helps you revisit these particular questions; a small question set cannot measure your overall readiness.
Use official practice before your real test
The official Civil Service Judgement Test includes more than the scenario exercises offered here and is not timed. Other assessments have their own instructions. Check the exact test named in your invitation, rather than assuming the grade determines its format.
Find official test guidance and practice links on GOV.UK, or read our online tests preparation guide.
Before you begin here
Keep the page open: practice attempts are not saved to your account if you close or reload it. You can repeat the exercises, but familiar questions are better used to explain your reasoning than to measure improvement by score alone.
Use these materials to prepare beforehand. Complete live recruitment assessments independently, without AI or another person supplying answers. If access or format is a barrier, ask the recruiter about adjustments.