Crown Prosecution Service Assessment Tests, Recruitment Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2026

What Is the CPS?

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an organisation that prosecutes criminal cases investigated in England and Wales. While they work with the police, courts, and other investigative organisations, they are independent and make decisions without police or government interference.

Working at CPS

Positions at the CPS are location-dependent. While some roles do require legal expertise, there are also non-legal positions, including:

• IT
• Software
• Prosecution management
• Business management
• Equality and diversity
• Community engagement

CPS strive to create a work environment where their employees can thrive at work and at home. To accomplish this, the organisation offers several benefits to their employees:

• Flexible and hybrid work models
• Civil Service pension
• Paid leave
• Childcare vouchers
• Parental leave
• Cycle2Work scheme

What Is the Hiring Process at Crown Prosecution Service?

Application Packet

The application process at CPS is rigorous. All open positions will be advertised on their website with specific closing dates and a full candidate pack. This pack will include:

• An introduction to the role
• The purpose of the role
• Responsibilities
• Assessment information
• Details for when interviews will be conducted.
• Details of who to contact
• Guidance on completing a personal statement
• Interview tips

It is essential to review all the information in the packet before applying. You should ensure that you meet all the requirements and are available on the interview day should you be shortlisted. The packet will also include tips and information to help you succeed in the hiring process.

Online Application

After reviewing the application packet, you can proceed to the online application. You’ll need to select the specific job you are applying to and create a Civil Service jobs account before you can fill out the application form.

The form is relatively short and will only ask for basic information, such as your educational background and employment history. Unlike other applications, you will not include personally identifiable information in your application form. This is because the Civil Service job applications are all anonymous to remove any bias during the hiring process. Your application will be evaluated based on Civil Service success profiles that outline the competencies and behaviours required for that role.

Some positions may also ask you to include a personal statement and a CV. The personal statement should highlight traits and competencies that aren’t obvious from your application. Be sure to consult the application packet for guidance on what to include. If you are uploading a CV, limit it to two pages and ensure it showcases only relevant experience and information. Both documents should be easy to read and understand and be free of typos and grammatical errors.

CPS’ Aptitude Tests

If your application makes it through the initial screening process, you will graduate to the assessment portion of the hiring process. CPS requires candidates to take several aptitude assessments to ensure they have the skills necessary to be successful in the organisation. The exact tests you take will vary depending on the role you are applying, but some psychometric tests that applicants should prepare to take include:

• Verbal Reasoning Test – Verbal reasoning skills are necessary for all roles at CPS. Employees must read through complex documents, interpret the information, and act accordingly.
  The verbal reasoning test will assess this skill by presenting several text passages and multiple-choice questions about the information. Most questions will present a concluding statement, and you must determine if the conclusion is true, false, or if there is not enough information in the passage to determine the validity either way.
  This test will take up to 45 minutes to complete, and the questions will get increasingly more challenging as you progress through the exam.
• Logical Reasoning Test – Some roles will require a logical reasoning exam. This test is a multiple-choice, non-verbal exam and will present a series of images or shapes that follow an underlying rule or pattern. Your job will be to identify the pattern and apply that to determine the next image in the series.
• Numerical Reasoning Test – A numerical reasoning test may also be required for some roles. This will assess your understanding of basic mathematical concepts and your ability to solve problems. You will not need an advanced knowledge of mathematics to do well on this test. These questions require only arithmetic, algebra, and basic geometry to solve word problems and calculations. You’ll also need to read and interpret data provided in charts, graphs, and tables.
• Legal Assessment – Candidates applying for a qualified legal role must also take an online assessment to demonstrate their legal knowledge and understanding. This will likely include a written assessment and will take about an hour to complete. Those applying for senior legal roles must complete two legal assessments to graduate to the next stage of the hiring process.
• Situational Judgment Test – Candidates should also expect to complete a situational judgment test (SJT) examining their workplace values and behaviours. This exam will present several simulated workplace situations that you’ll need to respond to.
  This test is multiple-choice, so you’ll receive response options and must pick the best response. The CPS hiring team will grade your answer based on how well it aligns with their values and how they expect their employees to behave. Therefore, it is essential to research the organisation ahead of time and learn all you can about what they are looking for in an employee.

Interview

Candidates who do well on the aptitude tests will be invited to complete an interview. This is the last stage of the recruitment process and is your last chance to impress the hiring team and show that you are the best applicant for the position.

The questions in this discussion will be tailored to assess the abilities and behaviours detailed in the Civil Service job profile attached to your role’s description. Be sure to review the application packet to get more details about what they will be assessing during this interview.

Because these questions will be behaviour-based, CPS suggests that you format your responses using the STAR method:

• The situation in which the issue occurred to the interviewer has the necessary background information for your reply.
• The tasks that were necessary to complete to accomplish the goal.
• The specific actions that you took to improve the situation.
• What resulted from your efforts, and how that compares to the desired outcome.

Tips for the CPS Pre-Employment Process

CPS provides several tips on their website and in their application packet to help you be successful during the hiring process. Here are a few that you may find helpful:

• Don’t let the education requirements keep you from applying: CPS understands that valuable skills and passions can be formed after you leave school. If you don’t meet all the requirements for the position but have the skills and passion required, apply and showcase those in your application.
• Relevant experience doesn’t have to come from previous employment: CPS understands that experience can come from hobbies, school, and other activities outside of a role at another company. If you don’t have a relevant work role to refer to, be sure to highlight your other skills and experience that apply.
• Relate your skills and expertise to specific competencies they are looking for: During your application process and interview, relate examples of skills and experiences to a particular competency that CPS is looking for in your position.

How to Prepare for the CPS Assessment?

CPS seeks talented and qualified individuals to join their team. The aptitude and psychometric assessments are how the hiring team identifies the job seekers who have the skills necessary to succeed in the position. Therefore, doing well on these tests is essential to your success.

The best preparation tool for the assessment tests is online practice tests. Practice tests will give sample questions, similar to what you will see on the actual exam, and answers so you can understand why you may have gotten an answer incorrect. Practice tests will also help you rehearse your timing, which is excellent for timed exams.

Candidates who prepare for the exams score better than those who do not. Therefore, you should use all available resources to prepare for the tests.