NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

hungerjames

The Assistant Principal competition 2022 has gone live on PublicJobs.ie today.

Link is here: https://publicjobs.ie/en/index.php?option=com_jobsearch&view=jobdetails&Itemid=263&cid=166412&campaignId=22434207

Closing date for initial applications is 17/11/22.

The information Booklet for the Open competition is below, if you need to refer to it at a later stage in the competition.

Best of luck everyone!

22434207_Final 22434207 Assitant Principal 2022 Information Booklet.pdf

hungerjames

If you've already been placed on an AP panel for the 2021 Competition, they have indicated that those panels will still be pulled from now until July 2023 on a demand-led basis, so I would suggest throwing your hat into this ring again until such time as you are officially appointed just in case, but don't lose hope yet for the 2021 panels either at this stage.

exitstageleft

Do AP comps also start out with those super fun attitude tests?

UC2020

The

who? too

Does anyone know if previous service in the public service counts towards eligibility for this? I transferred into the civil service through an open competition a year ago directly from public service.

2021_AP

The attachment with breakdown of number of positions notified in previous campaigns is very interesting

hungerjames

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119805530#Comment_119805530

86% of all new AP appointments since 2018 were for Dublin, according to the sums in that. Not surprising but still more than I thought! I presume a lot of the rural AP gigs for Departments like DSP that would definitely have a few get snapped up on mobility.

who? too

N/A

Aglomerado

New application form format. Better than the PDF of old I think. :)

doc22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119805717#Comment_119805717

Outside Dublin deparments would favour internal candidates(outside PAS) and prob used their open sequency for dublin only positions.Add to that Revenue would have there own open AP panel outside of PAS too.

Goes to show the attrition rate too. 210 positions filled from the 2020 yet thousand+ went through the rounds.

Lots of 2018 candidates complained how they weren't paneled in 2018 but they were(AOs) in 2016 but 2016 may had a more lenient assessment process given the numbers PAS had to fill

Ritournelle

Hi, just wondering if anyone could recommend any resources for preparation for the aptitude tests (other than the sample questions etc PAS provide).

Thanks a million

Stickmam

Does anyone know if you moved on mobility, are you eleigible to apply for this? I know you've to stay in your new role for 2 years before you can move again on mobility but can you apply for promotion within the two years? Thanks

Ahshurlookit

Yeah you can still apply for both open and interdepartmental.

Rikand

Ah sure I'll go in again for another 2 years of hope and eventual disappointment

Gargoyle711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818929#Comment_119818929

I’m also interested in any suggestions on this and how to prep for the aptitude exams?

Roch1963

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818929#Comment_119818929

I subscribed to this website with aptitude test packages in July 2021 which cost €39 for all test packages: https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com. The cost of one test package is €29, so it's worth paying a bit more for the whole lot of them. Happy to say that I passed the AP aptitude test stage as well as all other stages, leading to my AP placement this month. The practice tests certainly prepped me for the real thing and improved my proficiency, so I do recommend them.

eamondevaney

Hello Roch1963 ,

Could you be a bit more specific about the type of aptitude tests you encountered in the AP aptitude tests?

Do you have test booklets issued before the àssesments?

The website you refer to has a lot of different types of aptitude tests so it would be useful to know generally which ones are used by PAS?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119833788#Comment_119833788

agnena

Last year I tried these ones and they were very helpful. I ended up in the 1st batch.

Irish Civil Service Assistant Principal Test Prep (jobtestprep.co.uk)

plasticheart

They use verbal, numerical and situational judgement tests.

If it's the same as the 2022 competition you'll get a booklet with a link to a practice test. I think you can only do this test once. You'll then get a link to the real tests which has practice tests to complete before the real ones. These practice tests can be done multiple times.

Best of luck to everyone applying.

oranreilly

For the people who have been through the process before or gotten AP -

I'm wondering roughly what my chances are. I've been in the CS since the end of May as an AO, I have 3 years of experience as a store manager for a coffee shop. I'm good at aptitude tests and interviews. I'm just wondering how heavily they weight experience, obviously I'm fairly new to the CS, at least I have some previous management experience.

Any tips for competing or stories to share that might help any of us?

Roch1963

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119835443#Comment_119835443

It's the numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment aptitude tests that you need to practice for the AP tests. It looks like you purchase the package but access is for a limited time (perhaps 3, 6 or 12 months, it's hard to tell from the website and I can't remember off hand - if you get through them the first time, you won't need them if you're successful). If you purchase the package, you get those three sets of tests and much more, iff memory serves me right.

As noted above, you do get a link from PAS to a number of practice tests, which you can do before the real test. I seem to remember that you could do the practice tests however many times you wanted. You don't have to do them on the day of the test proper, you can practice for a number of days beforehand. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Roch1963

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119845682#Comment_119845682

Clarification: with the full package of tests with this provider, there is access for 12 months, so ignore my reference to 3 and 6 months.

bjarbnickixo

Will PAS slap me on the wrist for applying even though i'm not eligible? I just want to see how I fare in these competency tests.

Ritournelle

Thanks a million,that's really helpful and great to know people have used the materials successfully

Vinoveritas29

Folks, has anyone else noticed that they are drawing more attention to the importance of the form than last year? I'm wondering will there be shortlisting from the forms, as opposed to the video format used previously... Also do you think they'll run the aptitude tests before Christmas? Wondering when to spend the dollars on the practice tests!

Ahshurlookit

Yes, seems to spell out that it's aptitude tests, followed by shortlisting based on forms. The recent PO competition was straight to interview after the tests and the most recent HEO competition was aptitude tests, followed by shortlisting based on forms where candidates got a new order of merit. Hopefully that's the way this will go and the dreaded video interview is consigned to history.

I would imagine the testing window will be late November early December.

Rikand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119847182#Comment_119847182

Nope. They are being paid to entertain your frivolous attempt to apply. Its not until after interview that eligibility is checked I believe.

It's a good opportunity for you to work on your application if nothing else

Galouche

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119841911#Comment_119841911

Thanks a mil for sharing this resource, super helpful!

Vinoveritas29

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850010#Comment_119850010

I didn't realise the last HEO had no Video Shortlisting Interview, I got through in 2021 and that did have the video shortlisting, and yes they're horrible... So possibly this one will be form only, that means I really have to put the work in now, aargh! (but thanks)

CW2022

Sorry to jump on this, but does anyone know when the next Open HEO competition is likely to be?

CO and EO competitions already this year.

Im in Public service so would need to apply to an open competition.

thanks

I have an AP interview (internal) very soon. Would anyone be able to PM me some questions I’m likely to get asked? Would be very appreciative. Thks

griffdaddy

As far as I know there are no open HEO competitions, it's a promotion grade

bjarbnickixo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119860237#Comment_119860237

I think you might be right, for the most part. However, I have seen some HEO position get advertised as 'open competition' for specific state agencies. I know my current place of work that operates as an aegis under a Department did this... although, this is public service as opposed to civil service. SEO vs HEO; however, same pay scale.

rusty1983

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119859701#Comment_119859701

The AO position is what you need to be looking out for and just like the HEO it's a middle management role. Unfortunately, it was advertised already this year, it is mainly a policy role, and you need a level 8 to be eligible

Gargoyle711

I'm in the middle of preparing my application at present, I got through to the in centre tests the last time I applied in 2018 and only missed out by 3 points then so I'm hopeful for this round. The space for responses is very long (4,000 words). Just wondering are people getting close to that figure, personally I feel a quality response to the question posed is better than trying to reach a long word count. What way are others approaching it? When they ask for a specific example are you limiting your response to a specific example addressing all areas of the question, or providing specific examples for different areas?

Thanks.

The Third Policeman

Looks like it's 4000 characters (about 500 words or so). I'm applying it to a specific example and trying to hit as many aspects of the relevant competency as I can.

Gargoyle711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119863382#Comment_119863382

Thank you, someone else pointed that out to me - I'm glad to find out at this point and not as I go to cut and paste into the application. Characters makes total sense, 4000 words on each question is a long essay! Best of luck!

delricyo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119863503#Comment_119863503

500 words on each example is still quite a hefty target to be hitting. Personally, I'm using this as a limit and not a target. Yes, I can certainly take my 200/300 word examples from previous forms and add in a few more sentences. But I cant really see myself going anywhere near the limit when explaining my duties within each of my roles to date.

The personal statement is a bit of a head scratcher for me. As a serving civil servant, it is not something that I have completed for any of my promotions to date. Maybe a recent PAS AP form had it on it?

757TFFIU

First time going for AP. Only about 2 and a half years since getting the HEO.

Have to say I'm struggling a bit with the proposed length of some of the competency based questions. Still just over 1,000 characters left on question 3 and nearly 1,800 left on question 4 for example, and I've nothing left to say. I'd be adding rubbish material for the sake of it. Quality over quantity I suppose, but 4,000 characters does seem quite a long essay. Doesn't particularly help that I've only ever worked in the one Department.

DonutLike

I have submitted my application. I didn’t get too caught up in the word count - quality over quantity.

The personal statement was new to me, but, I gave it my best shot. I’ve never applied for AP before so all very new.

hungerjames

How thorough are people being in their work history? Surely I should just include anything relevant (so everything since I originally came in as an EO/HEO, and maybe one or two of my better managerial jobs previous) rather than including the various places I was a TCO or my previous life in retail?

Gadgetman99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872939#Comment_119872939

Whatever you put into your application needs to flow like a proper time line, you shouldn't put in say a job that ended 3 years prior to your civil service then have a gap of 3 years between it and the civil service. They want to know gaps are accounted for, be it for going back to college or a career break etc.

But professional experience would be better to put in rather than say a retail job from a decade ago unless you were say a manager/supervisor etc. that maybe you might use for your competency questions.

flended12

3rd times a charm! Submitted application there today.

whoosh2

Hello!

It's been a while since I was in the competion cycle - can anyone advise me whether there is a way to save your previous roles and education on publicjobs.ie so as not to have to type it in for each separate competition? Or is it just a question of re-pasting it in from a stand alone document each time?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

whoosh2

Gargoyle711

I applied before and when I went to add my employment history and education this time it gave me the option of auto completing. Submitted mine last night, relief to have it in, test prep starts now, hate those things!

AP2022applicant

Hi all, just wondering if anyone else had issues submitting the application today? I was (last minute) finalising my application and about to submit at 14:55 and the application disappeared and told me the deadline had passed. I immediately sent an email to PAS with screenshot. Anyone else experienced this before?

Peaches91

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119886216#Comment_119886216

I had the same issue, and sent an email as well.

Spadeser

Same issue here.

Shinerwx

Same here! Have also sent an email. Fell into the age old trap of reviewing the application....then tweaking....then realising the time! What a horrible feeling when it doesn't go through after all that work! Hopefully will hear something positive back.....

AP2022applicant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119886232#Comment_119886232

Great to hear I'm not the only one. I was in absolute shock when it just disappeared. I know it was last minute, but I still had plenty of time to screenshot, write and send an email to PAS before the 3pm deadline. So should have been able to submit!

Kenevil

Hi All, only decided last minute to throw in an application for this... not sure if i'll get past the short listing but sure its all experience. My examples are only about 150 - 180 words but was told not to bulk them out once i hit all the criteria they don't want to see essay's 🤷🏻‍♀️

Best of luck to everyone