Fast Stream Assessment Centre guide

At the Fast Stream Assessment Centre (FSAC), we use the 4D (4 Dimensions) Assessment Framework to assess your potential.

The 4 dimensions are: Think, Relate, Adapt and Strive.

This framework is a way for us to understand your unique capabilities, skills and qualities. We aren’t looking for perfection – we want to see your potential as a future leader in the Civil Service.

We’re looking for:

Think: How you gather, process and analyse information.

We look for evidence that you think critically and make decisions whilst keeping the bigger picture in mind.

This dimension is about your potential to tackle the big, fascinating challenges that help shape government objectives and improve public wellbeing. 

Relate: Your interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.

We look at how you engage with others, influence perspectives and contribute to teamwork.

This dimension is about your potential as a future leader who fosters inclusivity, values diverse stakeholders, and inspires collaborative solutions for the public good. 

Adapt: Your flexibility and learning agility

We look at how you navigate change, absorb new information and generate creative ideas to solve problems. The world changes fast, and our work does too.

This dimension is about being agile and forward-thinking, which helps us deliver the very best public services.

Strive: Your drive and values

We look for motivation, resilience in tough situations and commitment to ethical behaviour.

This dimension is about qualities that ensure we maintain the highest standards of integrity and performance as we serve the public.

We assess you solely on your performance during the exercises. 

To ensure a fair process, the assessors have limited information about you.

The assessors will not:

• see your application form or previous scores
• know your educational or employment history

We are committed to equal opportunities for all applicants. Your background, gender, disability, appearance, age, sexual orientation, accent, political views, religion, personal beliefs or previous employment play no part in our decision-making. 

You will be assessed by a team of civil servants and assessment specialists. They are trained to ensure the process is fair and consistent.

Each exercise is marked by a different assessor, meaning no single person makes a final decision on your application.

• Stay relaxed and enjoy the process. It’s normal to find some exercises harder than others – they are designed so you can perform well in one area even if you find another challenging.
• Be yourself. We value diversity and want to get to know you as a person.
• Focus on your performance, as assessors can only give credit for what you say and do in that moment. 
• Remember that you are not competing with the other candidates – you’re all assessed against a set standard.
• Read all the instructions carefully and ask before the exercise if you are unsure.
• Keep an eye on the clock as the exercises require you to work quickly to reflect the real-life demands of the role.