Independent practice, not affiliated with DFAT, the APSC or the Australian Government.
APS and DFAT graduate programs · tests, video interview, assessment centre
APS & DFAT Complete: online test, video interview and assessment centre practice
Everything in the APS & DFAT graduate tests kit, plus practice for the one-way video interview and the assessment centre: 20 video interview questions in 4 drills of 5 (60 seconds to prepare, our timing, then up to 3 minutes per answer), 8 model answers and 12 STAR frames; 2 written practice packs on invented briefing tasks; an invented group-activity exercise with role cards; and 2 sets of 5 interview practice questions. In the video drills, dictate in Chrome, Edge or Safari, or type your answer; then get feedback point by point: what you showed (your own words quoted), what you left out, the one thing to add next, and a model answer, a STAR frame or a worked example.
Practice times below are our own, not DFAT’s.
- Online assessmentCore kitVerbal, numerical and abstract reasoning sets, APS-values behavioural sets and a timed mock.
- One-way video interview4 × 20 min20 questions: 60 seconds to prepare (our timing), then up to 3 minutes per answer, one take per question in each attempt. 8 model answers and 12 STAR frames.
- Written practice2 × 60 min2 invented information packs, 3 tasks each, with word limits and worked examples. Policy-stream pack: a ministerial-style brief, the main risks, talking points. Corporate-stream pack: a briefing note to a Head of Mission, an email to staff, a summary for a senior executive. DFAT lists a written test but does not describe its format.
- Group activity practice30 minAn invented exercise with 4 role cards and 4 tasks: your opening, handling a colleague who talks over others, a compromise that fits the budget, and the summary, with worked examples. DFAT does not describe its group activity.
- Interview practice2 × 30 min2 sets of 5 questions: behavioural questions with follow-ups, workplace scenarios and stream questions, with worked examples (DFAT does not describe its interview).
Free: one video interview question, with feedback and a model answer
Say or type what you would say to the camera: one specific example, what you did, how it turned out and what you learned. About 4 minutes. No sign-up.
When you press start, the question appears with 60 seconds to prepare, then 3 minutes to answer. Say it aloud or type it.
One-way video interview drills
Written practice (invented briefing tasks)
Group activity practice
Interview practice
The online assessment practice comes with it: see the tests kit and try its free questions.
One payment unlocks the tests kit plus the video interview and assessment centre practice pack
- The full APS & DFAT graduate tests kit (the core kit), included in the same purchase
- 20 one-way video interview questions in 4 drills of 5, with 8 model answers and 12 STAR frames
- 2 written practice packs on invented briefing tasks, 3 tasks each (one Policy-stream pack, one Corporate-stream pack), with worked examples (DFAT lists a written test but does not describe its format)
- An invented group-activity exercise with 4 role cards and 4 tasks, with worked examples (DFAT does not describe its group activity)
- 2 sets of 5 interview practice questions, with worked examples (DFAT does not describe its interview)
- Feedback on every video, written, group and interview answer, quoting your own words, and up to 3 marked attempts per drill or set
The APS Values
- Impartial
- The APS is apolitical and provides the government with advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence.
- Committed to service
- The APS is professional, objective, innovative and efficient, and works collaboratively to achieve the best results for the Australian community and the government.
- Accountable
- The APS is open and accountable to the Australian community under the law and within the framework of Ministerial responsibility.
- Respectful
- The APS respects all people, including their rights and their heritage.
- Ethical
- The APS demonstrates leadership, is trustworthy, and acts with integrity, in all that it does.
- Stewardship
- The APS builds its capability and institutional knowledge, and supports the public interest now and into the future, by understanding the long-term impacts of what it does.
How DFAT graduate selection works
- The stages
- DFAT lists: an online assessment (behavioural and/or psychometric), a one-way video interview, an assessment centre (interview, group activity, written test), referee checks, then a merit pool created after the assessment centre and referee checks.
- Video interview
- DFAT describes a "one-way recording of up to three minutes response time". Its graduate pages do not give the questions or any preparation time: the 60 seconds in our drills is our own practice timing, and our drills allow up to 3 minutes per answer.
- What DFAT looks for
- Graduates who work collaboratively with others, manage relationships, have humility, drive and accountability, and are adaptable, resilient and able to problem-solve through analytical thinking. Its selection page asks for specific examples from your own experience, not general statements.
- The program
- 18 months in Canberra, 2 streams (Corporate and Policy) and 4 placements; you start at APS 4 and move to APS 5 on completion. You need Australian citizenship at the time of application, and a Negative Vetting Level 2 security clearance before you start.
- Timeline
- DFAT's published timetable for the 2027 intake: applications March to April 2026, selection April to July 2026, letters of offer October to December 2026 (pending security clearance), start February 2027. The 2027 program has closed: you can register your interest for the 2028 program, and DFAT says it will notify you when applications open. DFAT has not published 2028 dates.
- AI tools
- DFAT says AI tools are not to be used during the interview or any assessment tasks, and that you must rely on your own skills. Practise beforehand.
Sources (read 1 November 2026): DFAT: Graduate selection process; DFAT: Graduate program; APSC: APS values.
Questions
Is this from DFAT or the APS?
No. ProSyllabus is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by DFAT, the Australian Public Service Commission or the Australian Government. The questions, information packs and answers are our own, built on what DFAT publishes about its selection process and on the APS Values. Read DFAT's own pages too (linked below).
Are these the questions DFAT asks?
No. DFAT's graduate pages do not give its video interview questions or describe its assessment centre tasks. Ours are invented practice material built on the qualities DFAT says it looks for. The 60 seconds to prepare is our own timing; our answer limit of up to 3 minutes follows DFAT's description of its video interview.
Is the DFAT written test a policy brief?
DFAT lists a written test in its assessment centre but does not describe its format. Our two packs practise core writing skills instead: reading an information pack quickly, using its figures correctly, making a clear recommendation and writing for a busy reader within the stated word limit. The Policy-stream pack has a ministerial-style brief, risks and talking points; the Corporate-stream pack has a briefing note, a staff email and an executive summary.
How is my answer judged?
Each question has our own list of practice points: for a video or interview question, one specific example, your own actions, the quality it shows, the result and what you learned; for a written or group task, correct use of the pack's figures, a clear recommendation and balance. An automated marker checks your answer against every point, and any credit it gives quotes your own words. It can miss something valid or credit something it should not, so treat it as practice feedback and compare with the model answer, STAR frame or worked example. The band (strong, solid, developing) is our own guide, not an assessor's mark or a prediction.
Can I speak my answers?
Yes. In the video drills you can dictate in a browser that supports it (Chrome, Edge or Safari) or type. We do not store any audio or video. Our drills give you one take per question; it also helps to record yourself once on your phone with a 3-minute timer. Check DFAT's own instructions for its recording rules.
Is it for the APS graduate programs as well as DFAT?
The questions practise the qualities DFAT names and the APS Values, which apply to every APS employee. The selection stages we describe come from DFAT's pages; our preparation time and practice-session lengths are our own. Other agencies set their own selection requirements, so check the program you apply for.
I already bought the tests kit.
The tests kit stays yours. The video interview and assessment centre pack is not sold on its own: it comes only with the complete kit, which includes the tests kit as well.
Can I try it first?
Yes. One video interview question is free, with feedback and a model answer, and no sign-up.
Independent practice, not affiliated with DFAT, the APSC or the Australian Government. The questions, briefs, data, STAR frames, model answers and worked examples are our own; we reproduce the APS Values definitions above and quote DFAT’s description of its video interview; other official information is summarised and linked.