How difficult is it to get on the Fast Stream?
Interest in the Fast Stream is intense and the entry process, as you’d expect, is meant to be challenging. There is online help throughout the process and many people actually enjoy it! The numbers applying are similar to those of large graduate recruitment schemes in the private sector.
Is there a Civil Service type?
No. The Civil Service is interested in your skills and aptitudes. We have no preferences for particular backgrounds or universities. We want to reflect the diversity of the country we serve so that a full range of perspectives will help shape the work of the Civil Service.
Am I guaranteed a job offer if I'm successful at Fast Stream Assessment Centre?
Only if you are a Graduate Fast Stream candidate, in which case you will be offered a post in the Central Departments option unless you tell us you don’t want one. However, all the pre-appointment checks must be successfully completed before we can offer you a job.
Can I defer entry if I am successful?
In the GFS, we only allow deferral for compassionate reasons (such as illness or temporary incapacity, bereavement of an immediate family member, or the need to provide short term care for an immediate family member), or to work with Teach First or Entrepreneur First. Occasionally we will relax this rule at our discretion if insufficient vacancies are available immediately for all successful candidates. Deferral requests made by applicants to schemes other than GFS will be considered by the managers of those schemes. If you already know that you have commitments which will prevent you starting work by the end of the calendar year following the start of your application, we advise you to consider waiting a year to start the application process.
Can I choose the department I work for?
No. The Fast Stream is a corporate scheme and, although your preference is taken into account, there can be no guarantees about the department or timing of an offer, which depend on opportunities at the time. You might be surprised how many different departments can fulfil your interests and to learn just what each department is responsible for – it’s rarely just the area or policy for which they’re best known.
Will I need to make my career in London?
No. Some departments will start Fast Stream recruits in London, but many civil servants, including some in quite senior positions, work outside the South East. In fact, only one in five of all civil servants works in London. Whilst the majority of Fast Streamers are currently based in the South East,there are also opportunities in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, Newport and Sheffield, for example. We are actively seeking to open up opportunities for Fast Streamers in as many parts of the UK as possible and will do our best to accommodate any geographical preferences you may have. We can only do so, however, if the vacancies exist.
Is impartiality a euphemism for no political views or activities?
No. But the public – and Ministers – must be confident in your ability to provide impartial advice irrespective of your personal beliefs. Our work requires a lively and informed interest in political and economic issues - it's likely that candidates possessing all the qualities we look for will have clear political views of their own. The rules are there to help you maintain a balance and to uphold the Civil Service values. As a Fast Stream entrant you are not able to take part in national political activities and you need permission to take part in local political activities – this is normally given unless you're employed in a particularly sensitive area. The obligation for political impartiality is laid out in the Civil Service Management Code, which you can find on the Civil Service website.
Are there special procedures available for candidates with disabilities?
The Civil Service is an equal opportunities employer and we have designed the Fast Stream online application form to be accessible. The selection process does include electronic tests, and candidates with disabilities (as defined in the Equality Act 2010) can choose to declare that they require adjustments and can opt to bypass the online tests. We can make a range of provisions, including modified PCs, special chairs, trained readers and adjustment of time in the invigilated exercise (e-Tray). Adjustments can also be offered for FSAC.
Does the order of my choice of options matter?
If you wish to be considered for the Diplomatic Service Fast Stream you must select it as your first preference. In all cases you will be considered for your second and subsequent options after the outcome of your first preference has been determined. This may cause some delay if you’ve chosen up to four options but it will in no way affect your chances of success. However, the Houses of Parliament option generally has sufficient candidates for their Final Selection Boards from candidates who have selected it as their first option, and if that is your preference, you are advised to list it first.
Can I still apply to the Fast Stream if I am an EU national?
Yes. A small number of posts are available only to UK nationals, but most are open to Commonwealth Citizens or European Economic Area nationals with unrestricted right to reside in the UK. If you wish to join the Diplomatic Service, you must be a British Citizen and have lived in the UK for two of the previous ten years. Get full details about nationality requirements.
Can I apply to the externally-advertised competition if I am already a civil servant?
Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Please note that if you apply externally you do so as a member of the public not as a civil servant. You will be subject to the same processes and assessments as other external applicants. If successful, you might not remain in your current department, and there may be implications for your pay and conditions of service. We advise you to discuss this with your HR team.
Please also note that if you apply to one of the externally-advertised schemes and are unsuccessful at any stage after the online tests, you will not be eligible for the In-Service Fast Stream competition in the same recruitment year (i.e. the internal competition which opens in the spring following the external competition). If this might affect you, please read the information found in the “Already a Civil Servant?” section of this website.
Can I apply if I graduated a couple of years ago?
Yes. It does not matter when you graduated.
Addressing my concerns
We aim to provide the best possible service to applicants for the Fast Stream. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service you receive at any point during the application and selection process, please tell us and we will respond as quickly as possible. Find out more about our complaints procedure.
If I’m successful, when will I start work?
When you start work will depend on which scheme you’ve applied to and which department you join. Generally, you can expect to start work by the end of the calendar year in which you attend FSAC. Sometimes we can’t offer everyone a post immediately, and in such cases you will be first to be offered a post the following year.
If I completed my degree outside the UK, am I still eligible?
We accept applications from candidates with overseas degrees, provided that they can supply evidence that their degree is at a comparable level to that required by the Fast Stream scheme(s) applied for. The onus (including any costs) of providing appropriate documentation rests with the candidate. The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) provides information about the comparability of different international qualifications.
What can I do to prepare for the online tests?
Guidance to help you prepare for the verbal and numerical reasoning tests can be found here. We do not endorse any commercial test preparation organisations or publications.
In preparation for the competency questionnaire, you may find it useful to consider the qualities we’re looking for in Fast Streamers [insert link] and to think about the kind of work civil servants do.
I’m going to be out of the country for some time during the next few months. Can I still apply?
The Fast Stream selection process takes some months. It is not essential for you to be in the UK during the entire process, and indeed the online tests can be taken on any computer with an internet connection. However, you will need regular internet access to keep track of your application and you must be physically present in the UK to attend the e-Tray, specialist assessment centres and the Fast Stream Assessment Centre.
Whilst we are as flexible as possible, we cannot guarantee to accommodate periods of candidate unavailability and can only offer alternative dates if the relevant assessment takes place at other times and there are places available on a different date. If you know that you will not be available between certain dates, please inform us through your candidate messaging system. The earlier we know, the more likely it is that we will be able to offer you an alternative date.
What information do assessors have about me?
If you are applying to the Graduate Fast Stream, European Fast Stream, HR Fast Stream, Northern Ireland or Technology in Business, at no point in the assessment process up to and including the Fast Stream Assessment Centre will the assessors have any information about you (such as that on your application form), other than any disability information you provide which is relevant to your assessment (for example, extra time to complete a particular exercise). If you attend a Final Selection Board for a GFS option or Technology in Business, or if you have applied to the European Fast Stream or the Science and Engineering option of the GFS, information about you will be available to scheme managers to allow them to assess your eligibility and suitability.
If you have applied to an Analytical Fast Stream option, your application form will be assessed as part of the selection process.