Anyone ever taken the NICS Test?

Sigur_2

What its like? What's in it? Is it difficult? Anywhere online with practice papers?

Etc.. etc..

Thanks!

Witless

They normally send you out practice papers with the letter confirming the date.

derrybhoy

I'm in the Civil Service. Dont even apply, its rubbish......:cool:

Sigur_2

I'm only trying to keep the options open. Although the pay, flexitime and holidays make its quite attractive.

Hopefully PWC accepts me, nicer pay but not as easy conditions

Yeah those practice papers are to my parents house, I am at university right now in London so was just seeing if they were online too.

Witless

Sigur wrote: »

I'm only trying to keep the options open. Although the pay, flexitime and holidays make its quite attractive.

Hopefully PWC accepts me, nicer pay but not as easy conditions

Yeah those practice papers are to my parents house, I am at university right now in London so was just seeing if they were online too.

Pay's not great.

Conditions were good but are changing.

Big moves afoot to alter flexi.

As a CS employee too - I wouldn't recommend it; especially now the pension scheme (the main 'plus') has been altered.

Sigur_2

The pay is equal to what most other banks and financial institutes are paying graduates, around £24k basic with it going up after certain time periods. If it doesn't go up as quickly as other jobs then I'd move, I'd have gained experience and they'd have paid for my professional qualifications. Plus there's the job security factor and the general unpressurized work environment where there's about 3 people to each job lol.

Witless

Sigur wrote: »

The pay is equal to what most other banks and financial institutes are paying graduates, around £24k basic with it going up after certain time periods. If it doesn't go up as quickly as other jobs then I'd move, I'd have gained experience and they'd have paid for my professional qualifications. Plus there's the job security factor and the general unpressurized work environment where there's about 3 people to each job lol.

I'm fascinated by your insight - please let me know which branch/department that refers to.

Pay does not increase annually, other than as a result of the negotiated pay rise in Aug - and the structure of these pay rises simply remove the bottom 'band' with the result that you invariably stay on the bottom (entry) band. (A few pay rises back, when I wasn't on the bottom band, my annual rise was in double figures (£ s not % s) & Hey Presto - back on the bottom band!)

Pay scales for the period 1 August 2006 to 31 July 2009
Page 10

291 Graduate Trainee

2006 pay scale 2007 pay scale 2008 pay scale
Max 20,497 Max 21,351 Max 22,311
2 19,516 2 20,647 2 21,556

1 18,536 1 19,592 1 20,801

(Sorry if the post 'loses' the tabulation)

http://www.pay.nics.gov.uk/pubs/2006-09-pay-scales-final.pdf


Few if any grades have a max of £24k, let alone that as a starting salary.

As for job security & unpressurised work environment - have a wee look at the RPA (Review of Public Administration) & the CSR (Comprehensive Spending Review)

This isn't a 'dig' at you by the way; I wish you were right.

Sigur_2

I'm only going by what was on the application form, with it rising after 6 months. I'm not too bothered either way, I'm not expecting great pay when I am only a graduate with no experience just be good if they paid for my professional qualifications.

PWC, McClure W and some of the insurance firms also have comparable Grad Schemes. I'll keep my options open.

A lot of my family are senior members of the CS, and I've worked in it a few times. I never found it too hectic, and none of my relatives are exactly snowed up what with their plethora of holidays, flexitime and general over-employment in the sector.

wifeforlife

Sigur wrote: »

general unpressurized work environment where there's about 3 people to each job lol.

Where's this at I might get on the transfer list?

It's people with these attitudes that join the civil service give the rest of us a bad name

The good employee conditions i.e Flexi, annual leave, public & privilege holidays and the Mon - Fri 9-5 is worth alot in my estimation and makes up for the poor wages

The aptitude tests are fine, what I tend to do is answer as many correctly and when you've 10 seconds left tick or circle anything, aslong as you've lots of answers hit, the odds are good for you. Leftie got it spot on follow that advice

Goodluck with it

Cate

Ty_Tarz

It has some good benefits 9-5, Mon-Fri and great flexible working possiblities eg Term time working for parents.

But the great pension scheme is closed to new applicants, and a lot of AOs I know have evening jobs to make up their wages.

It's good for people for whom life is more important than work, but driven, ambitious people wanting to earn good money should look elsewhere.

dmxdave

I had a friend who got a job in the NICS. On their first day their supervisor said "Don't look out of the window before lunch - if you do you won't have anything to do in the afternoon"

Just kidding before I get flamed!