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State Public Service · Last updated November 2026

NSW Public Service Jobs (Clerk Grades and the NSW Government Graduate Program): free practice test

The NSW Public Service is Australia's largest state public service, with roles from Clerk Grade 1/2 administration to senior policy jobs, plus an 18-month Graduate Program with three rotations. Every role description lists focus capabilities from the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework, and your cover letter, resume, targeted questions, online tests and interview are all scored against them. Suitable candidates can join a talent pool for up to 18 months, then pass pre-employment checks before an offer.

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About the NSW Public Service exam

The NSW Public Service is Australia's largest state public service, with roles from Clerk Grade 1/2 administration to senior policy jobs, plus an 18-month Graduate Program with three rotations. Every role description lists focus capabilities from the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework, and your cover letter, resume, targeted questions, online tests and interview are all scored against them. Suitable candidates can join a talent pool for up to 18 months, then pass pre-employment checks before an offer.

What's on the exam

NSW Public Service
The Job and Eligibility
6 key facts
Capability Framework and Targeted Questions
7 key facts
Online Assessments: Cognitive Ability
6 key facts
Situational Judgement and the Ethical Framework
6 key facts
Pre-employment Checks
6 key facts
Interview and Assessment Centre
7 key facts
Application Strategy, Talent Pools and Timeline
6 key facts
Graduate Program and First Year
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 NSW Public Service exam

  • Start with the role description, not the ad. The focus capabilities and their levels (Foundational to Highly Advanced) are what the panel scores, so every example you write should hit one of them.
  • Answer each targeted question with one specific STAR example and a measurable result, inside the word limit. Do not summarise your career.
  • Use the NSW Capability Application Tool: select the capability and level from the role description to see the behavioural indicators and sample interview questions, then practise aloud.
  • Learn the four core values in the Government Sector Employment Act 2013: Integrity, Trust, Service and Accountability. Situational judgement items and interview questions are built on them.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

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 NSW Public Service prep

Premium NSW Public Service 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
    Capability Framework and Targeted Questions8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Online Assessments: Cognitive Ability8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  4. 4
    Situational Judgement and the Ethical Framework8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Pre-employment Checks7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Interview and Assessment Centre7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Application Strategy, Talent Pools and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Graduate Program and First Year7 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 NSW Public Service study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: Who you would work for · Reading a role description · Eligibility · Pay and entry points, 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. A NSW role description lists "Clerk Grade 5/6". What does this tell you?
Answer: The role's classification under the administrative and clerical structure, which sets the salary range. NSW administrative and clerical roles are graded from the Clerks General Scale through Clerk Grade 1/2 to Grade 11/12, and each grade has a salary range set by the Crown Employees (Public Sector - Salaries 2024) Award. The grade does not state years of experience; the focus capabilities are listed separately in the role description.
2. How many capabilities are in the core groups of the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework (Personal Attributes, Relationships, Results and Business Enablers), and how many levels does each have?
Answer: 16 capabilities, 5 levels. There are 16 core capabilities in 4 groups, plus 4 People Management capabilities for managers (20 in total). Each has 5 levels: Foundational, Intermediate, Adept, Advanced and Highly Advanced. The revised framework kept the same capabilities and levels.
3. Which capability belongs to the Results group of the framework?
Answer: Think and Solve Problems. The Results group is Deliver Results, Plan and Prioritise, Think and Solve Problems and Demonstrate Accountability. Communicate Effectively is in Relationships, Act with Integrity is in Personal Attributes and Project Management is in Business Enablers.
4. A targeted question asks (300 words): "Describe a time you had to manage competing priorities to meet a deadline." Which answer will score best?
Answer: A specific example: the deadlines you faced, how you ranked tasks and agreed changes with your manager, and the outcome, such as all items delivered on time. Panels score evidence against the focus capability (here Plan and Prioritise). A STAR example with your own actions and a measurable result shows the behavioural indicators. Claims, career summaries and general essays give the panel nothing to rate.
5. What number completes the series 4, 9, 19, 39, 79, ...?
Answer: 159. Each term is double the previous term plus 1: 4 x 2 + 1 = 9, 9 x 2 + 1 = 19, and so on, so 79 x 2 + 1 = 159. Cognitive ability tests often use series like this; test one simple rule at a time against every term.
6. A service centre had 1,600 visits in March and 1,360 in April. What was the percentage fall?
Answer: 15%. The fall is 1,600 - 1,360 = 240. Divide by the original figure: 240 / 1,600 = 0.15, or 15%. Dividing by the new figure (240 / 1,360) gives about 17.6%, a common wrong answer.
7. Passage: "Grants of up to $20,000 are available to community groups that have been incorporated for at least 12 months. Groups that received a grant last year may apply only for a different project." A group incorporated 18 months ago, which received a grant last year for a garden, applies for $15,000 for the same garden. Is it eligible?
Answer: No, because it received a grant last year and is applying for the same project. The group meets the amount and the 12-month incorporation rule, but the second sentence bars last year's recipients from applying for the same project. Check every condition, not just the first one you meet.
8. Four officers share a roster. Kai works only on days when Lee does not. Lee works Monday and Wednesday. Mo works every day Kai works. On which day are both Kai and Mo certain NOT to be working together?
Answer: Monday. Kai cannot work on Monday or Wednesday because Lee works those days. Mo works every day Kai works, but Kai is absent on Monday, so Kai and Mo cannot both be working on Monday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they may or may not work together; only Monday (and Wednesday, which is not offered) is certain.
9. The Government Sector Employment Act 2013 sets out four core values for the NSW government sector. Which list is correct?
Answer: Integrity, Trust, Service and Accountability. Section 7 of the GSE Act lists Integrity, Trust, Service and Accountability, each with principles. The second list is from Victoria's Public Administration Act and the third mixes APS Values. Know which jurisdiction's values you are being tested on.
10. A supplier you are assessing for a contract offers you two free concert tickets "to say thanks for your time". What should you do?
Answer: Decline and record or report the offer under your agency's gifts and benefits policy. Accepting a gift from a supplier you are assessing creates at least an apparent conflict of interest, against the Integrity value (placing the public interest over personal interest) and agency gifts and benefits policies. Declining and recording the offer protects you and the process; giving the tickets to a colleague does not remove the problem.
11. Your manager asks you to shortlist a friend of theirs for an interview even though the friend's application did not meet the essential requirement. What is the best response?
Answer: Explain that NSW recruitment must be merit-based against the role's requirements, and decline to add the friend; raise it further if pressed. Under the Accountability value, NSW agencies must recruit and promote employees on merit, and essential requirements are screened before assessment. Politely explaining the rule and declining is the right first step; escalate if the pressure continues. Quietly going along or leaving without explanation does not fix the breach.
12. Which check is commonly required before an offer for a NSW role that involves working with children?
Answer: A Working With Children Check clearance, alongside the agency's standard pre-employment checks. Roles involving child-related work need a Working With Children Check clearance from the Office of the Children's Guardian, in addition to the usual identity, work-rights, reference and (where required) National Police Check. Credit checks and federal Top Secret clearances are not standard for NSW roles.
13. According to NSW recruitment rules, which assessment must be part of every comparative assessment for a NSW Public Service role?
Answer: An interview. A comparative assessment needs at least 3 capability-based assessments, and one of them must be an interview. The others can be the application, targeted questions, online tests, work samples or assessment centre activities, depending on the role.
14. You were found suitable for a Clerk Grade 3/4 role but another candidate got the job. You are placed in a talent pool. What does this mean?
Answer: You can be considered for similar roles for up to 18 months without a full new assessment. A talent pool holds candidates who completed a comparative assessment and met the standard. The maximum time in a pool is 18 months, and hiring managers can use it to fill ongoing, temporary or term roles of a similar kind. It is not a guaranteed offer.
15. How is the NSW Government Graduate Program structured?
Answer: 18 months with 3 rotations, a mentor and a learning program tailored to your stream. The NSW Government Graduate Program, delivered by the Premier's Department, runs for 18 months with 3 placements, a dedicated mentor and a stream-specific learning program. Streams have included Primary (generalist), Legal, Digital, Social work and Engineering, and graduates move into an ongoing role on completion.

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Certification guide

Government job interview questions and how to answer them: Australian government interviews are structured: a panel of two or more people asks every candidate the same behavioural and scenario questions and rates the answers against the job's requirements and the employer's published values. The [APSC's guide to APS recruitment](https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/joining-aps/cracking-code/7-interview-and-other-assessment-cracking-code) describes exactly this. Here is how the panel scores you, the questions that come up again and again, and how to build answers that score well.

NSW Public Service exam FAQ

How many questions are on the NSW Public Service exam?

Varies by role. NSW rules require a comparative assessment of the role's focus capabilities, knowledge and experience using at least 3 capability-based assessments, one of which is an interview. Online tests may be cognitive ability, personality or situational judgement; NSW does not publish question counts, with a time limit of not published; set for each recruitment. Format: online tests are unsupervised and timed. the role description lists the focus capabilities and their levels: use nsw's capability application tool to see the behavioural indicators and example interview questions for each.

What is the passing score for NSW Public Service?

No published pass mark. Panels rate you against each focus capability at the level in the role description. Candidates who meet the standard can be placed in a talent pool for up to 18 months.

How much does the NSW Public Service 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 NSW Public Service exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the NSW Public Service exam?

Online application on I Work for NSW. Assessments chosen per role: online capability tests (cognitive ability, personality questionnaires, situational judgement tests), work samples, video or live interviews and assessment centres. The Graduate Program uses online assessment tasks and a virtual assessment centre.

Is this NSW Public Service 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 NSW Public Service prep is Premium at A$89 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium NSW Public Service prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Eligibility: 375; Capability Framework and Targeted Questions: 375; Online Assessments: Cognitive Ability: 375; Situational Judgement and the Ethical Framework: 375; Pre-employment Checks: 375; Interview and Assessment Centre: 375; Application Strategy, Talent Pools and Timeline: 375; Graduate Program and First Year: 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.

Compare NSW Public Service with other government careers

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Victorian Public Service (VPS) Jobs and the Victorian Government Graduate Program

The Victorian Public Service employs people in departments such as Premier and Cabinet, Treasury and Finance, Justice and Community Safety, Health and Government Services, in grades VPS 1 to VPS 6 and above.

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
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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 NSW government sector agencies (for example the Premier's Department, Department of Communities and Justice, Service NSW, Transport for NSW), under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 and GSE Rules 2014, with standards set by the NSW Public Service Commission before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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