Checked 14 October 2026. From the GOV.UK guidance pages for the Civil Service Judgement Test (last updated 24 May 2024), Civil Service online tests (27 January 2026), the Verbal and Numerical tests (14 May 2025), the Styles Assessment (published 27 January 2026) and the Management Judgement Test (18 August 2023), read on 14 October 2026. No sample feedback report is published, so the report itself is described only as far as the official pages describe it.
You have finished the Civil Service Judgement Test and your application centre shows a number and some feedback. This guide explains what that result is, using only what the official pages say: what a percentile means, who you are being compared with, what the feedback report contains and deliberately leaves out, which messages can follow, and how recruiters use the score. It also lists what is not published, because with this test that list is long and guessing at it is how candidates get misled.
GOV.UK, Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test and Civil Service online tests, read 14 October 2026.
What you receive after the test
The guidance for the test says: “After taking the test, you will receive your score and automatically-generated feedback. This will be available from your application centre in Civil Service Jobs. For security reasons, we cannot provide feedback on answers to specific questions.”
The general online-tests page adds a little more about the feedback: “For the Judgment Test and Styles Assessment you will receive a feedback report to help you understand your test performance. This also provides general suggestions about how to improve further.” It also explains why you never see the answers: “You won’t be given answers to specific test questions, to avoid compromising the security of the test. If we shared test answers, this would give an unfair advantage to anyone who has them.”
| Part of the result | What the official pages say about it |
|---|---|
| Score | Presented as a percentile against a comparison group of applicants |
| Feedback | Automatically generated; a feedback report to help you understand your performance, with general suggestions about how to improve |
| Where you find it | Your application centre (your account) in Civil Service Jobs |
| Pass message | If you pass at the minimum required standard for the job level, you receive a message informing you |
| Answers to questions | Not provided, to protect the security of the test |
That is the whole official description. No sample report is published on the pages we read, so we cannot tell you its headings, whether it breaks your result down by behaviour, or how long it is. If your report shows something this guide does not mention, trust the report.
What a percentile is
The official definition is short: “Your score is presented as a percentile, which tells you how well you performed relative to this group. For example, if your percentile is 44, you scored better than 44% of the group.” The online-tests page gives the same example in slightly different words: “if you score at the 44th percentile, it means you scored better than 44% of the comparison group.”
Read my percentile
Type the percentile from your feedback. This restates it using the official definition and separates what the number tells you from what it cannot.
The first line is the official definition. The second line is our subtraction from it. No official page publishes the percentile needed for any grade or job.
The same reading as a table. The middle column applies the official definition to each number; the last column is our subtraction from it.
| Percentile shown | Official meaning | Our subtraction |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | You scored better than 10% of the comparison group | About 90% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
| 25 | You scored better than 25% of the comparison group | About 75% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
| 44 | You scored better than 44% of the comparison group | About 56% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
| 50 | You scored better than 50% of the comparison group | About 50% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
| 75 | You scored better than 75% of the comparison group | About 25% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
| 90 | You scored better than 90% of the comparison group | About 10% of the group scored the same as you or higher |
Three things a percentile is not
- It is not a percentage of correct answers. A percentile of 44 does not mean you rated 44% of the actions as intended. The pages do not publish the underlying mark at all.
- It is not a comparison with the other applicants for your job. The comparison is with “a representative group of applicants who have also taken the test”, not with the people who applied for the same vacancy. The recruiter looks at the applicants for your job separately, when setting the pass mark.
- It is not a pass or a fail on its own. Whether a percentile is enough depends on the minimum standard for the job level and the pass mark the recruiter sets for that job. Neither figure is published.
Who you are compared with
The two official pages describe the comparison group in different words. The CSJT page says your score “is compared to a representative group of applicants who have also taken the test”. The online-tests page says responses are compared “with the results of a peer group who took the same test”. We print both because they are not identical, and neither says more.
What is not stated: how large the group is, when its members took the test, whether there is a separate group for each grade, and how often it is updated. One clue points to a change over time without explaining it. The page on the Verbal and Numerical tests says a banked score for those tests expires when “a new score benchmark is applied to the test”. That sentence is about other tests, and the CSJT page has no equivalent, so we do not draw a conclusion about the CSJT from it.
The scenarios themselves depend on the job level: “You will only be presented with scenarios that are relevant to the job level you have applied for.” The page does not say whether the comparison group is matched to that level too.
The messages you can receive, in order
| Message or event | When | Official wording |
|---|---|---|
| Score and feedback available | After you take the test | “you will receive your score and automatically-generated feedback” |
| You passed the minimum standard | After the test | “If you pass the test at the minimum required standard for that job level, you will receive a message informing you.” |
| Invitation to another test | If the job uses more tests | “where any additional tests are needed, you will be sent an invitation to complete them” |
| The job’s pass mark is decided | After the test deadline | “the recruiter will look at all applicant scores to decide what the job’s pass mark will be” |
| The pass mark was raised | If the recruiter raises it | “you will be informed, and you will be told if you have passed or failed at the raised standard” |
| You did not pass | After the test | “If you do not pass at the minimum required standard for a job level, you can retake the test during any future applications.” |
The reason a result can change between the day you finish and the week after the deadline is covered step by step in our guide to the CSJT pass mark and scoring. In short, the minimum standard belongs to the job level and the pass mark belongs to the vacancy.
How recruiters use the score
The official pages describe five uses, and it helps to see them together.
| Use | Official wording |
|---|---|
| As one method among several | “The Civil Service uses psychometric tests alongside other assessment methods (such as application forms, evidence of technical skills, and interviews) to decide whether a person meets the requirements of a particular job.” |
| To set a pass mark for the job | “after the test deadline, the recruiter will look at all applicant scores to decide what the job’s pass mark will be. They will consider the impact on protected groups, and the number of invitations to the next stage.” |
| To decide who continues | “Meeting the minimum test requirements for a job level is no guarantee of an invite to continue the selection process.” |
| To check the score at interview stage | “Hiring managers may require candidates invited to interview to retake the test under supervised conditions.” |
| To follow up the self-assessment | “You should answer the questions honestly, as you may be asked about them at interview.” |
The guidance also explains why tests are used at all. It says they can “allow candidates to demonstrate their strengths”, “provide recruiters with objective assessments against relevant criteria” and “identify where candidates could develop their skills”, and that when used appropriately “there is no advantage to having additional educational qualifications or work experience” and “they can predict candidate performance in later selection stages”.
Our reading: the score is a gate, not a ranking that follows you through the rest of the process. Nothing on the pages we read says the percentile is added to an interview score or used to order candidates at the final stage. Equally, nothing says it is not. Each department runs its own campaign, and the job advert and the messages in your application centre are the authority for a particular vacancy.
Does a pass carry over to your next application?
Some Civil Service tests have “banked scores”: pass once, and the score is reused for later applications for a period. The official pages are not the same for every test, and the CSJT page is silent on the point.
| Test | Banked-scores section on its GOV.UK page? | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests | Yes | A pass at or above the minimum standard is banked for future jobs in the same grade grouping; it expires after six months, when a new score benchmark is applied, or when technical work on the platform affects banked scores |
| Civil Service Styles Assessment | Yes | A pass is banked at the grade level of the job applied for; it expires after six months among other conditions, and does not transfer between tests |
| Civil Service Management Judgement Test | No | The page's update history records: “Removed banked scores section as they do not apply to this test” |
| Civil Service Judgement Test | No | Nothing about banking. The only line on later applications is that a candidate who does not pass can retake the test during any future applications |
We do not conclude from that silence that a CSJT pass is never reused, or that it is. The Verbal and Numerical page says that when you apply for a job needing a test, “Civil Service Jobs will check if you have an applicable banked test score”, and that if you do, “you won’t be invited to the test”. In practice, then, the system tells you: if you are invited to take the CSJT, you need to take it.
Who sees your result
On data, the CSJT page says: “Personal information is held securely in Civil Service Jobs - the test supplier cannot see it, and will only know your name if you choose to share it.” And: “Your information will only be used to support your job application, and evaluate test effectiveness.” It links to the Civil Service Jobs privacy notice for the detail.
If the result looks wrong, or the test failed on you
The guidance separates questions about the test from questions about the job. For the test: “For further support, contact your recruitment team - their email address will be in your application centre.” For the vacancy: “Questions about the advertised job should be directed to the contact on the job advert.” It also asks that queries and help requests are sent “at least two working days before the test deadline, to ensure a response”. If a disability affected how you took the test, the reasonable-adjustments guide for online tests tells you to contact the recruiter; one of its case studies describes a recruiter resetting the Judgement Test for a candidate who became unwell and was timed out.
What we could not find
Not published on the pages we read
- A sample feedback report, its headings, or whether it shows a result for each behaviour.
- The percentile needed to meet the minimum standard at any grade, and any job's pass mark.
- The size, dates and make-up of the comparison group, and whether it differs by grade.
- Whether a CSJT pass is banked and for how long.
- Whether the percentile is carried into later stages, for example added to an interview score.
- How long the score and feedback stay visible in your application centre.
- An appeal or re-mark route for the test score itself. The pages give contact routes for support and complaints, not a re-mark process.
Read on 14 October 2026: the GOV.UK guidance pages for the CSJT, Civil Service online tests, the Verbal and Numerical tests, the Styles Assessment, the Management Judgement Test, reasonable adjustments, and using the Civil Service Jobs website.
Using the feedback for your next application
The feedback gives “general suggestions about how to improve further”, not a list of the scenarios you misjudged. The practical way to use it is to go back to the source the test is built on. The CSJT measures judgement against Civil Service Behaviours chosen for the job, at the level of the job. Re-read the behaviours in the advert at your grade, compare them with the suggestions in your report, and practise applying the four ratings to situations until you can say why an action is “of some help” rather than one that would “help to resolve the situation”. Our tips guide has the official descriptors by grade, and our practice scenarios guide has eight original teaching scenarios to rate (ours, not official questions).
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What does my Civil Service Judgement Test score mean?
It is a percentile. GOV.UK says it tells you how well you performed relative to a representative group of applicants who have also taken the test. The official example: a percentile of 44 means you scored better than 44% of the group.
Is a percentile of 50 a pass in the Civil Service Judgement Test?
The official pages do not say. No minimum percentile or pass mark is published for any grade or job. The recruiter decides each job's pass mark after the test deadline and may raise it.
What is in the CSJT feedback report?
GOV.UK says you receive your score and automatically generated feedback, in a report that helps you understand your performance and gives general suggestions about how to improve. No sample report is published, and you are not given answers to specific questions.
Why can I not see which questions I got wrong?
GOV.UK says answers are not shared to avoid compromising the security of the test, because sharing them would give an unfair advantage to anyone who has them.
Who is in the comparison group?
One GOV.UK page calls it a representative group of applicants who have also taken the test; another calls it a peer group who took the same test. Neither says how large it is or whether it differs by grade.
Is my Civil Service Judgement Test score banked for future applications?
The CSJT guidance page has no banked-scores section, unlike the pages for the Verbal and Numerical tests and the Styles Assessment. It says only that if you do not pass, you can retake the test during any future applications.
Where do I find my CSJT result?
In your application centre in Civil Service Jobs, where the score and automatically generated feedback are made available after you take the test.
More in this series
- CSJT pass mark and scoring
- CSJT tips from the behaviours
- Seeing the Big Picture: examples by grade
- Changing and Improving: examples by grade
- Making Effective Decisions: examples by grade
- Leadership: examples by grade
- Communicating and Influencing: examples by grade
- Working Together: examples by grade
- Developing Self and Others: examples by grade
- Managing a Quality Service: examples by grade
- Delivering at Pace: examples by grade
- CSJT questions and answers, worked
- Free CSJT practice: what exists
- Civil Service Judgement Test: 8 original practice scenarios
- Fast Stream online tests: a different test with a different scale
- Fast Stream vs direct entry and the other routes
Sources
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test (last updated 24 May 2024)
- official — GOV.UK: Civil Service online tests (last updated 27 January 2026)
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests (last updated 14 May 2025)
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Styles Assessment (published 27 January 2026)
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Management Judgement Test (last updated 18 August 2023)
- official — GOV.UK: Reasonable adjustments for online tests, a candidate guide (last updated 28 January 2026)
- official — GOV.UK: Using the Civil Service Jobs website as a candidate (last updated 27 January 2026)
- official — GOV.UK: Success Profiles, Civil Service behaviours (updated 29 January 2025)
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.
Ready for more? 12 further scenarios, rated the way the real test asks
Original workplace scenarios at the level of the roles that use this test. Rate each action Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective, then see the reason behind every rating. Start with the free one below.
- 12scenarios
- 48actions to rate
- 4behaviours
- 48ratings explained
Every rating comes with its reason, written against the scale definitions on GOV.UK and the Civil Service Code.
FreeTests: Managing a Quality Service
A mailbox nobody owns
Read the situation, then rate each of the 4 actions from Counterproductive to Effective. You then see the right rating and the reason for each. About 3 minutes · free · no sign-in.
A mailbox nobody owns
You are an administrative officer in a pensions enquiry team. Four of you answer a shared mailbox, and nobody has been given the job of sorting it. This morning it holds 140 unanswered emails. The oldest is 12 working days old, and the team's published standard is a reply within 10 working days. Your team leader, Asha, is on a training course until tomorrow but is reading her messages.
Opens when you unlock all
- The third transfer · Managing a Quality Service
- Two forms, one set of details · Managing a Quality Service
- Sixty applications by Friday · Delivering at Pace
- Two jobs, one afternoon · Delivering at Pace
- The system is down · Delivering at Pace
- Handed over at the last minute · Working Together
- One case in five arrives incomplete · Working Together
- The new starter who works from home · Working Together
- Explaining a refusal · Communicating and Influencing
- The guidance nobody absorbed · Communicating and Influencing
- An out-of-date figure in the room · Communicating and Influencing
- 11 more scenarios with 44 actions to rate on the test's own four-point scale
- 4 behaviours, three scenarios each, the way the real test is built
- The reason behind every rating, so you learn the scale and not the answers
- Your rating pattern: whether you mark too generously or too harshly, and what to fix
- Untimed, like the real test. Work through it in one sitting or several
Independent practice material. Not written or endorsed by the Civil Service. The real test shows only scenarios for your job level, may use video, and opens with a self-assessment section worth 15% of the score that has no right answers to practise. Results are a percentile against other applicants, and no answer key is published.
