Skip to main content

Guide to completing competency questions

In the competency questions section, you need to describe your personal achievements. This is to show that you have the skills and qualities required for the position.

You must answer all question areas in full.

The guidance below will help you complete your answers and assist you when preparing for an interview.

Completing your competency questions

Each competency question focuses on a skill or quality.

In each question, you have to describe a situation from your own experience. This situation is an example where you have demonstrated your ability in this area.

It is important to describe how you demonstrated the skill or quality in question in a clear way. You must also choose the best example to show this.

Some useful tips you can follow include to:

  • be specific, but include enough detail so the reader understands what you actually did - timescales, the number of people involved, and budgets
  • base your answers on different situations rather than on 1 experience - this helps the reader evaluate how you approach different situations
  • do not use the same example to illustrate your answer for more than two skill / competency areas.
  • explain how and why you acted the way you did - avoid vague or general descriptions
  • use bullet points to make the sequence of events easy to follow
  • write clearly and briefly - the selection board will assess your written communication skills on what you write on your application form
  • keep a copy of this section of the application form
  • keep each answer to a maximum of 1 A4 page - the selection board will take this limit into account

Each answer should include:

(a) the task, problem or objective

(b) what you did - how you demonstrated the skill or quality and the date you demonstrated it

(c) the outcome of the situation and how much credit you can claim for it

Applicants usually include evidence from previous work experience. This is to show how they carried out a variety of activities.

Evaluation of competency questions

Competency questions help decision makers evaluate how well you fit in the role.

The review team relies on the information you provide. To do this, they need you to give enough detail so that they can tell what you actually did and how you did it.

The review team will not assume you demonstrate a skill only because of your current role, length of experience or educational qualifications. These do not give enough evidence about how you completed relevant tasks.

For example, if a question is about your approach to decision making, you need to do more than describe your current role and list important decisions you have made. You need to describe how you reached the decisions.

Example of how to complete competency questions

Skill area - communication skills

An effective communicator must be able to adapt their communication style to particular situations and audiences and to produce clear and concise written information.

Example answer A

"I was responsible for producing important management reports and supporting presentations for a range of important and high profile clients. Through my understanding of the clients’ needs and my effective communication skills, I have ensured the reports that go to clients are relevant and focused, and are continually improved.

The reports I have produced and the presentations I have made were well received by all my clients.

Because of the combination of my analytical thinking and interpersonal and communication skills, my brief has been extended to lead the development of the strategic plan for the organisation."

This is not a good example, because:

  • it does not give enough details of exactly what the person did or show how they used their communications skills
  • it is not clear where the information required in (a), (b) and (c) above is presented
  • it is not writen in a clear way

Example answer B

(a) The unit I was attached to was responsible for producing a management report and supporting oral presentations for several large clients, some with significant problems and issues to report.

In some cases, the management report was publicly available and was subject to a great deal of scrutiny. A new style/format of management letter needed to be developed for my clients, as many of the clients were complaining that the letters were too large/long and difficult to read.

(b) I was tasked with developing a new style of management letter for the clients. I had to meet stringent quality requirements/criteria while addressing the need to reduce its size.

Following consultation, mainly over the phone and face-to-face, with the majority of our clients, I realised that a summarised report format with a better visual and more interactive presentation was the answer. I developed a format for a summarised report, reducing the average length from 40 pages to just 10. I achieved this through careful editing of information and increased use of graphs.

I then developed a more focused presentation to clients, included more graphical displays, and incorporated short presentations by colleagues directly involved in producing the work. During the presentations, I encouraged clients to ask questions and develop their understanding of the issues at hand.

(c) The clients, who without exception, in responding to an evaluation survey, found the new format/style better than the previous, and they all requested that the revised system should be continued, and saw the summarised management report and improved presentations as a success. 80% credit

This is a better example, because:

  • it describes exactly what the person did and how they communicated
  • the answer is set out clearly and includes (a), (b) and (c) above

If you are called to interview, the board may look for more examples of how you demonstrate the skills or competencies required for the post.

This is a beta version - your feedback will help us to improve it