NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

This document answers the question that I had about sequencing if anyone is interested.

https://prod-g2g-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/FAQs_15072021.pdf

Table

Yes, one for the open competition and one for the interdepartmental.

Hi all,

Alot of the information and answers to questions around shortlisting, most of the jobs being in Dublin etc. is in the original pack as linked below:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/05KS3AAEV1G0/22434207-final-22434207-assitant-principal-2022-information-booklet.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiV6KHXruf8AhWJTcAKHbsqD5UQFnoECDEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3vbuTagn3BLCaoZo80fmIJ

I wasn't clear on it all (all of it) over the last few competitions to my own detriment. It's definitely advisable to take all the information within this serious in advance of applying. It will save you worry and wasted time in the long run.

Attempted a summary below as it is a confusing process and completely open to corrections and i will edit:

Application forms submitted

Open stream – open to everyone both inside and outside of the civil service

Interdepartmental stream – open only to civil servants with a minimum of 2 years’ service and satisfactory PMDS

Online Testing

Required to pass all three tests, Numerical Analysis, Verbal Analysis and Situational Judgement (Maximum score 800, Qualifying Score 390)

Only Verbal Analysis and Situational Judgement count towards your total score by adding both totals together

Your Order Of Merit is where you rank on either/both streams based on your total score compared to everyone else score

The second stage, the list is split into batches – it seems this one was ~400 people and probably where the cut of mark of 1159 (for Dublin) comes from (i.e. person ranked #400th had a score of 1159)

Shortlisting stage

The 400 people who had a score of 1159+ (for Dublin) will be part of short listing (for both streams in parallel?)

Short Listing will comprise of reviewing applications forme and short listing based on that

Assuming there may be a number of applicants on the Interdepartmental stream that are not eligible (i.e. not a civil servant or have the required number of years’ service) and will be disqualified at short listing stage

One way video and interview stage

I understand previously if short listed, you then complete a 1 way video interview, answering 3 questions provided, recording your answers which are 3 minutes long each

I assume those who are successful after this stage will be short list for interview and those who are not will end at this stage.

Interview stage for those who are short listed (not sure if a presentation is required?)

Placed on a panel

Those who are successful in the interviews will be placed on a panel and provided a new OOM on one or both streams.

Applications are offered positions by OOM until (I assume) the list is nearly exhausted and then (I assume) they look to batch two and start the process again with either the same number in batch 2 (400) or a smaller number

Napkin calculations (this is completely made up for fun, I didn’t get into batch 1 so those who did check my math’s)

400 selected in batch 1 in both Open and Inter streams

There will be a subset of the same people in both

So for example the inter stream:

10% probably ineligible for inter department straightaway (not a CS or served 2 years) 400-40=360

60% of remainder go forward for one way interview stage 360-144 =216

60% of remainder go forward for interview 216-86= 130

50% of remainder go on a panel 130-65=65

5 offers per week (1 per day) = 13 weeks until panel is exhausted

Trigger Batch 2 and repeat again 😊

In 2018 the below article warned of a retirement cliff in in 5 years which is now 2023, keep the faith as there many be many gaps to fill this time round 👍

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/civil-service-is-on-the-brink-of-retirement-cliff-union-chief-says-36936859.html

Are you on the open stream or inter stream or both. Looking at your scores and the original poster you quoted, I'd say you are in open stream and they are in inter department stream.

Even though both scores are similar, there would be less applications in the inter stream than open stream so the other person could have a much lower OOM postion with similar scores to yourself because they are in a different steam .

Just so people have an idea of the timeline. It may be slightly different this time since they are using the form for shortlisting purposes but I applied for the 2021 competition and got in the 1200s in the OOM, which put in me batch 3 or 4.

I looked back at the dates and it took 9 months to get called to round 2 which was the video interview shortlisting.

I don't know but I imagine everything will be based on the competencies from the original booklet.

Mid 760’s here with 1100 points in Open stream and early 500’s in Interdepartmental. Although unlike previous competitions this is overall rather than by county selected.

I think I recall reading somewhere on the original application that the first 100 or more would also be considered for Higher Assistant Principal role too.

I'm scored 1166 so scraped in the door for the first stage to 2nd stage (1159) by 7 marks. I'm 420 Open, 289 InterD. Kildare 1st, Dublin 2nd. I read the competition material and expect a second OOM, or booting out, after PAS look at my application form. Don't expect an online interview but would welcome other opinions. Expecting a presentation and in-person interview

The short listing of the form is new this year. In the last competition they went straight to the video interview and used that to shortlist candidates.

I don’t know if they will include it this year. Someone mentioned previously that they dropped it for the HEO competitions. Which kind of make sense, why bother going to the time and expense of having people record themselves answering questions when you pull that information from the application form.

The video interview itself involved simply recording yours answers to three questions on topics such a leadership or managing teams. They were very similar to the questions on the application form.

Any one any predictions re batch 2 Dublin? Am 614 in oom and scored 1125 . Trying to work out how many per batches 2 and 3?

Section 5 from the circular refers to the Assistant Principal Officer Higher competition criteria.

"It is envisaged that a separate competition may be held to fill future vacancies in the Civil Service at the grade of Assistant Principal Officer Higher. This future separate competition will be limited to existing civil servants at the grade of Assistant Principal Officer Standard and equivalent with at least 2 years’ service completed within the Civil Service, as well as to the top 160 candidates from Stage 1 in this Assistant Principal Officer Standard interdepartmental competition. Any existing civil servant at a grade below Assistant Principal Officer Standard or equivalent by the closing date that may be interested in applying for the next Assistant Principal Officer Higher interdepartmental competition should therefore ensure that they apply and compete in this Assistant Principal Officer Standard interdepartmental competition."

Top 60% passed and based off the feedback sheet, the average score would be 1,001 so twice that would be total. I imagine 3,000

Sometimes this type of information is released to the relevant unions.

Is anyone on here who got through in the 1st Batch that had a total score of 1159 who can tell us what their OOM was for both the open and the Inter D

Total score = results from Situational judgment + verbal reasoning added together.

OOM is where you rank on the list for total score compared to everyone else.

Assuming you passed all three tests, your OOM will dictate where on the list you are for consideration in the short listing process.

If you have total score of 1159 higher, you will be in batch 1 for short listing, below this you may be in a batch 2, 3, etc assume there is requirement for that number of people.....

So once you passed the test, I don't think test scores are that relevant now, i assume your OOM may provide some high level indication of potential waiting time.

The total score creates the OOM, which is then revised after the assessment of application forms, and again after the interviews.

PAS said they hope to have shortlisting circulated by end of this month.

Results are in!!

I only scored 99 on the shortlisting which is both surprising and extremely disappointing. I've been one grade below this for many years with a lot of relevant experience (albeit public sector experience). The cutoff is a score of 113 so I'm way off. I'm not at all certain where I went wrong on the application form.

I was in the top 120 OOM but this makes me wonder if I'm a good fit at all if they scored my experience so badly. Really odd how consistently bad my scores are when I definitely have strengths and weaknesses. They are all mid20's

Chin up I suppose. I wonder if there are many people getting help with this process for example with putting on the form exactly what is needed. There seems to be a whole industry based around helping people tick the boxes.