Checked 21 October 2026. Format and rules from GOV.UK "Preparing for the Civil Service Styles Assessment" (last updated 27 Jan 2026). The HMRC window (18 to 30 Nov 2026) is from the TSP 2027 candidate guide, read 21 Oct 2026.
The Civil Service Styles Assessment (CSSA) is an online self-assessment of work behaviours, and it is not a test you can study for in the usual sense. It has no right answers. GOV.UK calls it "an online self-assessment of the effectiveness of a person's work behaviours": you are shown pairs of statements and say which is more like you. In HMRC's Tax Specialist Programme it is Stage 3, open from 18 to 30 November 2026, and it measures all nine Civil Service Behaviours. This guide explains how it works from the official guidance, what makes a response pattern invalid, how scores are banked, and what useful preparation looks like. ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of HMRC, the Civil Service or Civil Service Jobs. Every rule and date here is quoted or summarised from HMRC's own pages and its 2027 candidate guide, and HMRC decides every application.
GOV.UK Styles Assessment guidance (27 Jan 2026); HMRC TSP 2027 candidate guide.
What the Styles Assessment is
GOV.UK lists the Styles Assessment as one of eight commonly used Civil Service online tests, under its full name "Civil Service Styles Assessment for Behaviours". It belongs to the Behaviours element of Success Profiles, the Civil Service recruitment framework, and "measures your effectiveness in relation to the Civil Service Behaviours" selected as important for the job. HMRC's TSP guide is specific: the CSSA "measures effectiveness in relation to all nine Civil Service Behaviours."
| # | Civil Service Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seeing the Big Picture |
| 2 | Changing and Improving |
| 3 | Making Effective Decisions |
| 4 | Leadership |
| 5 | Communicating and Influencing |
| 6 | Working Together |
| 7 | Developing Self and Others |
| 8 | Managing a Quality Service |
| 9 | Delivering at Pace |
That is the difference from the Judgement Test. Apart from a short self-assessment part worth 15% of its score, the CSJT shows you situations and asks how good each response is. The CSSA asks only about you: which of two ways of working is more like you, and by how much. One is closer to an exam; the other is closer to a structured self-description.
| Feature | Judgement Test (Stage 2) | Styles Assessment (Stage 3) |
|---|---|---|
| What you are shown | Workplace scenarios with four possible actions | Pairs of statements, each describing a workplace behaviour |
| What you do | Rate each action from Counterproductive to Effective | Say which statement is more like you, and by how much, on a rating scale |
| Self-assessment | A first part on your typical behaviour and preferences, worth 15% of the score | The whole assessment |
| Right answers? | The scenario part asks you to rate each action's effectiveness; the self-assessment part asks about your typical behaviour | No: GOV.UK says "Don’t try to second guess what the “right” answer is" |
| Length | Three scenarios per behaviour; 2 to 4 minutes a scenario | 276 pairs; 45 to 60 minutes in all |
| Moving around | Can re-open only twice after first starting | Can navigate until you submit; answers cannot be changed after |
| Result | Percentile and a feedback report | Percentile and a feedback report |
How it works, step by step
GOV.UK describes the structure plainly. You see two statements, one above the other, with a rating scale between them. "Each statement describes a behaviour that is regarded as important in the workplace." For each pair you compare them and "make a choice about which of them is most like you, and by how much." There are 276 pairs. GOV.UK admits this "may feel repetitive" and explains the reason: the thoroughness "enables an accurate evaluation of your work strengths to be developed."
It is untimed. GOV.UK says most people take a few seconds to choose between each pair, and that the assessment may take 45 minutes to an hour. Practice comparisons come first, and no specialist knowledge is required. You can move back and forth through the questions until you submit; after that, "they cannot be changed." If you close the browser or lose your connection, you can pick up where you left off from your Civil Service Jobs application centre.
Our arithmetic: 276 x seconds / 60, rounded. GOV.UK says the assessment may take 45 minutes to an hour and recommends allowing at least an hour. There is no time limit, so a slower pace costs nothing.
What makes a response invalid
The CSSA guidance explicitly warns against random responding or leaning on one response option. GOV.UK says: "If you respond randomly, or use just one option most or all of the time (such as the middle response), this is not viewed as an acceptable way of completing the assessment", because you are then not responding as you really feel. It accepts that the middle response will be genuine for a small number of comparisons; "just be careful not to overuse it."
What GOV.UK says happens to a pattern
- "Your responses will be checked for the presence of such patterns."
- If they follow such a pattern, "this could result in your scores not being produced."
- You may then be asked to take it again, "up to a maximum of three attempts."
- Separately, hiring managers may ask candidates invited to interview to retake it "under supervised conditions".
How to approach the statement pairs
- There is no answer key to learn: GOV.UK says, "Don’t try to second guess what the “right” answer is, just answer as you really feel."
- Avoid trying to guess a preferred response, or picking whichever statement sounds most senior.
- GOV.UK checks responses for patterns such as random responding or overusing one option.
- HMRC's TSP assessment centre separately assesses four of the behaviours the CSSA measures, in person.
We do not sell practice for this assessment.
How it is scored, and banked scores
Your responses are compared with those of a representative group of applicants, and the result is a percentile. As with the other tests, meeting the minimum standard for the job level brings a message, and after the deadline the recruiter decides the job's pass mark, which may be raised. GOV.UK: "Meeting the minimum test requirements for a job level is no guarantee of an invite to continue the selection process." HMRC's guide adds that after the CSSA "you will automatically receive a feedback report showing your score and performance", and that HMRC will contact you after the closing date about the assessment centre.
| Rule | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Banked when | You pass at or above the minimum required standard; you will not be invited to retake it for future jobs while the bank is valid |
| Not banked when | You do not pass; you can take it again for any future job |
| Expires when | Six months pass, a new score benchmark is applied, or platform work affects banked scores (whichever comes first) |
| Grade | Banked "at the grade level of the job you applied for"; a score banked at EO does not cover an HEO job |
| Report type | Banked for the CS Behaviours report; a job using a different report needs a new attempt |
| Other tests | A banked CSSA score "will not transfer between other tests or assessments" |
For TSP applicants this means that a Styles Assessment taken for another Civil Service job in the last six months may or may not count, depending on the grade level and report it was banked for. HMRC does not say which grade level its CSSA uses, so Civil Service Jobs will decide whether to invite you.
Useful preparation
Preparing for a self-report is not about choosing answers. It is about making sure your answers are considered and consistent, and that the conditions do not distort them. GOV.UK recommends getting used to psychometric tests first, and it offers a standalone CSSA practice assessment as well as example questions at the start of the real one.
What helps, from GOV.UK and from the TSP structure
- Take the official CSSA practice assessment so 276 comparisons are not a surprise, and so you know assistive technology works with it.
- Our suggestion, optional: read the nine Civil Service Behaviours and recall real situations where you showed or did not show each. This is not to change your answers; it is a way to think about how you actually work.
- Do it in one quiet sitting on a laptop, early in the window; send any query at least two working days before 30 November.
- Use the middle of the scale when it is genuinely true, not as a default.
- For the assessment centre, follow the preparation guidance HMRC sends with the invitation.
Styles Assessment readiness
Tick each item as you do it. None of these is about what to answer.
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Where it sits in HMRC's Tax Specialist Programme
For the 2027 cohort the CSSA is Stage 3. Candidates who progress from the Judgement Test (4 to 10 November) are invited, and the window is 18 November to 11:30am on 30 November 2026. The job page says that you will be "tested against all 9 Behaviours, during the CS Styles Assessment, 4 of which will be additionally tested if you are invited to the final assessment centre." The Civil Service Careers page puts the purpose simply: the assessment "explores your work behaviours and preferences, helping us understand how you typically approach different workplace situations." The full timeline is in our TSP application guide.
From HMRC's TSP 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide, read 21 Oct 2026. The online test windows close at 11:30am UK time. The application close is printed as both 11:55pm and 11:30am; assessment-centre session times come with the invitation. HMRC: "Late applications and assessments cannot be accepted."
Still before the earlier stages? The Verbal and Numerical tests are due by 11:30am on 28 October 2026 and the Judgement Test runs from 4 to 10 November. The Verbal and Numerical tests have correct answers, and the Judgement Test pairs effectiveness ratings with a self-assessment worth 15% of its score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Civil Service Styles Assessment?
An online self-assessment of how you work. You compare 276 pairs of statements about workplace behaviours and say which is more like you and by how much. It measures effectiveness against the Civil Service Behaviours chosen for the job.
How long is the Civil Service Styles Assessment?
It is untimed. GOV.UK says most people take a few seconds per pair, that the assessment may take 45 minutes to an hour, and recommends allowing at least an hour.
Is there a right answer in the Styles Assessment?
No. GOV.UK says not to second guess the right answer but to answer as you really feel.
Can I fail the Styles Assessment by using the middle option?
Overusing it can invalidate your responses. GOV.UK says responding randomly or using one option most or all of the time is not acceptable, and such a pattern could mean your scores are not produced. You may then be asked to retake it, up to three attempts.
Is the Styles Assessment score banked?
Yes, if you pass at or above the minimum standard. It is banked for up to six months at the grade level of the job you applied for, for the CS Behaviours report, but expires earlier if a new score benchmark is applied or platform work affects banked scores. It does not transfer to other tests.
When is the HMRC TSP Styles Assessment?
From 18 November 2026 to 11:30am on 30 November 2026, for candidates who progress from the Civil Service Judgement Test.
Which behaviours does HMRC test in the Styles Assessment?
All nine Civil Service Behaviours, according to HMRC's TSP 2027 candidate guide. Four of them are tested again at the assessment centre.
Do I get feedback on the Styles Assessment?
Yes. GOV.UK and HMRC both say you receive a feedback report with your score after completing it, in your Civil Service Jobs application centre.
Sources
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Styles Assessment (last updated 27 Jan 2026)
- official — GOV.UK: Civil Service online tests (last updated 27 Jan 2026): the 8 commonly used tests, practice tests, percentile scores, feedback reports
- official — HMRC: "Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide" (10-page PDF attached to the job page; read 21 Oct 2026): recruitment timeline, eligibility, locations, progression, the four stages, assessment centre locations, FAQ
- official — HMRC careers: "Tax Specialist Programme 2027" job page ("Closing on: Oct 26 2026"; read 21 Oct 2026): job description, 28-hour minimum and 60% office attendance, eligibility, pension, nationality requirements, online-test maintenance times
- official — Civil Service Careers: "HMRC Tax Specialist Programme" (read 21 Oct 2026): applications for the 2027 cohort close 26 Oct 2026; entry requirements; salary and promotion; the application process; FAQ
- official — GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test (last updated 24 May 2024)
- official — GOV.UK: Success Profiles, Civil Service Behaviours (the nine behaviours)
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.
