Checked 1 November 2026. Each stream sets its own assessments and can change them between rounds. The stage lists, salaries and degree windows here are from the stream pages as archived between March and June 2026 (each source gives its archive date). Every stream is listed to open again on 1 March 2027: check your stream's page and candidate guide when it opens. They win.
In the Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP), only some streams name an aptitude test. The Generalist and Digital streams set online aptitude tests first, then assess your written pitch, then a one-way video interview. The other eight streams use their own mix: a data skills task and a situational judgement task (Data), a work sample and a workplace behaviours test (Economist), activities that may include cognitive tests (Intelligence), or a written activity (Legal). This guide puts every stream's published assessments in one table, explains what each kind of test usually looks like, and lets you try a free sample. ProSyllabus is an independent practice site. It is not affiliated with the Australian Public Service Commission, DFAT or any Australian Government agency, and these are not official test items.
APSJobs Career Pathways: Graduate Programs and the Generalist Stream page.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What the AGGP is | One application to a stream is considered for graduate roles across the participating departments and agencies | APSJobs Graduate Programs |
| Streams | Generalist, Indigenous Graduate Pathway, Human Resource (HR), Economist, STEM, Digital, Intelligence, Data, Accounting and Financial Management, Legal | APSJobs Graduate Programs |
| Next applications | Every stream is listed as opening on 1 March 2027. The last Generalist round ran from 2 to 31 March 2026, and DFAT's program from that same season starts in February 2027, so a March 2027 round would on that pattern lead to a start in early 2028. That is our reading; the pages do not give the next start date | APSJobs Graduate Programs; Generalist Stream; DFAT Graduate selection process |
| Baseline eligibility (list page) | Australian citizen; will complete or have completed a degree within the last 5 years; willing to undergo police, character, health or other checks. Each stream adds its own rules: degree discipline (for example Law for Legal, Economics for Economist), a completion window, security clearance, and for the Indigenous Graduate Pathway, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander eligibility | APSJobs Graduate Programs; stream pages |
| Degree windows on the archived pages | Generalist: a bachelor degree (AQF Level 7) or higher completed between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026; most other streams used the same window; Accounting and Financial Management asked for a qualification completed between 1 January and 31 December 2026, and Intelligence for the most recent eligible qualification between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2027. Expect new windows for the March 2027 round | Stream pages |
| Generalist assessments | Online aptitude tests, then your written pitch is assessed, then a one-way online video interview; about two months | Generalist Stream |
| Generalist salary (archived page) | A$70,000 to A$89,000 depending on placement agency, plus 15.4% superannuation | Generalist Stream |
| After the tests (Generalist) | Referee check, then a merit pool; agencies match candidates using qualifications, skills, experience and location preferences | Generalist Stream |
| DFAT | Runs its own graduate program: online assessment (behavioural and/or psychometric), one-way video interview of up to 3 minutes per answer, assessment centre | DFAT Graduate selection process |
Assessments by stream
Each stream page lists its own stages. The table below sets out what each page says about the assessment and interview stages, in the stream's own words where possible. Where a page says "may", the stream has not committed to every part.
| Stream | Assessment stage | Interview stage | Salary on page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generalist (managed by the APSC) | Online aptitude tests; if you progress, your written pitch is assessed | One-way online video interview | A$70,000 to A$89,000 |
| Digital | Online aptitude tests; if you progress, your written pitch is assessed | One-way online video interview | A$68,000 to A$89,000 |
| Accounting and Financial Management | Online testing and/or a behavioural video interview; may involve problem solving, numerical reasoning and/or behavioural and emotional testing. A 500-word pitch goes in with the application | Virtual assessment centre: panel interviews, individual presentations, group activity and/or written task | A$62,207 to A$84,470 in the page header; A$67,207 to A$84,470 in its benefits section |
| Data (applications through the ABS) | A Data Skills Assessment and a written pitch with the application; if shortlisted, a Data Fundamentals Task (technical) and a Situational Judgement Task (behavioural) | Online panel interview, two or three panel members, about 45 minutes | A$69,761 to A$94,270 |
| Economist | Online assessment: a work sample test and a workplace behaviours test | Online panel interview, two or three panel members, around 30 minutes | A$67,000 to A$85,000 |
| Human Resource (applications through the ATO) | Online skills shortlisting assessment of your HR skills and capabilities | Virtual assessment centre on Microsoft Teams or Webex: may include a behavioural interview and presentation | A$74,000 to A$89,000 |
| Intelligence (National Intelligence Community) | Virtual assessment activities: may include work preferences, cognitive tests and a one-way interview | Online interview with a selection panel; then Top Secret Positive Vetting, which can take 12 to 24 months | A$76,000 to A$90,000 |
| STEM | Further assessments that may include scenario-based assessments, panel interviews and other tasks | Within the same stage (panel interviews) | A$78,770 to A$85,027 |
| Legal | Online written activity | Online interview with a selection panel | A$63,000 to A$86,000 |
| Indigenous Graduate Pathway | Written assessment | Individual interview | A$67,207 to A$91,358 |
Salary ranges are as printed on each archived stream page and depend on the placement agency; the Accounting and Financial Management page prints two different starting figures. DFAT is not an AGGP stream: it recruits for its own graduate program, and is also listed among the participating agencies of several streams (Accounting and Financial Management, Digital, HR, Indigenous Graduate Pathway). For DFAT's own test stage see the DFAT online assessment guide.
Bars show the bottom of each published range, sorted by us; the label gives the full range. The salary depends on the placement agency. Accounting and Financial Management is left out: its page prints both A$62,207 and A$67,207 as the starting figure.
Which streams test what (our grouping of the table)
- Named aptitude tests: Generalist, Digital. The AFM page names problem solving and numerical reasoning; the Intelligence page names cognitive tests.
- Situational or behavioural judgement: Data (Situational Judgement Task), Economist (workplace behaviours test), AFM (behavioural and emotional testing), Intelligence (work preferences), STEM (scenario-based assessments).
- Skills or work-sample tasks: Data (Data Skills Assessment, Data Fundamentals Task), Economist (work sample test), HR (online skills assessment).
- Written assessments: Legal (online written activity), Indigenous Graduate Pathway (written assessment).
- Written pitch: in Generalist and Digital it is assessed for candidates who progress past the aptitude tests; in Data and Accounting and Financial Management it goes in with the application.
Our grouping of the published stage lists; a stream can change its assessments for the next intake.
What an aptitude or psychometric test usually looks like
The stream pages name the tests but do not publish question types, question counts or time limits, and no stream page names a test provider. The descriptions below are how these test families usually work in graduate recruitment, not a description of any APS test. Your invitation email and the stream's candidate guide are the authority on what you will sit.
Verbal reasoning
You read a short passage and judge statements about it, often as True, False or Cannot Say, using only what the passage says. It rewards careful reading under time pressure, close to the skill the Generalist page lists first: analytical and critical thinking.
Numerical reasoning
You read tables or charts and answer questions on percentages, ratios, rates and differences. The arithmetic is usually simple; the difficulty is picking the right figures quickly. The Accounting and Financial Management page names numerical reasoning directly.
Abstract or inductive reasoning
You find the rule in a sequence of shapes and pick the next one. It needs no prior knowledge. "Cognitive tests", as on the Intelligence page, can include this kind of item alongside verbal and numerical ones.
Situational judgement and behavioural tests
You read a workplace situation and judge which responses are more or less effective. In an APS setting, the natural reference point is the APS Values in section 10 of the Public Service Act 1999: Impartial, Committed to service, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical and Stewardship. Questionnaires about work preferences or behaviours ask how you tend to work; there is usually no right answer to rehearse, so answer consistently and honestly.
Try a free sample
The box below starts the free sample of our APS and DFAT graduate program practice test in our test player, with a result page at the end. Every question in it is an original ProSyllabus practice item, not an APSC or agency item.
FreeTests: Verbal reasoning · Numerical reasoning · Series · Impartial
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice: free sample
Answer 4 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
4 questions to answer
Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Four worked examples
Each example walks through the thinking these test types reward. Read the method, then use it on the sample above.
Worked example 1 · Verbal reasoning: True, False or Cannot Say
Passage (invented): "A regional office began offering video appointments in July. Wait times for in-person appointments fell over the next six months, and staff numbers at the office did not change." Statement: "Video appointments reduced in-person wait times."
- Separate what the passage states from what it suggests. It states that wait times fell after video appointments began, and that staff numbers stayed the same.
- Does it state that video appointments caused the fall? No. Other changes in those six months are not ruled out.
- Does it make the statement false? No, the cause is simply not given.
- So the answer is Cannot Say.
What it shows: Ruling out one explanation (more staff) does not prove another. True needs the passage to make the statement certain.
An original ProSyllabus walkthrough. The text and figures are invented; it is not an APSC or agency test item.
Worked example 2 · Numerical reasoning: share of a total
Table (invented): a program budget of A$5.0 million is split into staff A$2.9 million, grants A$1.6 million and administration A$0.5 million. Question: what share of the budget goes to grants?
- Find the part and the whole: grants A$1.6 million; the whole budget A$5.0 million.
- Check the parts add up: 2.9 + 1.6 + 0.5 = 5.0. They do, so the total is safe to use.
- Divide the part by the whole: 1.6 / 5.0 = 0.32, so 32%.
- Sense check: a third of 5.0 is about 1.67, and 1.6 is a little under a third. 32% fits.
What it shows: Confirm which figure is the whole before dividing, and use a rough fraction to catch a slipped decimal.
An original ProSyllabus walkthrough. The text and figures are invented; it is not an APSC or agency test item.
Worked example 3 · Abstract reasoning: two rules at once
Sequence (invented): a square holds a black dot that moves one corner clockwise in each frame, and a white dot appears in the centre on every second frame. Frames 1 to 4: black dot top-left, no centre dot; top-right, white centre dot; bottom-right, no centre dot; bottom-left, white centre dot. Question: what is frame 5?
- Track each element on its own. The black dot cycles through four corners: top-left, top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left, then back to top-left.
- The centre dot appears in frames 2 and 4, so it shows on even frames only.
- Frame 5 is odd: black dot top-left, no centre dot.
What it shows: Many shape sequences combine two or three simple rules. Split them up and solve each one before combining.
An original ProSyllabus walkthrough. The text and figures are invented; it is not an APSC or agency test item.
Worked example 4 · Situational judgement: the APS Values in action
Scenario (invented): you are preparing a briefing for a senior manager. A colleague suggests leaving out a recent evaluation that found a program less effective than expected, because "it will only cause problems". Which response is most effective? (a) Leave it out as suggested. (b) Include it, with the evidence summarised fairly, and tell your colleague why. (c) Include it without telling your colleague.
- Find the value at stake. Impartial: advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence.
- Option (a) drops relevant evidence, so it fails that value.
- Option (c) keeps the evidence but skips an easy conversation with the colleague, and Committed to service asks the APS to work collaboratively.
- Option (b) gives frank, evidence-based advice and keeps the colleague informed, so it is the most effective.
What it shows: In APS judgement items, a response that is honest with the decision-maker and respectful of colleagues usually beats one that is only one of those.
An original ProSyllabus walkthrough. The text and figures are invented; it is not an APSC or agency test item.
How to prepare for the Generalist Stream
A plan that follows the published stages
- Before applications open (listed as 1 March 2027), check the Generalist page for the degree window and register for updates.
- Practise timed verbal, numerical and abstract sets in short blocks; accuracy first, then speed.
- Draft your pitch before applications open, and check the application instructions for when it must be submitted. It is assessed only if you progress past the aptitude tests, so it has to be ready either way.
- Prepare for the one-way video interview: no interviewer, recorded answers. The DFAT video interview guide has timed practice.
- Do the tests yourself. The Generalist page publishes no AI rule of its own, but DFAT's guidelines for its applicants say AI tools are not to be used during the interview or any assessment task, and most stream pages list referee checks after the assessments.
- Use a quiet room and a reliable connection, and sit the tests early in the window you are given.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it costs you | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Assuming every stream has the same tests | Legal sets a written activity; Data sets a data task and a situational judgement task; Generalist sets aptitude tests | Read your stream's page and candidate guide, then practise that stage |
| Using outside knowledge in verbal items | Answers rest on the passage alone | Ask: does the passage make this certain? |
| Leaving the pitch to the last minute | In Generalist and Digital it is the next thing assessed after the tests | Draft it before applications open |
| Answering behaviour questionnaires as you think they want | Work-preference questionnaires look at how you tend to work; answers given for effect tend to be inconsistent | Answer honestly and consistently |
| Ignoring the APS Values | They set the standard of behaviour expected of public servants and are the natural reference for judgement items | Learn the six values and what each one asks of you |
Applying to DFAT as well? Its online assessment, video interview and timeline are covered in the DFAT online assessment guide, the DFAT video interview guide and the DFAT Graduate Program timeline and eligibility guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an aptitude test for the APS graduate program?
For some streams. The Generalist and Digital stream pages say shortlisted applicants complete online aptitude tests. Other streams use a data skills task and a situational judgement task (Data), a work sample and workplace behaviours test (Economist), activities that may include cognitive tests (Intelligence) or a written activity (Legal).
What is in the Generalist Stream aptitude test?
The Generalist page says "online aptitude tests" and does not publish question types, counts or time limits. Graduate aptitude tests usually cover verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. Your invitation and candidate guide give the detail.
What are the AGGP streams?
Generalist, Indigenous Graduate Pathway, Human Resource (HR), Economist, STEM, Digital, Intelligence, Data, Accounting and Financial Management, and Legal.
When do AGGP applications open?
Every stream is listed on APSJobs as opening on 1 March 2027. The previous Generalist round ran from 2 to 31 March 2026, and DFAT's program from that season starts in February 2027, so on that pattern a March 2027 round would lead to a start in early 2028. That is our reading: the pages do not give the next start date.
Does the Data Stream have a psychometric test?
Its page lists a Data Skills Assessment with the application, then a Data Fundamentals Task (technical) and a Situational Judgement Task (behavioural), then an online panel interview of about 45 minutes.
What tests does the Intelligence Stream use?
Its page says the virtual assessment activities may include work preferences, cognitive tests and a one-way interview, followed by an online panel interview and Top Secret Positive Vetting that can take 12 to 24 months.
Does DFAT use psychometric tests?
DFAT's graduate selection page lists an online assessment that is behavioural and/or psychometric, followed by a one-way video interview with up to three minutes per answer and an assessment centre.
Can I use AI in the APS graduate assessments?
The stream pages publish no AI rule. DFAT's guidelines for its own applicants say AI tools are not to be used during the interview or any assessment task, and that knowingly providing false statements may disqualify you. Check your stream's own rules.
What is the APS graduate salary?
It depends on stream and agency. Leaving out Accounting and Financial Management, whose page gives conflicting starting figures, the archived 2026 stream pages printed ranges from A$63,000 to A$86,000 (Legal) to A$78,770 to A$85,027 (STEM), with Data reaching A$94,270 at the top; the Generalist range was A$70,000 to A$89,000 plus 15.4% superannuation. The Accounting and Financial Management page printed both A$62,207 and A$67,207 as its starting figure, to A$84,470.
Sources
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Graduate Programs (the ten AGGP streams, opening dates, eligibility), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-14
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Generalist Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-06
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Digital Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-14
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Accounting and Financial Management Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-10
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Data Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-14
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Economist Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-18
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Human Resource (HR) Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-18
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Intelligence Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-18
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: STEM Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-18
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Legal Stream (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-14
- official — APSJobs Career Pathways: Indigenous Graduate Pathway (Australian Government Graduate Program), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-14
- official — DFAT: Graduate selection process (2027 program timeframes, stages, AI guidelines), read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-03
- official — APSC: APS Values (section 10 of the Public Service Act 1999), last updated 2 September 2026, read from the Internet Archive copy of 2026-09-09
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
