Executive Officer in the Civil Service 2026

Wrecking my head here… can someone confirm there were no competency or capability-based questions or supporting statments required on the application form? I'm getting lost in the different campaigns I've applied to over the last year 🤔 The recent CO campaign asked for a lot more information so I started doubting myself for this EO campaign. Thanks.

I’d advise you to create folders on your laptop for your downloaded application forms and the different capability frameworks.

I’ve applied to this competition, the CO, and the CO Courts Service one and would be lost without having folders for each.

Capability is the framework used for CO and EO. They’ve done away with Competency but it’s still applicable for other public service CO/EO jobs like the RSA.

There’s 3 practice questions for the numerical, and one each for verbal and SJ in the email link. Bit of a joke really. They care more that we can use our webcam, verify our ID, and navigate the tests than getting any practice.

I also thought we’d get a bundle of practice questions as well. The practice questions in the email link appear very different in format to the ones on Public Jobs. Like the situation judgment is a conversation rather than a piece of text.

I am dreading the written piece as well as it could determine if you pass or fail the interview in two of the competencies.

It’s supposedly relating to leadership and management. From the last thread, people who had management/years of work experience found it grand but those without any really struggled. A girl who only worked in hospitality could barely write anything. I have no work experience so not expecting it to go well. Will just have to look over the capabilities and think of times I showed leadership in other ways.

There are paid test packages with lots of questions from Kilroy College and Career Services but they are nearly €200 euro. I can’t find any reviews on here for them.

Thanks all, ya it is hard to judge what u are writing, if makes any sense?🙄. I wish they would give an example somewhere about what they expect.

Best of luck everyone.

I think i might do it all in 1 sitting, just get it over with. Oh I don't know what to do.

Planning to do it all on Monday too, will leave the essay until Tuesday to try prepare a bit.

I think I’m going to start with the written and SJT tomorrow and give myself a few more days to prep for verbal and numerical.

I’m worried about the numerical, it has been a long time since I left school, and I did foundation maths for my leaving cert. I’m scraping a pass on the sample tests but all I can do is my best sure!

Hi, I’ve read through the email and attachment but couldn’t find it anywhere clearly stating if the assessment has to be done all in one sitting as in all parts or can I do 2 parts in one day and say the other 2 the next day?

Where does it say that a score of 9 is all that is required to pass the numerical reasoning? Is that true?

Also , can tests be done in any order?

Assessments are now live

I’m so ready to tackle Verbal and SJ… just waiting on the EO father to finish work from home so I’ve a quiet empty house 🤣. 

The desk scan is awkward isn’t it? I’m assuming you can’t have a printer on the desk. 

You can’t even see what you’re doing with the scan if you’re using a laptop since it’s faced the opposite way. 

Good luck. Hope it’s nice like the sample test on Public Jobs! It’s all I’ve looked at for study!

It’s only 9 correct right to pass? That’s what’s been said over the years of threads here.

Hi Guys, is anyone to share some information where I can practice the exams? I mean if you know any website paid or unpaid. What about the written exam, they give you a scenario ( you are attempt to be the the EO) and you need to answert the questions isn't? Can I prepare in any way to this scenario ?

Public Jobs has sample tests! That’s all I’m using!

There are books people recommend on Reddit and paid sites like Kilroy, Career Services, JobTestPrep (Sova & EO) but they’re all very expensive for the access length you get.

And obviously loads of online websites for numerical and verbal tests in general but honestly I think it’s best to stick to what’s been provided by Public Jobs as this is the standard and format expected.

For the written, there’s a couple of discussions about it in the 2023 and 2024 EO threads but you can’t search for it specifically in the thread so you’ll have to go through each page until you get to the relevant pages.

Those threads were way more busy than this one. I feel Reddit has steered people away from Boards.

That’s great to know, same as the sample test then. Hope it went well for you.

You swear they could update the PAS sample tests - maybe add the previous year tests as sample ones