Civil service success profiles
A clear guide to the Success Profiles framework: what it is, how it works, and how to prepare for each element of the recruitment process.
What are Success Profiles?
Success Profiles are the Civil Service's recruitment framework. They replaced the old competency framework in 2020 and are used to assess candidates at sift and interview. The framework has five elements: Behaviours, Strengths, Experience, Ability, and Technical.
The Success Profiles framework was introduced in 2020 to give departments more flexibility in how they assess candidates. Not every element is used for every role — the job advert tells you which elements apply.
The five elements
Behaviours
The 9 behaviours assess how you approach work. They are tested at sift (via statements) and interview (via questions). This is the most common element.
Strengths
Strength-based interviews assess what energises you and when you are at your best. No pre-prepared examples needed.
Experience
Your CV, work history, and relevant qualifications. Some roles require specific experience; others are open to career changers.
Ability
Online tests including verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and judgement tests. Used for some roles at sift stage.
Technical
Profession-specific skills and knowledge. Required for roles in digital, finance, legal, and other specialist professions.
How Success Profiles are scored
Each element is scored on a scale of 1–7. To pass sift, you typically need to achieve at least 4 ("Achieved") on each required element. At interview, the scoring is similar but may include follow-up questions to probe your answers in more depth.
| Score | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Not achieved | Insufficient evidence or the evidence does not match the behaviour. |
| 4 | Achieved | Meets the standard. Clear evidence with some depth. |
| 5 | Exceeded | Strong evidence with clear impact and some complexity. |
| 6–7 | Greatly exceeded | Exceptional evidence with significant impact, complexity, and strategic awareness. |
How to choose which elements to prepare
The job advert tells you which Success Profile elements are being assessed. Most roles assess Behaviours and Experience. Some add Strengths, Ability tests, or Technical skills. Read the advert carefully — do not prepare for elements that are not required.
If the advert says "We will assess you against the following behaviours," list those behaviours and prepare one strong example for each. If it says "strength-based interview," prepare to talk about what motivates you rather than rehearsing STAR examples.