Selection process
3 stages, one window a year
What happens at each stage, and what it asks of you. Published detail and our own preparation advice are kept in separate boxes throughout — never merged.
- 01
Application against a technical area
During the windowOur analysisYou select one technical area, and the application is reviewed by specialists in it.
What is published
- Applications are screened by the receiving technical department, not only by HR.
How to prepare — our advice
- Choose the area you can evidence, not the one you find most interesting. The two are often different.
- 02
Technical review
Four to six weeks after closingOur analysisDepth in the named area is assessed against the published requirements for it.
What is published
- Publications, surveillance work and analytical output are read directly.
How to prepare — our advice
- Have a two-page evidence summary ready. Reviewers look for what you produced, not what you were present for.
- 03
Panel interview
Two to three months after closingOur analysisA competency and technical panel, usually including the receiving department.
What is published
- Both competency and technical questions are asked in the same session.
How to prepare — our advice
- Rehearse explaining a technical method to a non-specialist. It is asked far more often than candidates expect.
Always verify the current requirements and dates on the organisation's own website before acting on anything here.
No preparation service can promise, guarantee or imply selection. These programmes are highly competitive and outcomes depend on the applicant pool and factors outside any candidate's control.