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How to answer NSW targeted questions: word limits, character limits and the Capability Framework

Short answer: Answer each NSW targeted question with one specific example in STAR order that shows the focus capability at the level in the role description, covering every part of the question and using "I" for what you did. Stay under the word or character limit the online form sets, assuming spaces count, and paste your final answer into the form early to check it fits.

Many NSW Government applications skip the long list of selection criteria. Instead, the online form asks one or two targeted questions, each tied to a capability in the role description and often capped in words or characters. Here's how to plan, write and fit an answer.

What a targeted question is

A targeted question asks you to show, with a real example, how you have used the behaviours behind one of the role's focus capabilities. They are usually situational: you'll be asked to give an example of a time you did something, or to describe a scenario and how you handled it. Many have two or three parts, such as what the situation was, what you did and what the outcome was.

The NSW Office of the Public Service Commissioner's Recruitment and Selection Guide is written for hiring managers, but it's useful for applicants because it shows how questions are designed and reviewed. In our reading of it:

• An application can include an optional cover letter (generally one to two pages) and short responses to up to two targeted questions, alongside your work history.
• Hiring managers are encouraged to build the questions into the I work for NSW application form, so answers can be compared side by side.
• Hiring managers are advised to set a maximum number of words or characters for text answers and tell candidates what it is.
• Assessors can use the capability's behavioural indicators to judge your answer, and if Communicate Effectively is a focus capability, the quality of your writing may count too.

So each answer is read on its own, against a known standard, next to everyone else's. A specific example beats a general claim.

The Capability Framework in two minutes

The NSW Public Sector Capability Framework has 20 capabilities in five groups, and each capability is described at five levels: Foundational, Intermediate, Adept, Advanced and Highly Advanced. Each level has behavioural indicators, which are short descriptions of what effective performance looks like.

The framework was revised recently. According to the official factsheet (January 2026), the 20 capabilities, five groups and five levels stayed the same, while wording was updated, most notably in Commit to Customer Service, Value Diversity and Inclusion and Technology. Agencies are updating role descriptions over time, so for a while you may see either version. Always work from the role description attached to the ad you're applying for.

Before you draft, use the free official Capability Application Tool: pick a capability and level to see what it means, with practice questions.

Decode the question before you write

1. Find the capability and level. Match the question to a focus capability in the role description and note its level. An Adept answer needs more independence and scope than an Intermediate one.
2. List every part of the question. If it asks what you did and what changed, you need both. Missing a part is one of the easiest ways to lose marks.
3. Pick one example. One specific, well-told situation usually fits a short limit better than two thin ones.
4. Map two or three behaviours. Read the behavioural indicators for that capability and level and make sure your actions show at least two of them. Use your own words. Don't paste the indicators back.
5. Draft in STAR order, then cut. A good starting split is about 10% situation, 10% task, 60% action and 20% result. Cut background before you cut actions or results.

Word limits vs character limits

Forms may set a limit in words or in characters, so read the instruction next to each box. Characters are trickier: a 300-word answer may not fit a 2,000-character box. As a rough guide, plain English runs at about 5.5 to 6.5 characters per word, counting spaces and punctuation.

Long words, numbers and acronyms change the ratio, so treat the table as a planning aid only. To stay safe:

• Assume spaces count unless the form says otherwise, and assume line breaks may count too.
• Draft in a document first and use its character count (with spaces) and word count. The free checker on this site shows both: set a custom word limit and read the character figure under the results.
• Expect formatting to disappear. Text boxes often drop bold and bullets, so write in plain paragraphs.
• Paste it in early, well before the closing date, so you have time to trim if the box cuts you off.
• Leave a margin of about 5-10% so a late fix doesn't push you over.

A fictional worked answer

The person, organisation and numbers below are invented. Use it to see the shape and level, not as text to reuse.

Role: Administration Officer, Clerk Grade 3/4 (fictional). Capability: Think and Solve Problems, Intermediate.
Question: Give an example of a time you noticed a recurring problem in your work and worked out what was causing it. What did you do, and what was the result? Limit: 1,200 characters including spaces.

In my current role I process about 120 volunteer driver claims a month for a community transport service. Over three months I noticed that roughly one claim in five came back to me because a detail was missing, which delayed payment by up to two weeks.

I checked 60 returned claims and grouped the errors. Most came down to the same two gaps: no trip date and no odometer reading. When I looked at the claim form, I saw that both fields sat at the bottom of the second page, where drivers often missed them.

I took the pattern to my supervisor and, with her agreement, redesigned the form so the date and odometer fields came first. I tested the new version with four drivers, changed one label that confused them, and wrote a short note explaining the change for the volunteer newsletter.

In the two months after the change, returned claims fell from about 24 a month to 7, and payments were back within our five-day target. My supervisor has since asked me to review two other forms the same way.

This answer: 182 words and 1,001 characters including spaces, so it sits comfortably under the 1,200-character limit.

Why it works: it answers all three parts of the question; the actions show Intermediate-level problem solving (spotting a pattern, finding the cause, testing a fix) without overclaiming; "I" is used for every action; and the result has numbers a referee could confirm. The situation is just two sentences.

For a second fictional example at Adept level (Commit to Customer Service, 300 words), download the free state kit sample PDF.

Motivation questions

Some forms ask a motivation question, such as why you want the role or why you want to work in the NSW public sector. The Recruitment and Selection Guide suggests reviewers look for genuine drive, awareness of the agency or sector, an understanding of the role and your values. Be specific: name something real about the agency's work that connects to your experience, and show one value through something you've done rather than stating it.

Common mistakes

• Answering a different question from the one asked, or only part of it.
• Writing "we" throughout, so the assessor can't tell what you did.
• Listing the behavioural indicators instead of showing them in action.
• Pitching the example below the level in the role description.
• Putting your targeted question answers in the cover letter, when the form gives them their own boxes.

Applying in more than one state? See our guides to Victorian key selection criteria and the Queensland resume and short statement, or compare formats in pitch vs statement of claims vs selection criteria.

FAQ

How many targeted questions are in an NSW Government application?

Usually one or two. NSW recruitment guidance lets hiring managers include short responses to up to two targeted questions, often inside the I work for NSW form. Check your ad, because some roles also ask screening or knowledge questions.

Do character limits include spaces?

Assume they do unless the form says otherwise. Spaces and punctuation are usually counted, and line breaks may be too, so draft with a character count that includes spaces and leave a small margin.

Should I use the words from the behavioural indicators?

Use them as a guide to what to show, not as text to copy. Assessors want to see the behaviours in a real example, described in your own words.

How many words is 2,000 characters?

Roughly 310 to 360 words of plain English, counting spaces and punctuation. Long words, numbers and acronyms reduce that, so check the actual count before you submit.

Free download: state-by-state map and a worked NSW targeted question (PDF)

A 2-page sample from the State Government Application Kit: what each state and territory usually asks applicants to submit, a five-step method for NSW targeted questions, and a fictional worked answer with notes on why it works. No email needed.

Download the free PDF (66 KB)

Applying to NSW, Victoria or Queensland?

The State Government Application Kit (A$17, made by us) has a 15-page guide covering NSW, Victoria and Queensland in depth plus short notes for SA, WA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT. It includes fictional worked examples, templates for NSW targeted questions, Victorian KSC documents and Queensland short statements, and a spreadsheet workbook with an evidence bank, a question planner with live word and character counts, and a pre-submission check sheet. One-off price, instant download, 14-day refund with no questions asked.

See the State Government Application Kit on WhopAPS + State bundle (A$34)

Also applying for Commonwealth (APS) jobs? The bundle includes both kits for A$34 (A$41 bought separately). It's a writing aid. It can't guarantee an interview or a job, and you don't need it to use the free checker or these guides.

Disclosure: this guide is made by Mint, and we sell the State Government Application Kit and the APS + State bundle mentioned above. It's independent general information, not affiliated with or endorsed by any Australian, state or territory government. It isn't legal, employment or immigration advice; check eligibility and instructions in the job ad. Examples are fictional. Last updated 2026-10-20.