Confined Competition for Executive Officer 2018 An Garda Siochana

wicklow girl

can't find anything so decided to start this

wicklow girl

spoke to PAS, next part somewhere around 11th Dec

Crunchymomma

I wonder how the uptake was for this comp? No one I talked to at work seems to have gone for it. Seemed to be really turned off by the mention of paf administrator

wicklow girl

there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on it

DaylightDies

I've gone for this as a TCO while I'm waiting for a start date with the Control Room competition. I've been dealing with PEMS for well over a year now and know a bit about PAF so hoping I have a decent chance at it as I'm the property store manager in the garda station I work at.

DaylightDies

Email gone out at work confirming 11th December for the test and in the morning time. We also get the half day business leave. Happy days

wicklow girl

I just got this advice from a friend of mine - I am not in the union anymore

Get straight onto the Union. Ask how these tests can be undertaken in a controlled environment and how that An Garda Siochana will provide the required IT capabilities. This is afterall an internal competition and it is common place for the employer to provide the required facilities – e.g. webcam. THIS IS NOT AN OPEN COMPETITION, you shouldn’t have to procure webcams etc!! if anyone can do it within the organisation at their own desk everyone must be able!!

Samjd

wicklow girl wrote: »

I just got this advice from a friend of mine - I am not in the union anymore

Get straight onto the Union. Ask how these tests can be undertaken in a controlled environment and how that An Garda Siochana will provide the required IT capabilities. This is afterall an internal competition and it is common place for the employer to provide the required facilities – e.g. webcam. THIS IS NOT AN OPEN COMPETITION, you shouldn’t have to procure webcams etc!! if anyone can do it within the organisation at their own desk everyone must be able!!

Hi, thanks for starting thread. I don't think anyone will be able to take the tests within the organisation? I understood it was not recommended to take test at work and up to us all to provide our own equipment?

Samjd

Crunchymomma wrote: »

I wonder how the uptake was for this comp? No one I talked to at work seems to have gone for it. Seemed to be really turned off by the mention of paf administrator

Where I am there is a lot of interest and plenty have applied. Most are not happy about the tests though and especially not the way they are to be carried out.

Crunchymomma

Samjd wrote: »

Hi, thanks for starting thread. I don't think anyone will be able to take the tests within the organisation? I understood it was not recommended to take test at work and up to us all to provide our own equipment?

I took the AP tests on an AGS computer but those did not require a webcam

kate07

Any ideas on how many posts are going to be available, are they planning on having a PAF and/or pems administrator in every district?

Crunchymomma

kate07 wrote: »

Any ideas on how many posts are going to be available, are they planning on having a PAF and/or pems administrator in every district?

Every district has at least one paf administrator as it is, for the most part it is a garda role, with some exceptions. It is a role that will be entirely civilianised going forward.

This competition will be used to fill other EO roles other than pems and paf also

Samjd

Do you think, if we make it through the online tests and get an interview, that we will be given a new OOM after interview? As it’s an internal comp and there are relatively few posts it would be a bit of a joke if the OOM was purely based on the tests.....

Samjd

I think everyone should have an opportunity to be interviewed, after all the Garda Sergeant comp had big numbers and everyone was interviewed.

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

wicklow girl wrote: »

there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on it

That sounds exactly like Garda HR!!! Nothing has changed in there I see.

wicklow girl

Samjd wrote: »

I think everyone should have an opportunity to be interviewed, after all the Garda Sergeant comp had big numbers and everyone was interviewed.

completely agree!

wicklow girl

my friend contacted the union and was told the Union are on board with it and they are anxious that this internal competition is held as quickly as possible.

Samjd

wicklow girl wrote: »

my friend contacted the union and was told the Union are on board with it and they are anxious that this internal competition is held as quickly as possible.

Denis Keane (FORSA) will be here tomorrow so will see if he has anything to say. I know he has emailed HR in Navan asking that people be accommodated who don't have access to necessary equipment.

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

Am sure Garda HR in Navan are on the ball on it!!!!

Samjd

It seems the Union are going back to Navan insisting anyone without access to wifi, camera etc must be accommodated before comp can progress. I know this is a genuine problem for some that has to be sorted but I wonder if some are using it as an excuse hoping the tests can be avoided? They will have to run tests anyway as some may have been put off applying by the tests so would be unfair.

The problem is posts will be/are being filled from Open panels so we could do without delaying.

wicklow girl

Anyone any idea how many have applied for this?

DaylightDies

Email gone out with download to the software we will be using for the test which also has practice questions. We will have to scan the entire room we take the test in for the spectator and hold up our photo I.D to the camera.

The software won't work if peoples PC/Laptops don't meet the minimum requirements as there is a hardware check. I can see huge outrage ahead.

wicklow girl

Everyone sorted?

Samjd

wicklow girl wrote: »

Everyone sorted?

I am, 11.15 session......

wicklow girl

Samjd wrote: »

I am, 11.15 session......

Snap, best of luck 🀞

wicklow girl

Having no luck logging in. This is a nightmare.

kate07

Internet crashed and can't get through to company.....this is so frustrating!

davyanne

No joy for me either. Most frustrating and I was on the early session.... still trying to get logged on

wicklow girl

got through to test reach once and was told to log off and try again in 20 mins, still no joy, rang public jobs they said keep trying, rang hr in navan they too my name, trying testreach again just ringing out they should reschedule this is going to put so may off myself included

acbar

Yep, same here. Navan told me the test reach server went down for the 11:15 login. I heard lots had issues with the earlier slot too.
I dont expect that this exam will be counted as too many with issues. They should have brought us all for interview at the beginning instead of messing around with this rubbish.
I’m still waiting here to connect when I should be done at this stage. I’m going to abandon ship as there’s no point.

wicklow girl

Same here, so frustrating finally got through to test reach again they asked if I wanted my call logged for resits, seriously!

Necro

Did test at 9.30am. Was waiting about 15 mins before the session was ended randomly. Logged in again, waited another 10 mins to be connected and finally got through.

Test itself was grand but connectivity to the exam kept dropping repeatedly during it. Time paused each time so wasn't too bad, clearly a server issue as I could still communicate with supervisor even though I couldn't do any questions.

Overall, handier than attending in Dublin for supervised tests but they likely need to upgrade their servers to handle high volume days.

Best of luck to all anyways!

angelica4545

Just came out of the 11.15 session. Had ' loading exam' on the screen for the 2 hours!! Hopefully they will schedule a re sit.

wicklow girl

just finished the 11.15 session, thought I dropped the connection at the last minute, nearly cried. can't get screen to close now. If it worked properly would be ideal but somehow I think it will effect any of us who had issues logging in. Anyways, best of luck everyone!

wicklow girl

just got my email confirmation, and most certainly completed the survey!!

acbar

I wanted to complete the survey but it said the server was down 😂
Just as well, I was about to let rip

Samjd

Hi, any feedback today? It seems some people didn't get to complete the tests, surely we won't all have to do it again??

wicklow girl

have heard nothing, has anyone been in touch with the union?

kate07

I got a reply from testreach and they said they are in discussions with pas, I know there was a national committee union meeting today and it was high on the agenda.

wicklow girl

I emailed HR and listed all my issues, have just got a mail back saying "Thank you for logging your issue. A communication in regard to this competition and the problems encountered will issue shortly". I also just got a mail from testreach confirming receipt of my query from yesterday confirming it was being reviewed.

nickidd

Has anyone heard anything about this? What a mess!

wicklow girl

and so we go again, nothing else could really happen

weadick

Who is eligible to apply for this?

wicklow girl

anyone able to book in?

Samjd

Yes booked in ok

Burton

Booked in now. 11:00 on the 1/02/19

wicklow girl

Anyone else having trouble getting into practice tests?

Samjd

wicklow girl wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble getting into practice tests?

The link just brings you to the usual ones on PAS website, nothing new.

wicklow girl

reading threads from other comps lots of positions being offered in AGS but no-one wants them, could be good for this one

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

There is a reason why no one wants them!

Samjd

wicklow girl wrote: »

reading threads from other comps lots of positions being offered in AGS but no-one wants them, could be good for this one

I noticed a lot of Open EO posts seem to be for AGS, should they not wait until the panel is ready from this comp?