Please watch our Assessment Centres explainer video to find out what to expect on the day.
Below, we have listed how the assessment centres will run on the day.
- Once you join the virtual assessment centre, the session will last for approximately four hours, and will consist of a written exercise, a group exercise, and a presentation exercise. You will be using a bespoke virtual platform.
- Assessors, administrators or invigilators will be present for the tasks.
Once again, please look at the key skills and behaviours that assessors will be looking for during the assessment centres – we cannot stress enough how useful these are when preparing!
You will receive login details for your assessment centre no later than 24 hours beforehand from Amberjack. You can find out more about the platform and prepare for the assessment centre.
Here are some key tips to ensure you have the best chance to showcase yourself and your skills at the assessment centre:
- Try to have a strong Wi-Fi connection. If you share the Wi-Fi with others in your household, politely ask if they can do something else during that time.
- Make sure you are comfortable, but sitting upright with a neutral background. Feel free to blur your background, and if possible, ensure that there is minimal background noise so that you won’t be disrupted.
- Make sure you have everything you need nearby. This includes a notepad and pen, calculator, a glass of water and anything else that you think you’ll need during the assessment centre exercises.
- Turn off any distractions. This includes your phone or any other devices that you will not need.
- Speak up and be yourself. Be present in the session and look engaged. Make sure you contribute to group discussions and make yourself noticed throughout the day.
You will undertake three exercises during the assessment centre, and we have broken these down to give you an idea of what to expect below.
Group exercise – the group exercise will consist of a scenario that will require working with your group to reach a solution or agreement. You will each be provided with the scenario and be asked to prepare to engage in discussions with your peers. In the virtual room, there will be an administrator who will instruct you on what is expected.
This includes time to prepare individually, and then time for a group discussion.
Presentation exercise – This will be an individual assessment. You will be given preparation time for the exercise. There will be an assessor present for this exercise who will ask you questions after you have presented.
Written exercise – This exercise will not be in a virtual room and will not be invigilated. You will need to join the exercise and will receive messages with your instructions. In this exercise you will have 45 minutes to complete this and you will need to respond to the message to submit your exercise.
For each exercise, remember:
You do not need to have prior experience of working in local government but do your research so that you can apply your knowledge of local authorities to the scenarios on the day. The following links will be useful to find out about the challenges facing local authorities:
Plan your time wisely, especially for your presentation and written exercise. Take your time when reading any information given to you that relates to each exercise and make sure you fully understand the task. Focus on yourself and do not worry about what others might be doing.
We believe that councils must be as diverse as the communities they serve, and want to give everyone equal opportunities throughout the recruitment process. Find out more about our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion on our website.
Every year the NGDP BAME Network supports Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates throughout the application process. As part of this we will be running support session workshops for each of the remaining stages. Please sign up to one of our three support sessions for the assessment centre stage here if you identify as BAME .
For any further queries, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Please note that the BAME Network will not know what material will be covered in the assessment centres.
These sessions are for those who self-identify as BAME and will be an opportunity to ask for any tips from current graduates on the programme. Find out more about the BAME Network on their LinkedIn page.
The NGDP is keen to see a diversity of candidates have the best possible chance of success through our recruitment process. With the help of our expert partners Gradcore, we are offering additional support in February/March in the form of practical workshops and 1:1 coaching calls for candidates who have been progressed to the assessment centre stage. This additional support is designed to help you feel prepared and ready to showcase your full potential during the assessment centres.
Whilst we want to offer this support to as a wide a range of candidates as possible, we will need to prioritise those candidates for whom we feel it will be of most benefit, and for those from under-represented groups: for example, those who identify as being from a BAME background, are care leavers or who are eligible for special requirements due to a disability or impairment. Please note: to help us understand your needs, we may need to ask you again for personal information you have already provided.
Do you feel you could benefit from additional support? Please click the link below to fill in the short expression of interest form by 2pm on Tuesday 13th February. Please note that support is extremely limited so please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
By doing so, you are giving your consent for our delivery partners, Gradcore, to get in touch with you with further information on the support they may be able to offer you. They will not use your information for any other purpose.
