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State Public Service · Last updated November 2026

Victorian Public Service (VPS) Jobs and the Victorian Government Graduate Program: free practice test

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. Ordinary jobs ask for a resume and a cover letter or key selection criteria responses, then a panel interview, referee checks and mandatory pre-employment misconduct screening. The 12-month graduate program uses the Cognify cognitive test, a video interview and a virtual assessment centre, pays $68,408 plus super and ends with an ongoing VPS 3 role at $83,941.

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About the Victorian Public Service exam

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. Ordinary jobs ask for a resume and a cover letter or key selection criteria responses, then a panel interview, referee checks and mandatory pre-employment misconduct screening. The 12-month graduate program uses the Cognify cognitive test, a video interview and a virtual assessment centre, pays $68,408 plus super and ends with an ongoing VPS 3 role at $83,941.

What's on the exam

Victorian Public Service
The Job and Eligibility
6 key facts
Cognitive Ability Test: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning
6 key facts
Cognitive Ability Test: Abstract Reasoning
6 key facts
Key Selection Criteria, Cover Letter and Work Sample
6 key facts
Pre-employment and Misconduct Screening
6 key facts
Interviews and the Public Sector Values
7 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
6 key facts
Graduate Program and VPS Career Path
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 Victorian Public Service exam

  • Read the position description, not just the ad: the key selection criteria (KSC) are what the panel scores, and your cover letter or KSC responses should give one evidence-based example for each.
  • For the graduate program, practise game-style reasoning (verbal, numerical, abstract) under time pressure. Cognify rewards quick, accurate pattern spotting, and each area tests a different strength.
  • Learn the seven Victorian public sector values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. Interviews and scenario questions draw on them.
  • Be honest in the pre-employment misconduct declaration. Screening is mandatory for every VPS position and covers past misconduct, police history and identity.

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 Victorian Public Service prep

Premium Victorian 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
    Cognitive Ability Test: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Cognitive Ability Test: Abstract Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Key Selection Criteria, Cover Letter and Work Sample8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Pre-employment and Misconduct Screening7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Interviews and the Public Sector 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
    Graduate Program and VPS Career Path7 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 Victorian Public Service study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: Where VPS employees work · Grades and pay · Eligibility · What the VPS looks for, 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. Which applicant meets the eligibility rules for the 2027 Victorian Government graduate program?
Answer: Ben, a permanent resident who finished his degree in 2025 and can start full time in February 2027. For the 2027 intake you needed a degree completed between 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2027, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or Australian permanent residency, no temporary graduate visa, availability from February 2027, and no Victorian public sector voluntary redundancy in the 3 years before the start. Ben meets every rule; Ana's degree is too old, Chloe's visa is excluded and Dev's redundancy is too recent.
2. Passage: "Funding is available to councils that submit a plan by 30 June. Councils that submit after 30 June may apply in the next round, but only if their plan includes community consultation." A council submits on 4 July with no consultation. What is its status?
Answer: It is not eligible this round or, as it stands, the next round. It missed the 30 June deadline, so it cannot be funded this round. Late councils may apply next round only if the plan includes consultation, and this one does not. As submitted, it is eligible for neither. The late fee is invented; reasoning tests reward answers that stay within the passage.
3. A department's budget rose from $250 million to $290 million. What was the percentage increase?
Answer: 16%. The increase is $40 million. Divide by the original figure: 40 / 250 = 0.16, or 16%. Dividing by the new figure (40 / 290) gives about 13.8%, which is the common mistake. $40 million is the change in dollars, not the percentage.
4. A team of 6 can review 180 applications in 5 days. Working at the same rate, how many days will 4 people take to review 240 applications?
Answer: 10 days. Each person reviews 180 / (6 x 5) = 6 applications a day. Four people review 24 a day, so 240 applications take 240 / 24 = 10 days. Work out the rate per person per day first, then scale.
5. Which word is closest in meaning to "impartial"?
Answer: Unbiased. Impartial means not favouring one side: unbiased. "Uninterested" means not interested, and is often confused with "disinterested", which does mean impartial. Impartiality is also a Victorian public sector value: decisions and advice made on merit, without bias, caprice, favouritism or self-interest.
6. What number comes next: 2, 3, 5, 9, 17, ...?
Answer: 33. The gaps double each time: +1, +2, +4, +8, so the next gap is +16 and 17 + 16 = 33. Equivalently, each term is double the previous term minus 1. Abstract reasoning tasks reward finding the simplest rule that fits every term.
7. In a pattern, each shape turns 90 degrees clockwise and alternates between shaded and unshaded. Shape 1 is an arrow pointing up, shaded. What is shape 4?
Answer: Pointing left, unshaded. Rotation: up, right, down, left, so shape 4 points left. Shading alternates shaded, unshaded, shaded, unshaded, so shape 4 is unshaded. Track one feature at a time, then combine them.
8. A VPS position description lists the key selection criterion "Demonstrated ability to build effective stakeholder relationships". Which response is strongest?
Answer: "As project officer for a council festival, I set up fortnightly meetings with 12 traders and residents' groups, resolved a dispute over road closures by agreeing a new layout, and all 12 signed on; complaints fell from 30 the year before to 4.". A strong KSC response gives a specific example with your actions and a measurable result, following the Situation-Task-Action-Result pattern. Personal claims, general statements about government and referrals to your resume give the panel no evidence to score against the criterion.
9. Under the VPSC's pre-employment screening rules, for which positions is pre-employment misconduct screening mandatory?
Answer: All executive and non-executive positions in the Victorian Public Service. The VPSC says screening must be done for all executive and non-executive positions in the VPS, including candidates already in your organisation, in the VPS, elsewhere in the public sector or from outside it. Preferred candidates complete a statutory declaration and consent form about past misconduct.
10. As part of standard VPS pre-employment screening, which identity check is listed by the VPSC?
Answer: A 100-point identity check and 5 years of address history. The VPSC's list of standard checks includes a 100-point identity check and address history for the past 5 years (by statutory declaration with evidence), plus integrity checks such as misconduct screening, reference questions about disciplinary matters and a police check. Extra checks are added by role-based risk assessment.
11. Which of these is one of the seven Victorian public sector values in the Public Administration Act 2004?
Answer: Human rights. The seven values are Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. Stewardship is an APS (Commonwealth) Value; Trust and Service are NSW government sector values.
12. Under the Public Administration Act 2004, public officials demonstrate "responsiveness" by:
Answer: Providing frank, impartial and timely advice to the Government, high quality services to the community, and identifying and promoting best practice. Section 7(1)(a) defines responsiveness as providing frank, impartial and timely advice to the Government, providing high quality services to the Victorian community, and identifying and promoting best practice. It is not about speed targets or unconditional compliance.
13. A colleague asks you to backdate a file note so it looks as if a client was contacted before a deadline. What should you do?
Answer: Write the note with the true date and explain the delay, and raise the request with your manager if it is repeated. Backdating a record is dishonest and would breach the Integrity and Accountability values (being honest, open and transparent, and accepting responsibility for decisions and actions). Recording the true date and explaining the delay keeps the record accurate; reporting improper conduct is part of integrity.
14. For the 2027 graduate program, when did the online application window run?
Answer: 13 April to 17 May 2026. Applications ran from Monday 13 April to Sunday 17 May 2026 (closing 11:30 pm AEST). Cognify ran 28 May to 1 June, the video interview 10 to 15 June, and the virtual assessment centre from 24 June to 4 August, with outcomes from mid to late August. The other dates belong to other programs.
15. What do Victorian Government graduates receive at the end of the 12-month program?
Answer: A guaranteed ongoing VPS 3 position with a pay rise to $83,941 plus super. Graduates start on $68,408 plus super, work in 2 roles across 2 departments over 12 months, and are guaranteed a job: promotion to an ongoing VPS 3 position at $83,941 plus super at the program's end.

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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.

Victorian Public Service exam FAQ

How many questions are on the Victorian Public Service exam?

Graduate program: Cognify, a game-based online test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning; then a small number of pre-recorded video interview questions. The number of Cognify items is not published. Ordinary VPS jobs: no standard test, with a time limit of allow at least 30 minutes for cognify, about one hour for the video interview, at least 30 minutes for the work sample and 1.5 to 2 hours for the virtual assessment centre (vic.gov.au). Format: unsupervised online assessments. once you start the work sample you cannot pause or retake it. reasonable adjustments (extra time, captioning, questions in advance) are available, including through the first peoples and disability pathways.

What is the passing score for Victorian Public Service?

No published pass mark. Each graduate stage is a hurdle; VPS jobs are filled on merit by comparing candidates against the key selection criteria in the position description.

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

English.

Where do I take the Victorian Public Service exam?

Online application on careers.vic.gov.au (graduate program through grads.vic.gov.au). Graduate assessments are online: Cognify game-based cognitive test and a recorded video interview (both by Criteria), then a virtual assessment centre with a work sample and a live virtual interview panel. Ordinary VPS jobs mostly use a panel interview, sometimes with a written test or work sample.

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

What's in the premium Victorian Public Service prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Eligibility: 375; Cognitive Ability Test: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning: 375; Cognitive Ability Test: Abstract Reasoning: 375; Key Selection Criteria, Cover Letter and Work Sample: 375; Pre-employment and Misconduct Screening: 375; Interviews and the Public Sector Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Graduate Program and VPS Career Path: 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 Victorian Public Service with other government careers

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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 Victorian Government departments and agencies as employers, with standards set by the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) under the Public Administration Act 2004; the graduate program is run through the VPSC with assessment partner Criteria before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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