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Civil Service · Last updated November 2026

Civil Service Executive Officer (EO) and Higher Executive Officer (HEO): free practice test

Executive Officers are the first rung of Civil Service management, handling casework, delivery and project tasks, and Higher Executive Officers are middle managers who lead teams, analyse data and help develop policy. You apply on Civil Service Jobs, where each advert names the Success Profiles elements assessed: typically a CV or statement, online tests such as the Civil Service Judgement, Verbal and Numerical Tests, and a behaviour and strength-based interview. Successful candidates are placed on a merit list, then pass security and pre-employment checks.

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About the Civil Service EO / HEO exam

Executive Officers are the first rung of Civil Service management, handling casework, delivery and project tasks, and Higher Executive Officers are middle managers who lead teams, analyse data and help develop policy. You apply on Civil Service Jobs, where each advert names the Success Profiles elements assessed: typically a CV or statement, online tests such as the Civil Service Judgement, Verbal and Numerical Tests, and a behaviour and strength-based interview. Successful candidates are placed on a merit list, then pass security and pre-employment checks.

What's on the exam

Civil Service EO / HEO
EO and HEO Roles, Grades, Pay and Eligibility
8 key facts
Civil Service Verbal Test
7 key facts
Civil Service Numerical Test
7 key facts
Civil Service Judgement Test and Management Judgement Test
7 key facts
Behaviour Statements, Personal Statements and CVs
7 key facts
The Success Profiles Interview
8 key facts
Nationality, Security Vetting and Pre-Employment Checks
6 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline on Civil Service Jobs
7 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the Civil Service EO / HEO exam

  • Read the advert's 'Selection process details' first: it tells you exactly which Success Profiles elements (behaviours, strengths, ability, experience, technical) and which tests are used. Prepare for those and nothing else.
  • Pitch every behaviour example at the advertised grade. Use the official EO or HEO/SEO examples on gov.uk as a checklist: an HEO answer should show leading, prioritising and influencing, not just completing tasks.
  • In the Verbal Test, judge each statement only on the passage: 'cannot say' means the passage does not give enough information, even if the statement is true in real life.
  • A passed Verbal or Numerical score is banked for six months within its grade group, so taking the tests seriously the first time saves you repeating them on later EO or HEO/SEO applications.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the UK Public-Service Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the premium Civil Service EO / HEO prep

Premium Civil Service EO / HEO prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 50 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    EO and HEO Roles, Grades, Pay and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Civil Service Verbal Test8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Civil Service Numerical Test8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Civil Service Judgement Test and Management Judgement Test8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  5. 5
    Behaviour Statements, Personal Statements and CVs7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  6. 6
    The Success Profiles Interview7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  7. 7
    Nationality, Security Vetting and Pre-Employment Checks7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Application Strategy and Timeline on Civil Service Jobs7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete Civil Service EO / HEO study notes for “EO and HEO Roles, Grades, Pay and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: The Civil Service grade ladder · What an EO does · What an HEO does · Pay · Who can apply, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. Which description best fits a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) according to Civil Service Careers?
Answer: A middle-management role leading projects or teams, analysing data and helping to develop policy. Civil Service Careers describes HEOs as middle managers: project managers and team leaders who manage EOs and AOs, analyse and present data and assist with policy. AA/AO are entry-level, EO is junior management and the Senior Civil Service is the top leadership tier.
2. Passage: 'The department's flexible working pilot ran for six months in three regional offices. Staff satisfaction rose in all three, and two offices reported fewer sick days. The pilot did not measure productivity.' Which statement is true based only on the passage?
Answer: The pilot lasted six months in three regional offices. Only the six months and three offices are stated directly. Productivity was not measured, only two offices are said to have reported fewer sick days, so you cannot conclude it fell in all three, and nothing is said about a national rollout. In the real test you would mark each statement true, false or cannot say.
3. Passage: 'Applications must be submitted by 23:55 on the closing date. Late applications will not be considered unless the recruitment team has agreed an extension in advance as a reasonable adjustment.' Statement: 'A candidate with an agreed reasonable adjustment may have an application considered after the closing time.' On the passage alone, this statement is:
Answer: True. The passage says late applications will not be considered unless an extension has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. So with an agreed adjustment, a later application can be considered: the statement is true. Nothing in the passage limits this to existing civil servants.
4. Passage: 'Most enquiries to the helpline concern payment dates. Since the online tracker launched in March, call volumes have fallen by 18%.' Statement: 'The online tracker caused the fall in call volumes.' On the passage alone, this statement is:
Answer: Cannot say. The passage gives timing (the fall came after the launch) but does not say the tracker caused it. Other factors could explain the fall. Confusing sequence with cause is one of the most common verbal-reasoning errors, so the answer is 'cannot say'.
5. A processing team cleared 1,085 cases in February and 1,395 cases in March. What was the percentage increase from February to March, to one decimal place?
Answer: 28.6%. Increase = 1,395 - 1,085 = 310. Percentage increase = 310 / 1,085 x 100 = 28.6%. Dividing by March's figure (310 / 1,395 = 22.2%) is the classic error: always divide by the starting value.
6. A contact centre has 9 advisers, each handling an average of 18 calls an hour over a 7.4-hour working day. Approximately how many calls can the team handle in a day?
Answer: 1,199. Calls per adviser per day = 18 x 7.4 = 133.2. For 9 advisers: 133.2 x 9 = 1,198.8, about 1,199. 162 is the hourly figure for the whole team (18 x 9); 1,332 uses an 8.2-hour day.
7. A new team will have 12 EOs on £31,000 and 3 HEOs on £39,000. What is the total annual salary cost?
Answer: £489,000. 12 x £31,000 = £372,000 and 3 x £39,000 = £117,000, so the total is £489,000. £372,000 is the EO cost alone. In the real Numerical Test, read the table headings carefully: figures are often in thousands.
8. In the Civil Service Judgement Test, which statement about rating the actions is correct?
Answer: You may give the same rating to more than one action, judging each on its own. gov.uk tells candidates to look at each action independently and not to assume that only one action is effective or ineffective: several actions can share a rating. The scale is counterproductive, ineffective, fairly effective and effective.
9. You are an EO. A colleague tells you she has seen another team member alter dates on case records so that targets look as if they were met. What is the most effective action?
Answer: Raise it promptly with your line manager or through the department's whistleblowing route. Falsifying records breaches the Civil Service Code's honesty and integrity values. The effective action is to raise it through the proper channel. Ignoring it is ineffective; public confrontation and secret 'fixes' are counterproductive and could compromise any investigation.
10. The Civil Service Management Judgement Test is used for which roles?
Answer: Roles requiring line management, between EO and SEO level. gov.uk says the Management Judgement Test identifies management judgement for roles between Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer that require line management. It has 15 scenarios where you choose the action you are most and least likely to take.
11. An HEO advert assesses the behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'. Which sentence would best strengthen a 250-word STAR example at HEO level?
Answer: 'I analysed three months of complaint data and two stakeholder views, set out the options, costs and risks, and recommended moving 40% of calls online, which my director approved.'. Strong examples say what you personally did ('I', not 'we'), use evidence, weigh options, costs and risks and give a measurable result: the HEO examples include presenting strong recommendations after considering other options, costs, benefits and risks. Vague claims and team or manager actions score low.
12. At interview you are asked: 'What kind of tasks give you the most energy?' What type of question is this, and how should you answer?
Answer: A strength question: answer naturally and honestly, as these are not designed to be rehearsed. Strengths are the things you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. Strength questions are quick-fire and test genuine enthusiasm, so rehearsed STAR stories sound flat. Behaviour questions ('Tell me about a time when...') are where STAR examples belong.
13. Interview answers in many departments are scored on the Civil Service 1 to 7 scale. What does a score of 4 usually mean?
Answer: Acceptable demonstration, usually the minimum pass mark. The scale runs from 1 (not demonstrated) to 7 (outstanding), with 4 meaning acceptable demonstration. Departments such as Defra say you need 4 or more on each assessment to pass. Candidates who pass are then ranked, so aim higher than 4.
14. You pass the Civil Service Numerical Test for an HEO job. Three months later you apply for an SEO job that needs the same test. What happens?
Answer: Your banked score can be reused, because HEO and SEO are in the same grade group and the score is under six months old. A passed Verbal or Numerical score is banked for six months for jobs in the same grade group (AA/AO; EO; HEO/SEO; G7/G6/SCS1), unless the benchmark or test platform changes. Banked scores do not transfer between different tests.
15. Which of these checks is part of the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) that applies to all civil servants?
Answer: A check of unspent criminal convictions. The BPSS covers identity, nationality and immigration status (right to work), employment history (usually the last three years) and unspent criminal records. There is no credit-score threshold, fitness test or polygraph. Some posts then need higher clearances such as Security Check.

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Certification guide

How to get a Civil Service job in the UK: Almost every Civil Service vacancy is advertised on [Civil Service Jobs](https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/) and assessed with the same framework, [Success Profiles](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles). Once you understand how that framework works, which online tests a department can set, and how behaviour and strength interviews are scored, every application gets easier. Here is the whole process, from choosing a grade to passing vetting.

Civil Service EO / HEO exam FAQ

How many questions are on the Civil Service EO / HEO exam?

Varies by advert. The most common: the Civil Service Judgement Test (a self-assessment section plus work scenarios, 3 per assessed behaviour, each with 4 actions to rate) and the adaptive Civil Service Verbal and Numerical Tests (variable length). Some line-management posts add the Management Judgement Test (15 scenarios), with a time limit of not timed. most people take 15 to 45 minutes for each verbal or numerical test and 2 to 4 minutes per judgement-test scenario; gov.uk advises allowing at least an hour per test. interviews usually last 30 to 60 minutes. Format: unsupervised at home; answers must be your own and you may be re-tested under supervision. rough paper, a pen and a calculator are allowed for the verbal and numerical tests. you cannot skip or go back in the adaptive tests.

What is the passing score for Civil Service EO / HEO?

Tests give a percentile against a comparison group; you must reach the minimum standard for the grade, and the recruiter may raise the pass mark for a busy campaign. Written statements and interview answers are commonly scored 1 to 7, with 4 the usual pass mark per element.

How much does the Civil Service EO / HEO exam cost?

No fee. Most UK public-service applications are free. The police promotion and investigators' exams are arranged through your force, and degree routes may have tuition costs, so check the job advert or your force before you start.

Which languages is the Civil Service EO / HEO exam offered in?

English; the Verbal and Numerical tests can also be taken in Welsh.

Where do I take the Civil Service EO / HEO exam?

Civil Service Jobs (civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk): online application, then any online tests named in the advert taken at home, then an interview (video or face to face) and pre-employment checks.

Is this Civil Service EO / HEO practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full Civil Service EO / HEO prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium Civil Service EO / HEO prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (EO and HEO Roles, Grades, Pay and Eligibility: 375; Civil Service Verbal Test: 375; Civil Service Numerical Test: 375; Civil Service Judgement Test and Management Judgement Test: 375; Behaviour Statements, Personal Statements and CVs: 375; The Success Profiles Interview: 375; Nationality, Security Vetting and Pre-Employment Checks: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline on Civil Service Jobs: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting organisation changes formats and fees, so confirm with The recruiting government department or agency, under the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (merit, fair and open competition) before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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