APS Graduate Program Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Australian Government Graduate Program (APS Graduate) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 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 |
|---|---|
| Time | 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 |
| Passing score | 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) |
| 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 |
| Certifying body | 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 |
| Test provider | 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 |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
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.
1. The Job and Eligibility
What an APS graduate does, the AGGP streams versus agency programs, who can apply, and what graduates are paid.
Key facts
- The Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP) lets you apply once to a stream and be considered by many agencies. Streams listed for 2028 entry: Generalist, Data, Digital, Economist, Accounting and Financial Management, HR, Legal, STEM, Intelligence and the Indigenous Graduate Pathway.
- The Generalist Stream is managed by the APSC. Other streams have lead agencies (for example the ABS runs the Data Stream and the Department of Finance runs Accounting and Financial Management).
- Many agencies also run their own programs (ATO, DFAT, PM&C, Health, Infrastructure and others). Some, such as the ATO for its Data and HR streams, tell you to apply through the AGGP instead.
- Core eligibility on APSJobs: Australian citizen at the time of application, a degree completed within the last 5 years (Generalist 2027 intake: AQF Level 7 or higher completed between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026), and willingness to undergo police, character, health and other checks.
- You must be able to obtain and keep a security clearance when required, which in practice means a checkable background (see the clearance topic).
- Pay: the Generalist Stream advertises $70,000 to $89,000 plus 15.4% super, depending on agency. Examples: ATO graduates start on $75,431 and move to APS 4 ($84,028) on completion; Infrastructure's 2027 program starts at APS 3 ($72,133) and finishes at APS 5 ($89,225).
- Most positions are in Canberra; some streams and agencies offer roles in other capital cities. Relocation help may be offered.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Pick your stream by degree first, then by interest. Applying to the wrong stream wastes an application cycle because eligibility is checked at the first stage.
2. Aptitude Tests: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning
The first assessment in the Generalist Stream is online aptitude testing. Agencies do not publish the test provider, length or pass mark, but the APSC says psychometric tests may assess numerical reasoning, abstract thinking and problem solving.
Key facts
- Verbal reasoning items give a short passage and ask what follows from it. The right answer stays inside the text; options that add causes, motives or recommendations are usually wrong.
- Watch quantifiers: "all", "some", "only" and "must". "All briefs are cleared by a director" lets you conclude something about every brief; "some urgent briefs" does not.
- Numerical items use percentages, ratios, averages and simple tables of budgets or survey results. Rates and counts are different: a bigger region can have more satisfied people but a lower satisfaction rate.
- Percentage change = (new - old) / old x 100. A fall from 21 days to 14 days is 7 / 21 = one third, about 33%.
- Work out what is asked before you calculate: "left over" questions need every cost subtracted; "share of total" questions need the right denominator.
- Tests are timed and unsupervised. Use a calculator only if the instructions allow one, and keep scrap paper ready.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Practise in short timed sets of 10. Speed comes from recognising the type of question quickly, not from rushing the arithmetic.
3. Aptitude Tests: Abstract Reasoning and Problem Solving
Abstract and logical items test whether you can find and apply a rule: number series, letter codes, shape sequences and grouping puzzles. The APSC lists abstract thinking and problem solving among the abilities psychometric tests may assess.
Key facts
- Number series: test one simple rule at a time (add, multiply, add-then-multiply, alternating). 3, 7, 15, 31, 63 is double plus one, so 127 comes next.
- Letter codes: check every letter, not just the first two. A shift of one place turns POLICY into QPMJDZ.
- Shape sequences: look at one feature at a time (number of sides, shading, rotation, position) and track how it changes from frame to frame.
- Grouping puzzles: place fixed facts first, then apply each exclusion in turn until only one arrangement fits.
- If two rules fit the first terms, check them against the last given term before choosing.
- Do not spend too long on one item; flag it mentally, move on and come back if the platform allows.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Write the differences between terms under a number series. Most series reveal their rule in the first line of differences or the second.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question APS Graduate Program test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. The Written Pitch
In the Generalist Stream, candidates who pass the aptitude tests have a written pitch assessed. The APSC describes a pitch as a short statement of why you want the role, what you can offer and how your skills, knowledge and experience apply, in a nutshell why they should hire you.
Key facts
- Stick to the word limit exactly. The APSC's advice is to check whether the agency wants one page, two pages or a set word count.
- Do not repeat your resume. Use the pitch for one or two strong examples that show the skills the stream lists: analytical and critical thinking, written and verbal communication, collaboration, problem solving and judgement, adaptability.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Draft your pitch, then highlight each sentence by STAR letter. If there is no Result colour in an example, add one or replace the example.
5. Security Clearance and Pre-employment Checks
Graduates must be able to obtain and keep a security clearance when required, and agencies run their own pre-employment checks (identity, citizenship, police check, health and integrity checks). Clearances are processed by the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA).
Key facts
- Clearance levels: Baseline (up to PROTECTED), Negative Vetting 1 (up to SECRET), Negative Vetting 2 (up to TOP SECRET) and Positive Vetting (TOP SECRET including caveated and codeword material).
- AGSVA eligibility: Australian citizenship and a checkable background. A sponsoring entity can waive these only for an exceptional business need after a risk assessment.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Start collecting your 5- or 10-year address, study, work and travel history now. Gaps and missing documents are the most common cause of delay.
6. Video Interview, Assessment Centre and APS Values
The Generalist Stream ends its assessments with a one-way online video interview. Agency programs add virtual assessment centres (Health: group activity and behavioural interview; PM&C: written task, interview and group activity). Answers are judged against the job's skills and the APS Values.
Key facts
- One-way video: you read or hear a question, get time to think and record your answer. DFAT allows up to 3 minutes per answer. Practise speaking to a camera to time.
- Behavioural questions start with "Tell us about a time when..." and assume past behaviour predicts future behaviour. Hypothetical questions set a work problem and ask how you would handle it.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Record yourself answering three practice questions on your phone. Watch it back for filler words and for a clear Result at the end of each answer.
7. Application Strategy and Timeline
Applications for 2028 AGGP streams open on 1 March 2027. Agency programs run on similar but not identical timelines, and the whole process can take most of a year.
Key facts
- Generalist Stream stages and published durations: initial application (about 6 weeks), assessments (about 2 months: aptitude tests, then pitch, then one-way video), reference checks (about 1 month), preferences and matching (about 2 months), offers (about 6 weeks).
- ATO 2027 example: applications 2 March to 9 April 2026; online assessment late April; assessment centre May and June; referee reports July and August; merit pool notifications mid-August; security checks and offers from September; start 1 February 2027.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Register for APSC Career Pathways updates and set a reminder for 1 March. Early applicants have more time to fix document problems.
8. The Graduate Year and Beyond
Graduate programs combine on-the-job work in rotations with formal training, then advancement to a higher APS level. The APS classification ladder runs APS 1 to 6, Executive Level 1 and 2, then the Senior Executive Service.
Key facts
- Typical program: 12 months with rotations across teams or agencies, a learning and development program, mentors and a graduate cohort.
- Graduates commonly start at APS 3 or APS 4 and advance on completion; for example ATO graduates are promoted to APS 4, and Infrastructure graduates advance from APS 3 to APS 5 over an 11-month accelerated program.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Ask for a rotation in an area you know least about. Breadth in the graduate year makes later APS 5 and APS 6 applications easier to write.
How to pass
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the APS Graduate Program exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the APS Graduate Program exam online?
It depends on the agency. 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. Written and aptitude tests are often online now, but fitness tests, medicals and most assessment days are in person, and interviews may be in person or by video. Check the agency's recruiting website for the current arrangements.
What score do I need to pass the APS Graduate Program exam?
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). The exam has 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 and 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.
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers the job and eligibility, aptitude tests: verbal and numerical reasoning, aptitude tests: abstract reasoning and problem solving, the written pitch, security clearance and pre-employment checks, video interview, assessment centre and aps values, application strategy and timeline, the graduate year and beyond. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium APS Graduate Program study path
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.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1The Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Aptitude Tests: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Aptitude Tests: Abstract Reasoning and Problem Solving8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4The Written Pitch8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Security Clearance and Pre-employment Checks7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Video Interview, Assessment Centre and APS Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8The Graduate Year and Beyond7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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Summarized from the recruiting agency's official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements 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.