Civil Service interview panels usually score the evidence you provide against the criteria set for the vacancy. A widely used scale runs from 1 to 7 for behaviours and other assessed evidence. Strengths can use a separate four-point scale. Your recruitment message will show which elements were assessed in your interview.
For help turning your experience into clear answers, see our Civil Service Interview Question and Answers Guide. Get the interview guide.
What does each score from 1 to 7 mean?
On the standard scale, 1 means Not Demonstrated and 2 means Minimal Demonstration. A 3 is Moderate Demonstration. A 4 is Acceptable Demonstration, with adequate positive evidence against the standard.
A 5 is Good Demonstration and a 6 is Strong Demonstration. The highest mark, 7, is Outstanding Demonstration. The terms describe the quality of evidence at the level of the role. A Grade 7 answer is therefore assessed against different expectations from an AO answer.
How does a panel score a behaviour answer?
Assessors consider your answer to the question and any follow-up evidence. For a question about leadership, they need to understand what responsibility you held and what decisions you made. A detailed account of the team’s actions gives less personal evidence than a clear account of your own contribution.
Imagine two candidates describing the same successful change project. One explains how the team completed the work. The other explains a difficult decision they made, why they chose that approach and the result. The second gives the panel more to assess against the behaviour.
What happens when different criteria are assessed?
An interview may cover behaviours alongside experience or technical skills. Strengths can also form part of the assessment. Panels use the scoring arrangements established for that recruitment campaign. The advert is the starting point for understanding which areas matter.
Strength questions explore the things you enjoy and do regularly. Read how Civil Service strengths are scored to see how those ratings differ from behaviour marks.
Does a score of 4 mean you pass?
Four is generally the acceptable standard on the common seven-point scale. Recruitment teams can set the threshold for progressing candidates, and an acceptable score may still leave you behind candidates with higher marks.
📋 Review each result separately. Check which assessed area received the mark.
🎯 Compare with the criteria. Look at the advertised behaviour or requirement and identify which part of your answer supplied evidence.
Our interview pass mark guide explains how meeting the standard relates to final offers.
