2024 Assistant Principal in Civil Service

over the next 2 years

This panel ends December 2025.

It doesn't detract from your point at all though. Just a point. The number of roles offered in this panel theoretically should be much smaller but shortlisting will be tougher too (you'd imagine).

Ah you're right! This one ends December 2025.

AP is Senior Management, shortlisting will be very tough but don't be dismayed if stage 2 or stage 3 doesn't go your way. Apply to every panel you can because the ones you're shortlisted out of are a great measuring stick for how you're progressing.

If you end up doing really well in AP but don't make it all the way then you'd likely breeze through an EO panel, or do great in a HEO panel.

Like I say, this is Senior Management so this is "capital T" Tough. The further you get should give you great confidence in yourself.

Looking back at previous competitions, the shortlisting is done on a county by county basis when there are vacancies.

One competition I got the stage 1 results in January, notified that shortlisting for 3 counties was taking place first. By the time they got to my county for shortlisting and issued those results, it was June. So it could be a long wait yet for those of us outside of Dublin.

thanks for that yes I’m a civil servant alto not long there! So all this is new to me! So for future reference I can enter both interdepartmental and the open stream?

Think I took this up wrong possibly as only has two days to get the application in as saw the email after been on annual leave! So was a bit of a later min mad dash to get it done!

I'm in the lower tier and below average for the Situational Judgement…bit of a confidence blow to be honest.

Ok, in case this is helpful and for future reference:

Open - anyone in the country can apply for a competition. Successful candidates can be posted to any department.

Interdepartmental - only serving civil servants (with two years' in the service) can apply. Successful candidates can be posted to any department, but you can request through your own department's HR, to be retained in your department (provided they have a vacancy at that grade, retention is not guaranteed).

Internal - is a competition run by a specific department for serving civil servants (with two years' in the service) already working in that department.

I think this is the case:

Or, is it the case that, say the first X number of the stage 1 OOM are taken, and application forms are ranked, giving a new OOM. Those are then progressed through the next stages. Once this is exhausted, they go back to the stage one results and take another Y number to rank?

But I'm not 100% sure.

If its like the recent HEO comp they take a batch and rate those based on app form. If you pass that you get a new room and then interviewed. I was 2nd in my chosen county after tests, moved to 1st after app form and 3rd after interview. I know someone who is 6 th or seventh after tests and they still haven't received their oom after app review. I'm in my HEO position for the last month so batches moving slow

You can fail the shortlisting from the application form and many do. You are not guaranteed an interview because you passed the assessments tests.

Kind of, usually when Stage 2 results are out everyone gets them in like a week or 2 of each other as far as I an remember. "Batches" are usually just groupings for the Interviews because there's only so many interviewers. It will be much like today.

Please remember folks Stage 2 shortlisting is the toughest of the tough. It it not unusual for someone to get <10 in both streams in Stage 1 and gets knocked out entirely in Stage 2 because their answers/experiences don't reach the necessary grade. Likewise if you're 1600+ in Stage 1 and have the experiences you can show off you could jump up the OOM.

Whatever happens Stage 2 is where you get the absolute best feedback on things you've already done/achieved. If you don't have enough behind you and get knocked out don't feel bad, it's a measuring stick. It might mean you need to get onto more projects, offer to do different kinds of work, do more training or if you're like me just flatly write about yourself better. The important thing with application stuff is to talk about what YOU did, not a Team or department.

No one should feel anxious this is going to take months practically into summer so just chill and sit back until Stage 2 results come out and then you can start preparing seriously.

If you ARE anxious, take up some training now online or in work. Document writing, conflict resolution, project management especially is a good one. Do things and training where you have to lead people and took on responsibility.

If you passed Stage 1 today you are going on to Stage 2. Only those who passed Stage 1 will have their application forms reviewed for Stage 2. If they pass Stage 2 they will be given a new OOM. This new OOM is your position in the queue to be invited to Stage 3. Stage 3 invitations are usually done in batches.

Stage 2 results will come out for everyone over a day or two, much like the results people are getting today and I'm sure some people aren't getting results until tomorrow either.

Really happy to say I've passed too. Open OOM is 27, location was Dublin. Overall score was approx 1,300. I expect this one will be a long process - currently on an AP panel for another technical role since the middle of last year, so well used to a long waiting game!!

As per the Comp booklet, the shortlisting stage is due to be finalised in January 2025 so I'm guessing that this will be done in batches depending on OOM.

Open 14

Inter D 11

Was advised to start prepping ASAP for the 3rd stage (they didn't see my app form so this is where i'll be bowing out)

Going on the last internal AP comp, the interview will be a brutal experience so be prepared!!!

Congrats all and best of luck in the next stages.

In the recent internal comp, there was 36 in each batch. Most likely will be more than that in this one due to a bigger capacity to conduct interviews. I'd say only PAS can say with any certainty

This is my first time to apply for the AP. I scored in the mid 500s open in Dublin. I'm surprised that the aptitude tests appear to be the be all and end all, and if you don't score highly enough that your experience and competencies aren't considered.

I can understand the merit of aptitude tests as a method of shortlisting, but not at the expense of displaying required competencies and experience and had wrongly presumed that if you displayed the ability to pass the aptitude test that your form would be reviewed.

It was my understanding the last competition that shortlisting on forms was the first step and then candidates were invited to sit aptitude tests.. does anyone know if that was the case?