Higher Executive Officer 2026 · Vacancy 8195
Tests: 15 to 22 October · close 1pm Irish time
Prepare for HEO test week with one €89 pass.
300 original HEO SJT scenarios and 30 SJT mocks, 358 distinct numerical prompts, 1,950 verbal questions, adaptive and timed reasoning practice. Fresh practice availability follows your shared question history. The €89 pass includes full Premium access for 90 days, with interview tools ready for the next stage.
One payment. No renewal. Start with a free sample if you want to see the format. Your publicjobs invitation confirms your dates, assessments and any next stage.
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HEO situational judgement, numerical and verbal practice
300 HEO SJT scenarios with independent six-point ratings and 30 numbered 10-scenario, 50-minute papers, alongside 358 distinct numerical prompts and 750 verbal questions with worked explanations. Fresh numerical availability follows your shared practice history. Follow your own official assessment instructions.
Sign in or create a free account to try HEO SJT. Full HEO banks require paid test access. Already a member? The links above open HEO directly, or start a 10-scenario, 50-minute SJT session. Repeated ratings are allowed and speed within the limit does not affect your practice score.
Original HEO practice. Open the 300-scenario HEO bank or try this no-account sample. Our suggested ratings and practice score are independent of publicjobs.
Free HEO practice, no account needed
Rate five actions independently.
Choose a rating from 1 (highly inappropriate) to 6 (highly appropriate) for every action. You may use a rating more than once.
You are a HEO managing two EOs and six COs in an application processing team. One EO consistently finishes more cases than colleagues, but COs say she answers questions sharply and they now avoid asking her for help. Her decisions pass quality checks. She says repeated questions prevent her meeting targets, and an approaching deadline is increasing pressure. You have responsibility for allocating work and developing the team, and the AP expects you to maintain both output and reliable supervision.
Judge each action on its own merits. All five ratings are required.
0/5 actions rated.
Your HEO rating practice result
PSP suggested ratings and explanations
Try a 10-scenario, 50-minute HEO session or explore HEO practice.
HEO preparation updated 11 October 2026: Applications for vacancy 8195 closed on 10 September. The candidate-supplied Stage 1 familiarisation booklet confirms verbal, numerical and six-point situational judgement assessments. Your invitation controls your assessment dates and requirements. All PSP practice questions are original and independent of publicjobs.
For the calculation methods, read five worked numerical examples, then try the free numerical sample. The competition guide covers the process; the locations guide answers a separate planning question.
HEO SJT format updated 11 October 2026: HEO SJT, numerical and verbal practice is available now, with direct links above. Application material below is retained for reference. The separate Irish-fluency competition does not extend vacancy 8195's deadline.
For general skills, try our original numerical, verbal and workplace judgement examples. The familiarisation booklet confirms these three subject areas. Our fixed reasoning exercises develop skills; they do not reproduce the official adaptive delivery.
Your retained application evidence
Keep the facts behind your submitted answers.
Keep the form you submitted, your acknowledgement and the evidence behind each example. Separate later preparation notes from your original answers.
- 01
Choose the role
Select HEO 2026 or bring the information booklet for another competition.
- 02
Add your experience
Use your own work examples, decisions, responsibilities and results.
- 03
Review the match
See which requirements your experience supports and the details you still need to add.
Application archive · recorded 22 August 2026
Match each question with evidence that fits.
The recorded form required five responses, each capped at 350 words. Keep the evidence you submitted in your own words. Applications are now closed.
Management eligibility
Three years of formal people or team management
Leading and empowering
A strategic objective, people leadership and knowledge sharing
Evidence informed delivery
Projects, resources, analysis, judgement and delivery
Communicating and collaborating
Influence, negotiation, consultation and relationships
Supplementary evidence
Relevant CPD, achievements, experience and involvement
Your evidence stays at the centre
The helper organises your saved examples around the application requirements and keeps missing detail visible. You check every fact and decide what belongs in your final response.
Your management evidence
See how your experience supports the three-year requirement.
The HEO requirement is at least three years of relevant management experience at an appropriate level. Strong evidence makes the scope of your responsibility clear across four areas.
01 People or teams you formally managed
02 Workloads, projects or processes you owned
03 Judgement, targets and competing demands
04 Stakeholders, standards and measurable outcomes
Keep the record: preserve the dates, responsibilities and results behind your submitted evidence for any later shortlisting or interview.
See what counts as management experienceOne evidence bank, four stages
Use the same evidence at every stage.
Your strongest application examples should not vanish into a submitted form. Preserve the facts, decisions and results, then reshape them for the next stage when the official instructions arrive.
- 01
Closed 10 September
Application
Keep your submitted form and preserve the evidence behind it. - 02
Check your invitation
Assessment
HEO situational judgement, numerical and verbal practice is available now. Match your preparation to your official invitation. - 03
Check your invitation
Interview
Turn the same strongest examples into a capability map, interview plan and rehearsed answers. - 04
Demand-led
Panel
Keep the evidence bank current. The official booklet sets the panel lifetime and appointment conditions.
The HEO campaign desk
Get the HEO answer you need now.
Every guide feeds the same measured HEO pathway. No separate platform and no generic diagnostic detour.
The complete campaign guide
Eligibility, salary, dates and selection sequence.
The five application questions
The exact prompts, required structure and 350-word limits.
What counts as three years of management?
A practical evidence test that does not rely on job title.
Using preparation tools within the rules
What the application requires from you and how the helper supports that work.
Choosing your two locations
The two-location rule and the decision you cannot change later.
HEO tests and practice
Available practice, direct links and official assessment information.
Straight answers
Clear answers before you begin.
Is HEO test material available now?
Yes. There are 300 HEO situational judgement scenarios, 358 distinct numerical prompts and 1,950 verbal questions. Numerical practice keeps one version of each repeated prompt, including versions with changed figures. Fresh availability depends on your previous practice; saved results remain available to review. SJT uses independent six-point ratings, with coached and untimed practice plus 10-scenario, 50-minute sessions. Repeated ratings are allowed. Our scoring is for practice and is not the official marking scheme. Open HEO practice. Free accounts can try samples; the full banks require paid test access. Your official invitation confirms which formats apply to your competition.
What does the Application Helper actually do?
It reads the role booklet against your saved experience, gives an honest fit verdict, brings forward the strongest example for each requirement and shows the detail still missing.
Does the HEO helper write or rewrite my answers?
No. It keeps the live questions, your selected story titles, evidence checks and word counts beside drafts you write yourself. It does not generate, rewrite or enhance the answer text.
What can I use without creating an account?
The assessment watch and the original numerical, verbal and workplace judgement examples are free. They support general skills and do not establish the HEO test format.
Are numerical, verbal or SJT tests confirmed?
The candidate-supplied HEO 2026 Stage 1 familiarisation booklet reviewed on 11 October 2026 confirms verbal, numerical and situational judgement assessments. SJT has 10 scenarios with five actions each, independently rated from 1 (highly inappropriate) to 6 (highly appropriate), with repeated ratings allowed and a 50-minute overall limit. Follow your own invitation for the instructions that apply to you.
Could applicants from outside the Civil Service apply?
Yes, subject to the published requirements, but applications for vacancy 8195 closed on 10 September 2026.
Can I change my locations later?
The booklet says candidates may choose no more than two locations and cannot change them after the closing date.
Is PublicServicePathway part of publicjobs?
No. PublicServicePathway is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by publicjobs or the Public Appointments Service.
HEO test week · 15 to 22 October
One competition. Tests and interview preparation covered.
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