Answering selection criteria with the STAR method

The proportions matter

Most people write too much Situation and not enough Action. An assessor is scoring what you did, not the background.

As a rough guide for a 300 word response: Situation 40 words, Task 40 words, Action 170 words, Result 50 words.

A worked example

The criterion: Demonstrates effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Weak version

"I have excellent communication skills developed over many years. I am able to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels and have received positive feedback about my communication. I am confident presenting to groups and writing reports."

This scores nothing. There is no situation, no action and no result. It is a list of claims.

STAR version

Situation. In my role as Operations Coordinator at a regional health service, the organisation introduced a new patient records system across four sites. Staff had received no consultation and uptake in the first month was under 30 per cent.

Task. I was asked to lead communication and engagement for the rollout across all four sites, covering approximately 120 staff in clinical and administrative roles.

Action. I began by running short sessions at each site to understand the specific objections rather than assuming they were the same everywhere. Clinical staff were concerned about time at the bedside. Administrative staff were concerned about data entry duplication. I documented both and raised them with the project team.

I then rewrote the training material into two versions, one for each group, using their own terminology rather than the vendor's. I scheduled sessions around shift patterns instead of business hours, which meant running early morning and evening sessions. I established a single named contact at each site so questions did not go into a general inbox, and I circulated a weekly one page update covering what had changed and what was still being worked on.

Where an objection could not be resolved, I said so plainly rather than leaving it unanswered.

Result. Uptake reached 86 per cent within eight weeks. Help desk tickets relating to the system fell by roughly half over the same period. The two version training approach was adopted for the next two system rollouts.

Why the second version scores

• The situation is specific and includes a number that shows the problem was real

• The task states what the applicant was responsible for, not what the team did

• Actions are decisions, not duties. Each one shows judgement

• It includes something that did not work, which reads as honest

• The result has numbers and a lasting outcome

Common mistakes

• Writing "we" throughout, so the assessor cannot tell what you did

• Repeating your resume instead of giving evidence

• Choosing an example that is too old, when a recent one exists

• Ignoring the word limit, which some panels treat as a screening test

• Using the same example for every criterion

• Finishing without a result

Word limits

If a limit is given, treat it as firm. Panels commonly score to the limit and stop reading. If no limit is given, 250 to 400 words per criterion is a safe range.

Choosing examples

Aim for a different example per criterion where you can, drawn from the last three to five years. If you must reuse a situation, use a different part of it and lead with a different action.

Examples from outside paid employment count. Volunteer roles, committee work and study projects are all legitimate, particularly for entry level positions.

Frequently asked questions

What does STAR stand for?

Situation, Task, Action and Result. Situation sets the context briefly, Task states what you specifically were responsible for, Action describes what you did step by step, and Result states what happened with a number where possible.

How long should a selection criteria response be?

If a word limit is given, treat it as firm because panels commonly score to the limit and stop reading. If no limit is given, 250 to 400 words per criterion is a safe range.

Can I use the same example for more than one criterion?

Try not to. Aim for a different example per criterion, drawn from the last three to five years. If you must reuse a situation, use a different part of it and lead with a different action.

Can I use examples from outside paid work?

Yes. Volunteer roles, committee work and study projects are all legitimate, particularly for entry level positions. What matters is that the example shows your actions and a result.

How much do selection criteria responses cost?

Selection criteria responses from NK Collective start at $60 plus GST per criterion, written using the STAR method. A full government application pack including resume, application letter and criteria responses starts at $250.