Author: GF

The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at MI5.

Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessments tests, interviews and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process. 

Check here for Free and Premium aptitude assessment tests and video interviews to practice and prepare for MI5 recruitment.

If you are aiming to apply to MI5 or have an MI5 assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start.

Not sure if you should practice to prepare for MI5 assessments? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude tests results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.

In a nutshell:

How to prepare for the MI5 assessment process and tests to get the job?

1. Complete your MI5 Online Application

• Fill in your MI5 application online
• Answer each of the questions honestly and apply as early as possible
• Match your application to MI5’s key skills
• Use language from the job post in your resume and application.

2. Practice for MI5 Online Assessment Tests

MI5 uses a variety of aptitude assessment tests. These may include:

• Competency Questionnaire (SJTs)
• Verbal Reasoning test

You may get rejected already after these assessment tests. These tests sift out 50-80% candidates. The only proven way to get to the next round is practice.

3. Get ready for the MI5 Written Exercise

Research online, prepare and practice refining your written response to a variety of example case studies. Aim to plan, analyse, and develop your arguments fully and use persuasive language.

4. Record mock video interviews of yourself

You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.

Prepare for an online video interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For MI5 interview practice, use:

• a smartphone
• Zoom or
• our video interview practice platform

Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.

Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.

5. Prepare for the MI5 Assessment Centre exercises

MI5 makes use of a variety of competitive exercises during the assessment centre to find the right candidates. Ensure that you practice a variety of exercises including:

• Group exercise
• Role play exercises

Hone your written and spoken communication technique. Be aware; not many get to this stage. The competition is very fierce.

6. Final Interview

Prepare for your one-on-one interview with a senior manager. Expect and practice for behavioural and competency-based questions. Aim to stand out. They have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.

Refine your technique for your final MI5 interview to showcase your:

• deep knowledge 
• understanding of the role
• business acumen
• passion
• critical thinking and ability to think on your feet

For your final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR method.

Continue reading to get answers to these critical questions:

1. How do you get recruited into MI5?
2. How to prepare for the MI5 tests?
3. How do I pass the MI5 test?
4. What should I expect in a MI5 interview?
5. How can I pass MI5 interview?
6. How to prepare for the MI5 assessment centre?

Looking into assessments with MI5, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!

If you decide to apply for MI5, you can practice online aptitude tests with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.

The Security Service, also known as MI5, is the United Kingdom‘s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, employing around 4,000 staff in a variety of roles.

Due to its worldwide fame, propelled by James Bond movies, there are thousands of highly skilled applicants wishing to work for MI5. This is why you need to smash every part of the recruitment process – and in the article below we show you exactly, step-by-step, how you can achieve that. There is no room for mistakes if you want to get into the Security Service.

MI5’s job applications and assessment process is divided into 6 stages:

1. MI5 Online Application Form
2. MI5 Online Aptitude Tests
3. MI5 Written Exercise
4. MI5 Telephone Interview
5. MI5 Assessment Centre
6. MI5 Final Interview

1. MI5 Online application form

At this stage you will be asked to fill in the online application form. Make sure you give all the necessary information, as this will form a basis for any future references. Do spend some extra time to make sure that this form will reflect both – you as a person, but also as an ideal candidate for MI5.

Key skills MI5 are looking for:

• discretion
• integrity
• resilience
• organisational skills and time management
• excellent communication skills

You will be required to provide details of your education history, academic results and relevant work experience.

When it comes to submitting your completed application, earlier is always better – often candidates are assessed on a rolling basis, so submitting early increases your chances. Always double-check the application form for any mistakes before submission.

Make sure you have a copy of all the information you have provided. You may be asked for details during the interview. Know your CV inside out. If the information in your application and information shared during the call are different, your application may be disregarded for future processing.

2. MI5 assessments Online aptitude tests

Once your application has been screened and assessed positively, you will be invited to sit MI5’s online aptitude tests.
These will include MI5’s:

• competency questionnaire,
• verbal reasoning test

The difficulty level of the MI5 online tests will depend on the business area and position you applied to, so be sure to carefully read all the information in the aptitude test invite email.

MI5 Competency Questionnaire

This test will assess whether you posses the key competencies and behaviours required for working in the Security Services. Questions will be based on real life scenarios you are likely to experience working for MI5, and will ask you to identify the best course of action given the particular circumstances.

The only way to successfully prepare for this assessment is to do a lot of background reading about the nature of work at MI5. With each question try to think of the solutions that firstly reflect the competencies required in a given position, and secondly about what would be the most practical and logical response to such a problem.

Always read all the answers before you use your judgement to evaluate any of the options given. Otherwise you are very likely to be biased towards some of the options and will not be able to successfully compare all the possibilities.

MI5 Verbal Reasoning Test

MI5’s Verbal Reasoning Test will determine how confident you are in extracting information from a previously unseen passage of text, to identify whether the following statements are: true, false, or impossible to say based on the information contained in the passage of text.

MI5’s Verbal Reasoning Test could potentially be more challenging for non-native speakers in English, but the advice we give to everyone is to practice verbal reasoning test questions beforehand, as this allows you to understand the specific way in which the texts are built and questions asked. The format of questions is very different to anything you would experience at school.

To have a better understanding of what is required of you, always start by reading the passage first before even looking at the question. Make sure you fully understand the text and only then should you attempt answering the question.

Learn more about verbal reasoning tests

For more hints on how to pass a verbal reasoning test, visit our Youtube channel

Remember, you will have around 45 seconds to answer questions like the following

MI5-style Verbal Reasoning Test Example

Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to MI5’s online aptitude tests, sign up with GF and take your FREE verbal reasoning test now!

3. MI5 Written exercise

After you have successfully passed MI5’s online aptitude tests, you will be invited to take a written exercise assessment.

In this exercise, you will work on your own to prepare a response to a case study problem, in the candidate brief provided to you. You will need to develop your arguments fully, and will need to persuade the recipient towards your team’s recommendations.

The best practice is to start by analysing all the information and planning your response; only then should you start writing your response. Be sure to check your grammar and spellings throughout the essay, and be cautious of the time that you have been allocated – sometimes it might be better to skip some points in order to finish in time.

Before we press on, we suggest you look at a written exercise that is similar to the one MI5 will use 

4. MI5 Telephone interview

The next stage of the recruitment process is a telephone interview, which usually takes around 25-30 minutes. Anything that you included in your CV might be discussed in this interview. This is why it is so important to look through your CV and make sure that you are able to evaluate every point you make.

This interview will be competency-based (CBI). Be ready to discuss specific examples in which you demonstrated certain skills: determination, teamwork, leadership skills etc. Think about your previous projects and experiences, from your professional-, academic-, private- or fitness-related life.

Each of your answers should ideally follow a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model in your responses, in which you need to refer to each of the four points mentioned above; explain what the particular situation was, what task you were faced with, what action you took and what the result was.

Want to know what questions could come up in your interview? Graduates First can help with our proprietary Question Identifier Tool (QIT).

5. MI5 Assessment Centre

The next stage of the MI5 recruitment process is an Assessment Centre, during which you will be assessed across a variety of exercises. These may take form of the:

MI5 Group Exercise

This assessment examines your ability to communicate and reach conclusions as part of a team. Throughout this task you will be observed by MI5’s recruiters, so try to demonstrate your strengths; share and explain your ideas, but also be open to build on somebody else’s input and develop on their points, try your best to persuade others towards your opinions and also ask thought-provoking questions. Above all – stay calm and speak in a confident and clear manner.

Learn more about Group Exercises

MI5 Role Play Exercise

You will be given around 20 minutes to work in a pair and analyse a set of information. You and your partner will then need to prepare your response. In the second part, you will be representing MI5, and your interviewer will be representing a second party based on the situation in the candidate brief. In this task, you will need to prove your negotiation skills, teamwork and analytical thinking.

Learn more about Role Play Exercises

6. MI5 Final Interview

Before this interview you need to learn as much as you can about MI5 and its work culture. You need to have a high level of understanding of MI5’s mission, any relevant recent big news and its future developments.

The Final Interview at MI5 is also your opportunity to find out more about the company and the team you might be working with. However, asking interesting questions in the interview is about so much more than this. Come equipped with some thought-provoking questions, stand out from the competition and demonstrate your genuine motivation and enthusiasm to work in the Security Service. They want to see your genuine interest to work for MI5, and not as just another ‘job seeker’.

Practice aptitude tests with GF to get your job with MI5 first time

Do you want to pass your MI5 assessments first time? Sign up for aptitude practice tests offered by Graduates First, the only aptitude practice test experts that provide tests to over 100 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.

Go to Graduates First now and select from the range of products we offer at no risk. We offer a comprehensive premium package with a full set of assessment tools for job candidates (numerical, logical, verbal reasoning, situational judgment tests, assessment centre exercises and more). Buy with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money back guarantee.

Answers to questions:

Verbal reasoning test: B

VIEW OUR TEST OPTIONS

The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at Teach First.

Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessments tests, interviews and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process. 

Check here for our Premium Video Interviews Platform to practice and prepare for Teach First recruitment.

If you are aiming to apply to Teach First or have a Teach First assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start.

Not sure if you should practice to prepare for Teach First assessments? In a nationwide recruiter survey, Yello (2020) found that 51% of recruiters use interview scheduling software. A further 28% are considering the move.

In a nutshell:

How to prepare for the Teach First assessment process and tests to get the job?

1. Complete your Teach First Online Application

• Fill in your Teach First application online
• Answer any motivational questions within the application form
• Match your application and motivational question answers to Teach First’s key competencies
• Use their language / key words from the job post

2. Record mock video interviews of yourself

You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.

Prepare for your telephone interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For Teach First interview practice, use:

• a smartphone
• Zoom or
• our video interview practice platform

Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.

Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.

3. Prepare for the Teach First Assessment Centre exercises

Teach First makes use of a variety of competitive exercises during the assessment centre to find the right candidates. Ensure that you practice a variety of exercises including presentation exercises.

Hone your written and spoken communication technique. Research online, prepare and practice your presentation using various case studies and examples.

Be aware; not many get to this stage. The competition is very fierce.

4. Final Interview

Prepare for your one-on-one final interview with a senior manager from Teach First. Keep up the good work, as they are looking for the best talent. They likely will have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.

Hone your technique for your final Teach First interview to showcase your:

• deep knowledge 
• understanding of the role
• business acumen
• passion
• critical thinking and ability to think on your feet

For this final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR technique.

Continue reading to get answers to critical questions:

1. What is Teach First hiring process? 
2. How is Teach First assessed?
3. What are the Teach First competencies?
4. What to expect at the Teach First interview? 
5. How do I ace my Teach First interview? 
6. How do I pass Teach First assessment Centre? 

Looking into assessments with Teach First, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!

If you decide to apply for Teach First, you can practice online aptitude tests with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.

Teach First is a social enterprise that is registered as a charity, and which aims to address educational disadvantage in the UK; achieving that by enrolling candidates on an extensive teacher training programmes to give future teachers all the necessary knowledge and skills to make a real difference.

1. Teach First Online Application

This part of the recruitment process is your first chance to give a good impression and stand out from your competition. The online form will ask you to provide details of your education and any academic results, work experience and may include some motivational and competency-based questions, depending on the business area you apply to. Examples for each of these question types are discussed below.

Throughout the application process you will be assessed against a number of competencies, including:

• Leadership
• Problem solving
• Planning and organising
• Resilience
• Interaction
• Self-evalaution
• Humility, respect and empathy

The application form is very likely to include some competency-based questions with regards to key Teach First competencies outlined above. These questions could be similar to the examples below:

• Think of an unconventional problem you have encountered and tell us briefly how the course of action you followed helped to solve it.
• Think of a time when you took on a leadership role and tell us how you managed to succeed in this role? What difficulties did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
• What do you believe to be the most important aspect of the teacher training that would help you to excel in your future career?
• Tell us a about a time when you committed to achieving a goal and ‘went the extra mile’ to deliver results that exceeded expectations? Please tell us the process it involved and the way in which you achieved your results.

It is also very likely that this stage will also include some motivational questions, such as:

• What is your motivation to work at Teach First?
• Why do you want to apply for this particular role?

In answering motivational questions, remember to be as precise as possible: refer to unique facts about Teach First that motivate you to work there, such as special awards, CSR projects, etc. When describing why you want to apply for this specific role mention the core skills required for this position and how these match both your previous experiences and personal interests.

2. Teach First Telephone Interview

This is a chance for you to demonstrate your passions and skills that would make you suitable for the role.

It will be competency based (CBI). Think about the projects you have previously worked on, in your professional experiences or education, and think about what your role was, what have you achieved and how you approached any problems.

Telephone Interview Tip #1: Remember, it is important to talk about a variety of experiences so do not get hung up on one job you did in the past.

You should prepare some ideas of examples that you can later use during your interview, and should base these on the most common types of interview questions.

Telephone Interview Tip #2: Prepare and write down a couple of projects or initiatives that you did exceptionally well in. The interviewer will be interested in understanding how you have approached the problem, what analysis you have done, data gathered, insights and actions taken, results achieved and what your role was.

Want to know what questions could come up in your interview? Graduates First can help with the Question Identifier Tool (QIT). You can find it here.

3. Teach First Assessment Centre

The Teach First Assessment centre will be a chance for you to network with professionals working for Teach First and learn more about the company.

The exercises you might be expected to take will very likely be sample lessons – details of which you should receive in the email initiation for the Assessment Centre.

Whenever taking part in presentation exercises, follow the advice at the link below.

Click here to find out more about Presentation Exercises.

This exercise will mainly test your ability to communicate your ideas. Your assessors will be looking at your body language and tone to see how you would cope with delivering professional presentations, taking part in group discussions or explaining your point of view.

It is important that you stand straight, make regular eye contact with everyone in the audience and do not speak too fast.

4. Teach First Final Interviews

This stage of the recruitment process will consist of a one-on-one interview. It will be competency based, and will be a final chance for you to demonstrate your passion, skills and enthusiasm to work for Teach First.

Your interview should last up to 30 minutes. Although it might seem long-winded, remember to refer to specific arguments following the S, T, A, R method: describe the particular situation, the task you were faced with, and what action you took to resolve it, concluding with the result of your work.

At the end of your interview you will be given a chance to ask questions. You must definitely use this opportunity! This is a way of showing that you are interested and motivated, so prepare some thought-provoking and interesting questions beforehand. You can also ask your interviewer about their career path.