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UK Civil Service · AO and EO

Casework Skills Test Practice: Case Files, Scenarios and the Timed Checking Part

Civil Service Casework Skills Test practice: judge statements about a case file, rate actions in casework scenarios, then 10 timed minutes of checking details.

Practice: One case file with 8 statements, 6 scenarios, then 10 timed minutesAlso called “Casework Skills Test”Also called “CWST”

How the practice module works

  1. 01Part 1: read the case file, then judge each statement as Definitely true, Probably true, Cannot say, Probably false or Definitely false, using only the information given.
  2. 02Part 2: rate every action in each scenario as Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective. Two actions can share a rating.
  3. 03Part 3 is timed at 10 minutes, as in the real test: tick the rows of a table entered with errors, compare two records and spot the different detail, or type a detail from a customer’s letter exactly as it appears.
  4. 04At the end you see how your answers compare with Candidate Falcon’s key and why, and how many Part 3 questions you got right. The key is our own, not GOV.UK’s.

Controls

  • Part 1: a verdict for every statement
  • Part 2: a rating for every action; ratings can repeat
  • Part 3: tick the rows with errors and press Done, tap the different detail (or press 1 to 6), or type the detail and press Enter

Included in 1 Game Platform Prep (when you choose the UK Civil Service tests), All Games Platforms Prep and Full Access. See plans

Who takes it
Casework roles at AO and EO level
Part 1
A case file and statements: definitely or probably true or false, or cannot say
Part 2
Six casework scenarios, four actions each, rated Counterproductive to Effective
Part 3
10 minutes of checking or entering case details
Time
Parts 1 and 2 untimed; Part 3 timed
Result
A percentile against other applicants

What the Civil Service Casework Skills Test looks at

GOV.UK says the Casework Skills Test is used for casework duties at Administrative Officer and Executive Officer level.

Part 1 gives you a scenario with background information, such as emails, letters and messages from colleagues, and statements to judge as definitely true or false, probably true or false, or cannot say from the information given.

Part 2 has six casework scenarios with four actions each, rated from Counterproductive to Effective. Part 3 is timed at 10 minutes and asks you to check or enter case details such as addresses, account numbers and dates.

How the Civil Service Casework Skills Test practice works

  1. Part 1: read one case file of three or four documents and give a verdict on eight statements about it.
  2. Part 2: six scenarios. Rate every action as Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective; two actions can share a rating.
  3. Part 3: 10 minutes. Tick the rows of a table entered with errors, as in the official practice test; compare our record with a form received and spot the detail that differs; or type a detail from a customer’s letter exactly as it appears.
  4. At the end, see your agreement with Candidate Falcon’s key for Parts 1 and 2 with every answer explained, and your Part 3 score with the questions you got wrong.

Civil Service Casework Skills Test tips

  • In Part 1, use only the case file: what you know about how such cases usually go does not count.
  • “Definitely” needs the file to show it; “probably” means the file points that way without proving it.
  • Many statements need two documents together, such as a date in one and a rule in another.
  • In Part 3, check details character by character: swapped digits, a changed vowel and a day and month the wrong way round are the usual slips.
  • For typed details, copy exactly what the letter says rather than retyping it from memory.

Common Civil Service Casework Skills Test mistakes

  • Choosing “Definitely” when the file only suggests something.
  • Choosing “Cannot say” when the answer needs a small calculation from the file.
  • Rushing Part 3 and missing a transposed digit.
  • Rating every Part 2 action Fairly Effective to play safe.

A short Civil Service Casework Skills Test practice routine

  1. Run the free official Casework Skills Test practice once to see the real interface.
  2. Do a practice run here and read the reason behind every Part 1 verdict you got wrong.
  3. Repeat Part 3 until you can keep both speed and accuracy for the full 10 minutes.

Civil Service Casework Skills Test FAQ

What is in the Casework Skills Test?

GOV.UK describes three parts: a scenario with background information and statements to judge as definitely or probably true or false, or cannot say; six casework scenarios with four actions each rated from Counterproductive to Effective; and a timed 10-minute part where you check or enter case details such as addresses, account numbers and dates.

Who takes this test?

GOV.UK says it is used for jobs with casework duties at Administrative Officer and Executive Officer level.

How is the Part 1 scale scored in this practice?

The same verdict as ours earns a full point and the neighbouring verdict earns half, for example Probably true when ours is Definitely true. GOV.UK does not say how the real test scores Part 1, so this is Candidate Falcon’s rule.

Are these the real test questions?

No. The case files, scenarios and Part 3 questions are Candidate Falcon’s own. GOV.UK does not publish its key; the error-checking table follows the layout of the official practice test, and the real test reports a percentile, which practice cannot calculate.

Might I take it again at interview?

GOV.UK says hiring managers may ask candidates invited to interview to take the test again under supervised conditions.

Independent practice by Candidate Falcon, based on the three-part format in GOV.UK’s guidance; the case papers, scenarios, checking items and key are Candidate Falcon’s own. Not affiliated with the UK Civil Service, Civil Service Jobs or the Government People Group, and not their scoring. Practice results are not Civil Service scores. For scores, pass marks, banked results and GOV.UK's free official practice tests, read the free guide to the Civil Service online tests.