What are selection criteria?
Selection criteria are the specific skills, knowledge, and abilities that a role requires. Every APS job ad lists them, and your application must address each one directly. The panel uses these criteria to shortlist candidates for interview and to score interview responses.
In Commonwealth roles, selection criteria usually map to the Integrated Leadership System (ILS) capabilities. In state and local government, they vary by jurisdiction but follow the same principle: tell us what you can do, and prove it with evidence.
How panels assess your responses
Each criterion is scored independently. A panel member reads your response and asks: "Does this person provide specific, relevant evidence that they meet this criterion at the required level?"
They're not looking for:
- How many years of experience you have
- How enthusiastic you sound
- How many buzzwords you can fit in a paragraph
They are looking for:
- A concrete example that directly addresses the criterion
- Evidence you performed at the right classification level
- Measurable or verifiable outcomes
- Self-awareness about what you learned or would do differently
Structuring your response
For written applications, each criterion response should be 250 to 400 words. Use a modified STAR structure:
Opening claim (one sentence): State your capability directly. "I have extensive experience in stakeholder engagement across Commonwealth and state agencies."
Example (STAR format): Provide one strong example that demonstrates the criterion. Include the situation, your specific role, what you did, and the outcome.
Closing link (one sentence): Connect the example back to the role you're applying for. "This experience directly supports the [role title]'s requirement to manage cross-jurisdictional relationships."
Pitching at the right level
This is where many candidates lose marks. An APS5 response about "working with stakeholders" should describe coordinating with counterparts and managing day-to-day relationships. An EL1 response about the same criterion should describe influencing senior stakeholders, resolving disagreements, or negotiating across agencies.
Read the classification level carefully. If the role is at the 6 level, your examples should show independent judgement, managing complexity, and guiding others, not following instructions or completing routine tasks.
What if I don't have public sector experience?
You don't need APS experience to address APS selection criteria. Panels care about capability, not where you developed it.
A project manager from the private sector can demonstrate "Achieves Results" with corporate project examples. A community worker can demonstrate "Supports Productive Working Relationships" with examples from non-government settings.
The key is to frame your examples using public sector language. Say "stakeholders" not "clients". Say "brief" not "report". Say "senior leadership" not "my boss". This signals that you understand how government works, even if your experience is elsewhere.
Common mistakes
- Copying and pasting the same response across applications. Panels can tell. Tailor each response to the specific role and agency.
- Describing responsibilities instead of achievements. "I was responsible for managing the budget" is a job description. "I managed a $2.4M budget and identified $180K in savings through contract renegotiation" is evidence.
- Addressing the wrong criterion. Read each criterion three times. Identify the core capability. If it says "communicates effectively with diverse audiences", don't write about project management.
- Being too modest. This is not the place for humility. State what you did and what you achieved. If you led the project, say so.