Is the STAR method still recommended for APS applications?

Yes, but only when used properly. APS panels generally prefer structured, evidence-based responses. The strongest STAR responses minimise background information and focus heavily on actions, judgement, stakeholder management, and outcomes.

Can I use private sector examples for APS selection criteria?

Yes. APS panels care more about transferable capability than industry background. However, private sector examples should still demonstrate governance awareness, stakeholder management, decision-making, and professionalism relevant to APS environments.

Why do strong candidates still get rejected from APS roles?

Many capable candidates fail because they do not explain their examples clearly enough for panels to assess capability. Common issues include vague writing, lack of outcomes, poor structure, generic claims, and examples pitched below the APS level.

Should every APS selection criterion use a different example?

Ideally, yes. Reusing the same example repeatedly weakens the application and limits demonstrated capability breadth. Strong applications use varied examples that align closely to each criterion being assessed.

What do APS hiring panels dislike most in selection criteria responses?

The most common frustrations include generic language, unsupported claims, unclear examples, excessive detail without outcomes, and applications that focus on responsibilities instead of demonstrated capability and measurable impact.

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FAQ

Most strong APS responses are between 300 and 700 words per criterion unless the application specifies otherwise. The ideal length depends on the complexity of the capability and APS level. Strong examples matter more than word count.

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APS Selection Criteria Examples That Actually Get Interviews

Learn how to write strong APS selection criteria responses using real examples, recruiter-backed strategies, and current Australian Public Service hiring expectations.

The biggest mistake applicants make with APS selection criteria is writing generic statements instead of evidence-based responses aligned to APS capability expectations. In Australian Public Service recruitment, hiring panels are not looking for broad claims like “excellent communication skills” or “strong stakeholder management”. They assess whether your examples demonstrate the behaviours, judgement, outcomes, and complexity expected at the APS level you are applying for.

Strong APS selection criteria responses are structured, specific, outcome-focused, and written against the capability being assessed. Weak responses are vague, responsibility-based, and fail to show measurable impact.

This guide explains exactly how APS hiring panels evaluate selection criteria, what high-scoring examples look like, common mistakes that cost candidates interviews, and how to write responses that align with modern APS recruitment standards across APS4, APS5, APS6 and EL roles.

What Are APS Selection Criteria?

APS selection criteria are assessment questions used by Australian Public Service employers to evaluate whether candidates meet the capabilities required for a role.

They are commonly based on:

•
APS Integrated Leadership System (ILS) capabilities
•
Behavioural competencies
•
Technical skills
•
APS Work Level Standards
•
Role-specific capabilities
•
Government stakeholder requirements

Selection criteria may appear as:

•
Individual capability questions

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What APS Hiring Panels Actually Want to See

Most applicants misunderstand what APS assessors are scoring.

Panels are not assessing whether you “have experience”. They are assessing whether your example demonstrates the required capability at the correct APS level.

For example:

An APS4 response may demonstrate:

•
Administrative coordination
•
Following procedures
•
Managing straightforward stakeholder interactions
•
Delivering operational support

An APS6 response may need to demonstrate:

•
Strategic judgement
•
Influencing senior stakeholders

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The Best Structure for APS Selection Criteria Responses

The STAR method is still the most effective structure for APS applications when used properly.

However, most people use STAR badly.

Weak STAR responses spend too much time on background and not enough on decisions, actions, and outcomes.

APS assessors care most about:

•
Your judgement
•
Your actions
•
Your communication approach
•
Your decision-making process
•
The measurable outcome

A strong APS STAR structure looks like this:

Situation

Brief context only.

Keep this concise.

Explain:

•
Where you worked
•
The challenge or issue
•
Why it mattered
•
The complexity involved

Task

Clarify your responsibility.

Panels want to know:

•
What you personally owned
•
Your level of accountability
•
What outcome was required

Action

This is the highest scoring section.

Strong candidates explain:

•
Why they chose certain actions
•
How they managed stakeholders
•
How they solved problems
•
What judgement they used
•
How they prioritised
•
How they communicated

Weak applicants simply list duties.

Result

This section is massively underdone in APS applications.

Strong results include:

•
Quantifiable outcomes
•
Efficiency improvements
•
Stakeholder feedback
•
Risk reduction
•
Process improvements
•
Compliance improvements
•
Time savings
•
Policy outcomes

Panels want evidence that your actions created value.

APS Selection Criteria Example: Communication Skills

Weak Example

“I have excellent communication skills developed through working with different stakeholders and preparing reports.”

This fails because:

•
No evidence
•
No complexity
•
No outcome
•
No demonstration of capability
•
Sounds generic and AI-generated

Good Example

“While working as a Compliance Officer within a state government department, I managed communication between internal investigators, legal teams, and external stakeholders during a high-volume audit process.

A recurring issue was inconsistent information being provided to stakeholders, resulting in delays and complaints. I reviewed existing communication templates and identified gaps in how technical information was being explained.

I developed simplified communication guides, introduced a structured response framework for staff, and coordinated briefing sessions to improve consistency across the team.

As a result, stakeholder complaints reduced by 35% over a three-month period, response times improved, and the audit team met all reporting deadlines during a critical compliance review.”

Why this works:

•
Specific scenario
•
Clear ownership
•
Strong communication evidence
•
Demonstrates initiative
•
Includes measurable outcomes
•
Shows judgement and improvement

APS Selection Criteria Example: Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management is one of the most assessed APS capabilities.

Most candidates fail because they describe stakeholder contact instead of stakeholder management.

Panels want to see:

•
Influence
•
Relationship management
•
Conflict handling
•
Negotiation
•
Communication strategy
•
Professional judgement

Good Example

“In my role as a Project Coordinator, I managed stakeholder engagement during the rollout of a new internal reporting system affecting multiple business units.

Several senior stakeholders were resistant to the proposed changes due to concerns around reporting delays and additional workload requirements.

I organised consultation sessions to identify operational concerns, mapped stakeholder priorities, and worked with technical teams to adjust implementation timelines without affecting project milestones.

I also developed tailored communication updates for different stakeholder groups to improve transparency throughout the rollout process.

The system was implemented successfully with minimal disruption, user adoption targets were exceeded, and post-implementation feedback from business units showed improved confidence in reporting accuracy.”

Why this scores highly:

•
Demonstrates strategic communication
•
Shows stakeholder analysis
•
Includes conflict management
•
Demonstrates influence
•
Shows practical outcomes

APS Selection Criteria Example: Managing Priorities

This capability is heavily assessed across APS4 to EL1 roles.

Panels want proof you can operate under pressure while maintaining accuracy and professionalism.

Good Example

“During a peak funding assessment period, I managed a caseload exceeding standard allocation levels while supporting urgent ministerial briefing requests.

Competing deadlines created risks around processing delays and data accuracy. I reviewed workload priorities daily, implemented a triage system for urgent assessments, and coordinated with team members to redistribute lower-risk tasks.

I also developed a tracking spreadsheet that improved visibility across outstanding assessments and escalation points.

Despite increased workload demands, all priority deadlines were met, processing errors were reduced, and the team maintained compliance with departmental service standards.”

Why this works:

•
Demonstrates prioritisation
•
Shows process improvement
•
Evidence of initiative
•
Outcome-focused
•
APS-relevant operational example

The Biggest Mistakes in APS Selection Criteria Responses

Writing Duties Instead of Evidence

Panels already know the duties of the role.

They want proof of capability.

Weak:

“I was responsible for stakeholder engagement.”

Strong:

“I managed competing stakeholder expectations during a policy implementation project involving state agencies and internal executives.”

Being Too Generic

APS panels read hundreds of applications.

Generic phrases immediately weaken credibility.

Avoid:

•
“Excellent communication skills”
•
“Team player”
•
“Hardworking and motivated”
•
“Strong attention to detail”

Without evidence, these statements carry little value.

Using One Example for Everything

Many candidates recycle the same example across every criterion.

Panels notice immediately.

Strong applications use varied examples that demonstrate different competencies.

Failing to Match APS Level Expectations

APS6 and EL applications often fail because responses are written at APS4 or APS5 operational level.

Higher-level APS roles require evidence of:

•
Leadership
•
Strategic thinking
•
Policy judgement
•
Stakeholder influence
•
Risk management
•
Decision-making complexity

Writing Overly Long Responses

Longer does not mean stronger.

Panels prefer:

•
Clear structure
•
Strong examples
•
Direct relevance
•
Concise writing
•
Evidence-based responses

A focused 500-word response is usually far stronger than an unfocused 1200-word response.

How APS Recruiters and Panels Actually Score Responses

Most APS hiring panels use scoring matrices aligned to capability frameworks.

Strong responses score highly because they demonstrate:

•
Relevant complexity
•
Clear ownership
•
Behavioural evidence
•
Sound judgement
•
Strong outcomes
•
Alignment to APS standards

Low-scoring responses typically:

•
Stay too high-level
•
Lack measurable impact
•
Focus on team actions instead of individual contribution
•
Include vague language
•
Fail to answer the actual criterion

One major hidden factor is clarity.

Panels often review large application volumes under time pressure.

If your example is difficult to follow, unclear, or buried under unnecessary detail, scoring can drop significantly.

How to Choose the Right Example

The best example is not always the biggest project.

Strong APS examples usually involve:

•
Clear problems
•
Measurable outcomes
•
Decision-making
•
Stakeholder interaction
•
Risk or complexity
•
Personal ownership

A smaller example with strong detail usually scores better than a large project described vaguely.

What Makes APS Selection Criteria Sound Senior

Candidates applying for APS6, EL1 and EL2 roles often struggle to sound senior enough.

Senior APS responses typically include:

•
Strategic decision-making
•
Cross-functional coordination
•
Policy interpretation
•
Governance considerations
•
Risk assessment
•
Executive communication
•
Influence without authority
•
Organisational impact

The language becomes more outcome-driven and strategic.

Weak APS6-Level Positioning

“I supported policy implementation activities.”

Good APS6-Level Positioning

“I coordinated implementation planning across multiple business areas, identified operational risks affecting delivery timelines, and provided strategic recommendations to senior management to support compliance outcomes.”

The second example demonstrates:

•
Ownership
•
Risk management
•
Strategic input
•
Senior communication
•
Organisational impact

APS Selection Criteria Writing Tips That Improve Interview Rates

Focus on Outcomes, Not Effort

Panels assess impact more than effort.

Avoid:

“I worked very hard to complete the project.”

Better:

“I implemented a revised workflow that reduced processing delays by 22%.”

Use Metrics Where Possible

Metrics improve credibility immediately.

Useful APS metrics include:

•
Processing time reductions
•
Compliance improvements
•
Budget outcomes
•
Stakeholder satisfaction
•
Reduced complaints
•
Project delivery outcomes
•
Time savings
•
Audit results

Show Judgement

APS recruitment strongly assesses judgement.

Explain:

•
Why you made decisions
•
How you assessed risks
•
How you handled competing priorities
•
How you adapted communication styles

Keep Examples Relevant to Government Contexts

Private sector examples can work well, but APS panels often respond better when examples demonstrate:

•
Governance awareness
•
Public accountability
•
Process compliance
•
Stakeholder sensitivity
•
Policy considerations

Tailor Responses to the Actual Capability

Many applicants write broad examples that only partially answer the criterion.

If the criterion is about stakeholder engagement, the majority of the response should focus on:

•
Relationship management
•
Communication strategy
•
Negotiation
•
Influence

Not technical work.

Are APS Pitch Statements Replacing Selection Criteria?

Increasingly, yes.

Many APS departments now request:

•
One-page pitches
•
Statement of claims
•
Suitability statements

Instead of traditional individual criteria responses.

However, the evaluation logic is still the same.

Panels still assess:

•
Capability evidence
•
Behavioural examples
•
Outcomes
•
Alignment to APS work levels

The candidates who succeed understand that the format may change, but the assessment principles remain consistent.

What Successful APS Applications Usually Have in Common

Across thousands of APS applications, the strongest candidates usually:

•
Use highly specific examples
•
Demonstrate clear personal contribution
•
Write clearly and directly
•
Show measurable outcomes
•
Match APS level expectations
•
Demonstrate judgement and professionalism
•
Tailor examples to the actual capability
•
Avoid generic corporate language

Most importantly, they make it easy for the panel to score them highly.

That is the real goal of APS selection criteria writing.

Not sounding impressive.

Not sounding formal.

Not using complex language.

Strong APS applications are clear, evidence-based, strategically written, and directly aligned to how government panels assess capability.

APS Selection Criteria Examples That Actually Get Interviews

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FAQ

How long should APS selection criteria responses be?

Is the STAR method still recommended for APS applications?

Can I use private sector examples for APS selection criteria?

Why do strong candidates still get rejected from APS roles?

Should every APS selection criterion use a different example?

What do APS hiring panels dislike most in selection criteria responses?

Build Your Resume in2 Minutes

APS Selection Criteria Examples That Actually Get Interviews

Learn how to write strong APS selection criteria responses using real examples, recruiter-backed strategies, and current Australian Public Service hiring expectations.

What Are APS Selection Criteria?

What APS Hiring Panels Actually Want to See

Read more similar articles

The Best Structure for APS Selection Criteria Responses

Situation

Task

Action

Result

APS Selection Criteria Example: Communication Skills

Weak Example

Good Example

APS Selection Criteria Example: Stakeholder Management

Good Example

APS Selection Criteria Example: Managing Priorities

Good Example

The Biggest Mistakes in APS Selection Criteria Responses

Writing Duties Instead of Evidence

Being Too Generic

Using One Example for Everything

Failing to Match APS Level Expectations

Writing Overly Long Responses

How APS Recruiters and Panels Actually Score Responses

How to Choose the Right Example

What Makes APS Selection Criteria Sound Senior

Weak APS6-Level Positioning

Good APS6-Level Positioning

APS Selection Criteria Writing Tips That Improve Interview Rates

Focus on Outcomes, Not Effort

Use Metrics Where Possible

Show Judgement

Keep Examples Relevant to Government Contexts

Tailor Responses to the Actual Capability

Are APS Pitch Statements Replacing Selection Criteria?

What Successful APS Applications Usually Have in Common

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