NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

As long as you received the minimum pass you will be called in subsequent batches its just a matter of time so I wouldn't worry too much.

Also like everything some times its just a matter of did you get you're examples out better than the person above/below you, its a super competitive process with thousands of applicants each competition.

How did they get through them all accurately in the few days between 30th January – 3rd February 2023?

I'm disappointed but I just have to laugh I got 16 in a competency that I've previously gotten 36.

Who said consistency is the key?

Going by the Stage 2 results of the 2021 competition, it doesn't push you're rank up. It only counts to get you into the Batch they interview unless they break the batches up into smaller chunks if too many scored above 114.

You only get a revised OOM after all the interviews of the Batch are done which is based on you're score at interview and presentation

You would have to ask PAS directly how they assign interview dates ie. by original OOM or score initially. But I would think that as the end result is the same, it shouldn't matter as they don't post results individually but at the end of the Batch interviews.

If you are worried about holidays, getting time off etc. you could ask PAS when they hope to run the interviews. From memory they do interviews over 3-4 weeks.

Is the interview and presentation generally held in one session or split over two sessions?

The interview and presentation should be all one session it was in 2021. Presentation first then the interview straight after with the same board.

just one interview and combined presentation no preliminary interview.

I am in a very similar situation to @Board.surf , scores of 24, 24, 25, 25, and I was a bit surprised at the lowness of the scores and the evenness of them (was in the 80’s on the open and 50’s on interdepartmental, and thought my experience strong. I have not heard of the section 7 appeal, but would like to appeal I think, just to see how they applied their process. Would it be ok to contact you? Might anyone else have advice, e.g. is it a good idea to appeal? Thanks.

Thank you, that’s very helpful and informative, I think prob best to leave it regards a section 7 so. It seems all is to very set formula/criteria that are more defined than the competences in the booklet, wonder is that info out there in detail? Wondering now if interview/cv coaches would have been a better approach than just my own interpretations, it seems there might be a “formula” for each part, and once you know that and tailor for it, you do better. Perhaps that’s gaming it, but if they have set it up this way, then that looks to be the best way to hit the marks? Thank you for your help.

I’ll try and cover all your queries and I welcome any one else rowing in too. Hopefully this is of help to you and others on here.

1. The short listing from what I can see is based only on the responses given to the 4 questions. I’m sorry you didn’t get through but they couldn’t have only considered you’re current role unless you based your leadership response on only you’re AO role.
2. AO’s tend not to have staff except in rare situations and applies to any department. Revenue is one of the few I have heard have AO managers also some other line departments like Dep Ag. But you take the risk of going to a new area and not actually getting staff and end up some where for a few more years in the same situation as now. Another alternative is a secondment if a suitable one comes up and you could find the information hand book tells you whether you will manage staff.
3. If you have people management experience from outside the civil service that should be enough, it’s up to you to get that across in your responses. My opinion and what has worked for me is not to simply say you had x job and managed staff and give a summary of what you had responsibility for, you need to give evidence of some kind for example I had x job and managed y for z year. While at this role I was tasked with 1,2,3. This is how I delivered (STAR format) on these tasks (in the context of the question asked). I know of many AO’s with a lot of very good outside the civil service management experience that have no staff that have been successful in the AP competitions both on the open and internal. It’s just about refining you’re responses, I suggest contacting people you work with who have been successful in the AP competitions you are applying for in your own department or reading through the posts on the 2021 thread there’s tons of great responses, knowledge and advice already posted that can guide you. Also very few people get through a competition to the end it’s a very competitive process with thousands of applicants for a small number of jobs by comparison, it can take multiple attempts so don’t feel too disappointed it’s all about improving your technique until you get it right.
4. You could try and identify the small number of AO roles internally that have staff and wait them out and express an interest in filling those roles through your manager when they become vacant. I’ve seen this happen before, it’s rare but it does happen.

Scored below 114 but passed all. So this means I will be called eventually rather than 'may' be called?

Some posts here referring to presentation and interview. Do we know for definite it is a presentation and not some other form of assessment?

I just got the interview date, eeek, in 3 weeks time! Suddenly becoming real, I had thought this would be months and months and end-of-year type thing...

Does anyone know if you can amend your location preference at this stage

When you say first batch and second batch. Is it possible for people from the second batch below 114, to score so well on their application and subsequent interview/presentation that their total score would put them ahead in the OOM of someone from batch 1? Or would they keep the 2 groups separate as per the origional OOM after the tests?

Just to confirm, that each batch is treated separately.

Best of luck to those having their interviews shortly.

Does anyone know when the interviews are starting / finishing? Just trying to work out how many they might be interviewing in this batch?

Thanks Gadgetman99 - it was more musing about numbers in this batch rather than when people might be placed and I'm curious about when the interviews are starting/ending, nothing more, but thanks for your insights.

Best of luck with your interview. Do you know if it is an in person interview or on-line?

Thanks McGort. You've made my day. I'm in the next batch to be interviewed and was dreading going back to in person interviews, much prefer online.

Question folks....

Got my strategic analysis today and I have gotten one of the same topics I prepared for the last interview (where I passed the analysis but failed the interview). The documentation says they will perform a duplication check, but it was my own work the last time round.

So can I use the same material and say nothing? Or should I check with PAS?

Well if you cannot plagiarise yourself who can you plagiarise