APS & DFAT Graduate Program Practice
Practice for the online assessment stage of Australian Government graduate programs: verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning in the common aptitude-test formats, and situational judgement built on the six APS Values. Twelve short timed sets, a timed mock in four parts, and the reason behind every answer.
The tests
The free sample has 4 questions, one of each test type, and runs in the same test player as the full sets. Each test type then has three short timed sets, and the mock runs all four types against longer clocks. The clocks are our practice pace: the pages we cite give no time limits for the online aptitude or psychometric stage. Abstract figures are drawn as rows of symbols (filled and empty shapes, arrows), read left to right.
Double-checked questions Real exam pattern Free sample · 4 questions
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Full tests 16 tests
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- 72 verbal statements on public-sector passages
- 42 numerical table questions, five options each
- 45 abstract series and analogies
- 36 judgement scenarios on the six APS Values
- A timed four-part mock; every answer explained
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APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Verbal reasoning set 1
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Verbal reasoning set 2
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Verbal reasoning set 3
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Numerical reasoning set 1
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Numerical reasoning set 2
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Numerical reasoning set 3
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Abstract reasoning set 1
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Abstract reasoning set 2
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Abstract reasoning set 3
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · APS values judgement set 1
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · APS values judgement set 2
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · APS values judgement set 3
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Timed mock: Verbal reasoning
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Timed mock: Numerical reasoning
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Timed mock: Abstract reasoning
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
APS & DFAT Graduate Practice · Timed mock: APS values judgement
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Your readiness map
Your last score on each of the three sets of every test type, side by side, with the weakest type marked so you know what to practise next. Result pages break your score down by topic (series or analogies, the APS Value behind each scenario) and show the reasoning behind every answer.
A score here is your score on our questions. It is not a DFAT or APS result and does not predict one.
Every answer explained
Verbal answers quote the words in the passage that decide them, and say why a statement is Cannot say rather than False. Numerical answers work every step and name the slip behind the tempting wrong options (the wrong base for a percentage, a simple instead of a weighted average, multiplying by an exchange rate instead of dividing). Abstract answers spell out each rule in the series. Judgement answers name the APS Value at stake and say why the near-miss responses fall short (right intent, wrong channel or timing).
What is inside
| Set | What the questions practise | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning 1 to 3 | Our own public-sector passages; judge each statement True, False or Cannot say using only the passage. | 48 | 12 each |
| Numerical reasoning 1 to 3 | Our own tables (budgets, consular cases, aid, exchange rates, staffing): percentages, weighted averages, rates and growth, five options, calculator allowed. | 27 | 14 each |
| Abstract reasoning 1 to 3 | Figure series (what comes next) and analogies (apply the change from A to B to C), five options. | 30 | 10 each |
| APS Values judgement 1 to 3 | Workplace scenarios and emails for a new APS graduate; choose the best of four responses, judged against the six APS Values. | 24 | 16 each |
| Timed mock (four parts) | 24 verbal statements in 18 minutes, 15 numerical questions in 22, 15 abstract items in 15, 12 judgement scenarios in 24. | 66 | 79 in all |
| Total | All sets and the mock (the free sample repeats 4 of these) | 195 |
The six APS Values our judgement sets use
| Value | In short (Public Service Act 1999, section 10) |
|---|---|
| Impartial | Apolitical; frank, honest, timely advice based on the best available evidence. |
| Committed to service | Professional, objective, innovative and efficient; works collaboratively for the best results. |
| Accountable | Open and accountable to the Australian community under the law and within Ministerial responsibility. |
| Respectful | Respects all people, including their rights and their heritage. |
| Ethical | Demonstrates leadership, is trustworthy, and acts with integrity. |
| Stewardship | Builds capability and institutional knowledge; supports the public interest now and into the future. |
The DFAT selection stages, as DFAT lists them
| Stage | What DFAT's graduate selection page says |
|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility | Australian citizen; at least a bachelor's degree, most recent degree not more than five years old (2027 intake: completed between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026). |
| 2. Online assessment | A behavioural and/or psychometric assessment. DFAT's general selection page says assessment may include online psychometric testing (cognitive ability and situational judgement tests). |
| 3. Video interview | A one-way recording of up to three minutes response time. |
| 4. Assessment centre | An interview, a group activity and a written test. |
| 5. Referee checks and merit pool | Referees are contacted through an online platform; suitable candidates go into a merit pool. |
For the 2027 intake, applications opened in March 2026 and closed in April 2026, with selection from April to July and a February 2027 start in Canberra. DFAT invites candidates to register interest in the 2028 program and has not yet published its dates. The Australian Government Graduate Program lists applications for every stream (Generalist, Data, Digital, Economist, Legal, STEM, HR, Intelligence, Accounting and Financial Management, and the Indigenous Graduate Pathway) as opening on 1 March 2027; in the Generalist and Digital streams the order is online aptitude tests, then the written pitch, then a one-way video interview.
Sources: DFAT Graduate Program, Graduate selection process and Selection process; APSC APS Values; APS Career Pathways graduate programs and Generalist stream. Read on 1 November 2026. Details change with each intake: check the current pages before you apply.
Questions
Are these the real DFAT or APS test questions?
No. These are original practice questions, not official DFAT or APS test questions: every passage, table, figure and scenario is our own, and nothing here reproduces their tests.
Is this made or recommended by DFAT or the APSC?
No. It is independent practice by ProSyllabus and is not affiliated with DFAT, the Australian Public Service Commission or any Australian Government agency.
What does the online assessment test?
DFAT describes its graduate online assessment as a behavioural and/or psychometric assessment, and its selection page says assessment may include online psychometric testing (cognitive ability and situational judgement tests). The APS Generalist and Digital streams say shortlisted applicants complete online aptitude tests. The pages we cite do not confirm specific verbal, numerical or abstract formats, or give item counts, timings or the provider; verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning are common formats of graduate aptitude tests, and that is what our sets practise.
Why the APS Values?
APS employees must uphold the APS Values (Public Service Act 1999, section 10): Impartial, Committed to service, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical and Stewardship. Our judgement scenarios ask what a new APS graduate should do and explain each answer against those values.
When do applications open?
The Australian Government Graduate Program lists every stream as opening on 1 March 2027. DFAT's 2027 program has closed; DFAT invites you to register interest in the 2028 program and has not published its dates yet.
Will this make me pass?
We do not claim that it will. It gives you timed practice in the common aptitude formats and in APS Values judgement, a readiness map of your last scores, and the reasoning behind every answer, so you can see what to work on.
What do I get?
12 timed sets (three each of verbal, numerical, abstract and APS Values judgement) and a timed mock in 4 parts: 195 questions, in the full test player with a question palette and mark for review. After each set: your score, a breakdown by topic, your time per question and the explanation of every answer. Retake any set as often as you like.
How do I pay and get access?
One payment by card (or PayPal where offered), handled by our payment provider. In Australia the price is charged in Australian dollars, and in the United States, the United Kingdom and the euro area in your own currency. Before you pay, the checkout shows the exact amount and the currency you will be charged in. If your currency is not supported, the charge is in Indian rupees (INR), and any local figure shown before checkout is an estimate, not the amount charged. Access opens on this device straight after payment. Sign in afterwards to keep it on your account. Purchase policy.
Independent practice material by ProSyllabus. Not affiliated with, made, endorsed or reviewed by DFAT, the Australian Public Service Commission or any Australian Government agency. These are our own questions; they do not reproduce any official test. Recruitment facts come from DFAT, APSC and APS Career Pathways pages read on 1 November 2026.