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Australian Public Service · Last updated November 2026

Australian Government Graduate Program (APS Graduate): free practice test

APS graduates start on 12-month programs (some agencies run longer ones) in policy, programs, data, finance, law, digital and other streams, with rotations, formal training and a promotion when they finish. The Generalist Stream, run by the APSC, pays $70,000 to $89,000 plus 15.4% super depending on agency. You apply once from 1 March 2027 for the 2028 intake, then sit online aptitude tests, submit a written pitch, record a one-way video interview, pass referee checks and are matched from a merit pool before pre-employment and security checks.

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About the APS Graduate Program exam

APS graduates start on 12-month programs (some agencies run longer ones) in policy, programs, data, finance, law, digital and other streams, with rotations, formal training and a promotion when they finish. The Generalist Stream, run by the APSC, pays $70,000 to $89,000 plus 15.4% super depending on agency. You apply once from 1 March 2027 for the 2028 intake, then sit online aptitude tests, submit a written pitch, record a one-way video interview, pass referee checks and are matched from a merit pool before pre-employment and security checks.

What's on the exam

APS Graduate Program
The Job and Eligibility
7 key facts
Aptitude Tests: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning
6 key facts
Aptitude Tests: Abstract Reasoning and Problem Solving
6 key facts
The Written Pitch
6 key facts
Security Clearance and Pre-employment Checks
6 key facts
Video Interview, Assessment Centre and APS Values
8 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
6 key facts
The Graduate Year and Beyond
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the APS Graduate Program exam

  • Read the stream page before you apply: each stream has its own eligible degrees, degree completion window and stages. The Generalist Stream accepts any degree; Data, Economist, Legal and the others need a relevant major.
  • Treat the aptitude tests as a speed-and-accuracy exercise. Practise short verbal inference, percentage and table questions under a timer so you stop rereading and start eliminating.
  • Your pitch and video answers are scored against what the job needs. Build 5 or 6 STAR stories (study, part-time work, volunteering, group projects) and link each one to a skill on the stream page, such as analytical thinking or collaboration.
  • Learn the six APS Values, including Stewardship (added 11 December 2024). Interview and judgement questions often test impartiality, frank and fearless advice, and respect for the public.

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Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the premium APS Graduate Program prep

Premium APS Graduate Program prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 50 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    The Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Aptitude Tests: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Aptitude Tests: Abstract Reasoning and Problem Solving8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    The Written Pitch8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Security Clearance and Pre-employment Checks7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Video Interview, Assessment Centre and APS Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    The Graduate Year and Beyond7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete APS Graduate Program study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: What APS graduates do · AGGP streams versus agency programs · Who can apply · Pay and conditions, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. Mia completed her Bachelor of Arts in 2021 and a Master of Public Policy in 2025. She is an Australian citizen. Using the Generalist Stream rule that the qualification must be AQF Level 7 or higher and completed in the stated 5-year window (1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026 for the 2027 intake), is she eligible on the qualification test?
Answer: Yes, because her master's degree is an AQF Level 7 or higher qualification completed inside the window. The rule asks for a Level 7 (bachelor) qualification or higher equivalent completed in the window. A master's degree is above Level 7, and hers was finished in 2025, so she meets the test even though her bachelor degree is older. Always check the exact window for the intake you are applying for, because it moves each year.
2. Passage: "The pilot reduced average processing time for claims from 21 days to 14 days. Over the same period, the number of claims received rose by 10%. Staff numbers did not change." Which conclusion is best supported?
Answer: Processing time fell by about one third even though the workload grew. From 21 to 14 days is a fall of 7 days, which is one third of 21, and it happened while claims rose 10% with the same staff. Nothing in the passage says the pilot caused more claims, that hours changed, or that a wider roll-out is justified. Verbal reasoning items reward conclusions that stay inside the text.
3. A program budget is $2.4 million. Salaries take 55%, contracts take $600,000 and the rest is for travel and equipment. How much is left for travel and equipment?
Answer: $480,000. Salaries are 55% of $2.4 million = $1.32 million. Add contracts of $0.6 million to get $1.92 million spent. The remainder is $2.4 million minus $1.92 million = $480,000. $1,080,000 is what is left after salaries only; always check that every cost in the question has been subtracted.
4. A survey found 64 of 80 respondents in Region A and 117 of 150 respondents in Region B were satisfied. Which statement is correct?
Answer: Region A has the higher satisfaction rate, 80% compared with 78%. 64 / 80 = 0.80 (80%) and 117 / 150 = 0.78 (78%). Region B has more satisfied people in raw numbers but a lower rate, because it surveyed more people. Numerical reasoning tests often set this trap: compare rates, not counts.
5. Passage: "All draft briefs must be cleared by a director before they go to the minister's office. Some briefs on urgent matters are also seen by the deputy secretary." Which statement must be true?
Answer: Any brief that reaches the minister's office has been cleared by a director. The first sentence makes director clearance a condition for every brief going to the minister's office, so any brief that arrives there has been cleared. The passage says some urgent briefs are seen by the deputy secretary; it does not say that only urgent briefs are, or that urgency removes the director step.
6. What number comes next in the series 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ...?
Answer: 127. Each term is double the previous term plus 1: 3 x 2 + 1 = 7, 7 x 2 + 1 = 15, and so on, so 63 x 2 + 1 = 127. Another way to see it: each term is one less than a power of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128). Abstract and numerical series questions reward testing one simple rule at a time.
7. Four graduates (Ari, Bec, Chen, Dev) each start in a different rotation: Policy, Data, Finance or Legal. Ari is not in Policy or Legal. Bec is in Finance. Chen is not in Data or Legal. Who is in Legal?
Answer: Dev. Bec has Finance. Ari cannot have Policy or Legal, and Finance is taken, so Ari has Data. Chen cannot have Data or Legal, so Chen has Policy. That leaves Legal for Dev. In logic puzzles, place the fixed facts first, then use each exclusion in turn until one option remains.
8. In a coded system, POLICY is written as QPMJDZ. How is BUDGET written?
Answer: CVEHFU. Each letter moves forward one place in the alphabet: P to Q, O to P, L to M and so on. Applying the same rule to BUDGET gives C, V, E, H, F, U = CVEHFU. Coding questions test whether you can find a rule and apply it without slips, so check each letter rather than the first two.
9. A pitch asks: "Tell us why you are interested in the Generalist Stream and what you would bring (500 words)." Which opening is strongest?
Answer: "Leading a 4-person research project on regional transport, I turned survey data into three recommendations the council adopted, and I want to do the same kind of evidence-based work in the APS.". A strong pitch opens with a specific, relevant achievement and links it to the job. Generic adjectives give the assessor nothing to score, job security is not a reason the panel cares about, and pointing to your resume wastes the space. The APSC's guidance is to show why you want the role and what you can offer, with evidence.
10. Using the STAR model the APSC recommends, which sentence belongs in the Result part of a pitch example?
Answer: "We submitted two days early and our proposal was ranked first of 14 teams.". STAR is Situation (the context), Task (your role), Action (what you did and how) and Result (what was achieved). Finishing early and ranking first is the outcome. The other sentences are the Task, the Situation and the Action. Panels often mark down examples that stop at the Action and never say what changed.
11. A graduate offer is conditional on obtaining a Baseline security clearance. Which statement about AGSVA's requirements is correct?
Answer: Applicants must normally be Australian citizens with a checkable background, and Baseline asks for 5 years of address, employment and travel history. AGSVA's eligibility rules are Australian citizenship and a checkable background, which a sponsoring agency can waive only in exceptional cases after a risk assessment. Baseline asks for the past 5 years of addresses, employment, education and overseas travel; NV1 and NV2 ask for 10 years. Clearances are sponsored by the employing agency, so you cannot apply on your own.
12. During a rotation, your manager asks you to rewrite the evidence section of a brief so it supports the minister's announced position, by leaving out a study that points the other way. What should you do first?
Answer: Raise your concern with your manager and suggest presenting all the relevant evidence, with the study's limits explained. The APS Value of Impartial requires advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence. Hiding relevant evidence breaches that value. The proportionate first step is to raise it with your manager and offer a balanced way to present the study; escalation comes later if the concern is not resolved.
13. Which APS Value is described as: "The APS builds its capability and institutional knowledge, and supports the public interest now and into the future, by understanding the long-term impacts of what it does"?
Answer: Stewardship. That is the wording of Stewardship, the sixth APS Value, added to section 10 of the Public Service Act 1999 by the Public Service Amendment Act 2024 and in force from 11 December 2024. The other five Values are Impartial, Committed to service, Accountable, Respectful and Ethical.
14. In a group exercise at a virtual assessment centre, one member talks over everyone and the group is running out of time. What behaviour is most likely to score well?
Answer: Summarise the ideas so far, invite the quieter members to add theirs, and propose a time plan for the remaining minutes. Assessors watch how you work with others, not who talks most. Summarising, bringing in other voices and managing time show collaboration and leadership together, which match the APS Value of Respectful and the skills on the stream page. Staying silent gives no evidence; taking over or complaining shows poor teamwork.
15. Using the Generalist Stream's published stage lengths (application about 6 weeks, assessments about 2 months, reference checks about 1 month, preferences and matching about 2 months, offers about 6 weeks), roughly how long can the process take from application opening to offer?
Answer: About 8 to 9 months. Six weeks plus two months plus one month plus two months plus six weeks is about 8 to 9 months. Applications open in March and programs start the following February, so you can be waiting most of the year. Keep your contact details current and answer agency emails quickly during matching.

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Certification guide

Australian security clearances explained: Many federal careers, including the AFP, Border Force, Defence, ASIO and much of the APS, need an Australian Government security clearance, issued in most cases by the [Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA)](https://www.agsva.gov.au/). A clearance isn't something you can get on your own: the employer sponsors it once you're offered a role that needs it. Here is what each level allows, how long it takes and what vetting looks at.

APS Graduate Program exam FAQ

How many questions are on the APS Graduate Program exam?

Generalist Stream: online aptitude tests, then an assessed written pitch, then a one-way online video interview. Agency programs vary (Health: online personality and cognitive assessment, video interview, virtual assessment centre). Question counts are not published, with a time limit of not published for the aptitude tests. the generalist stream says the assessment stage runs for about two months; dfat's one-way video interview allows up to 3 minutes per answer. Format: unsupervised online tests and recorded video answers, so use a quiet room and a reliable connection. agencies such as dfat state that ai tools may not be used during the interview or any assessment; your pitch must be your own work.

What is the passing score for APS Graduate Program?

No published pass mark. Each stage is a hurdle: you must perform well to progress, and suitable candidates are placed in a merit pool and matched to agencies (the ATO says its pool is not ranked).

How much does the APS Graduate Program exam cost?

No fee to apply or to sit any assessment. Most government agencies charge no application fee, but some tests and checks cost money (for example Victoria Police's entrance exam, medicals, first aid certificates and police checks). Confirm current costs on the agency's recruiting website before you apply.

Which languages is the APS Graduate Program exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the APS Graduate Program exam?

Online application through the AGGP portal on APSJobs or the agency's own careers site; online aptitude or psychometric tests and a one-way video interview taken at home; agency programs may add a virtual assessment centre with a group activity and behavioural interview.

Is this APS Graduate Program practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full APS Graduate Program prep is Premium at A$89 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium APS Graduate Program prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Eligibility: 375; Aptitude Tests: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning: 375; Aptitude Tests: Abstract Reasoning and Problem Solving: 375; The Written Pitch: 375; Security Clearance and Pre-employment Checks: 375; Video Interview, Assessment Centre and APS Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; The Graduate Year and Beyond: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting agency changes formats and fees, so confirm with Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) for the AGGP Generalist Stream, lead agencies for the other streams (for example ABS for Data, Department of Finance for Accounting and Financial Management), and individual APS agencies (ATO, DFAT, PM&C, Health and others) for their own programs before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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