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How to write key selection criteria responses for Victorian government jobs

Short answer: Answer each key selection criterion separately: open with one sentence that directly claims the skill, then prove it with one specific STAR example from your own work and finish with a result you could back up. Check the ad and position description for whether responses go in a separate document or your cover letter, and for any word or page limit.

Victorian public sector job ads often ask for responses to key selection criteria (KSC) alongside your resume and cover letter. Each criterion is a separate test of one skill, so the way to score well is the same every time: claim it, prove it with one real example, and show the result.

What Victorian employers ask for

Victorian public sector jobs are listed on Careers Vic. According to its how to apply guide, most organisations ask for three things: a resume, a cover letter and responses to the key selection criteria. When you select "Apply now", you usually finish the application in the hiring organisation's own recruitment system, so the exact upload fields vary.

Careers Vic describes KSC as the specific skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities the employer is looking for, and says most public sector employers want you to respond with specific examples from your past work. It also notes that, depending on the job, you may be asked to respond in a separate document or within your cover letter. The position description and the ad tell you which, and they're the instructions that count.

Unpack each criterion

Criteria are often written as one long sentence that hides two or three separate requirements. Before choosing an example, break the criterion into parts. Take this fictional criterion:

Well-developed written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear correspondence and briefings for a range of audiences.

• "Well-developed" tells you the level: not just competent, but trusted with work that matters.
• "Correspondence and briefings" are two different products. A strong answer touches both.
• "A range of audiences" means you should show you changed your writing for different readers.

Words like "demonstrated" or "proven" mean the panel wants evidence of something you have done, not a description of what you would do. If the position description separates criteria into groups (for example, essential and desirable), answer every essential one and as many of the others as you honestly can.

A structure for every response

1. Open with one direct sentence that answers the criterion in your own words. This is your claim.
2. Give one specific example in STAR order: situation and task in two or three sentences, then your actions, then the result. Careers Vic suggests the STAR method for KSC.
3. Spend most of your words on actions. A good starting split is about 10% situation, 10% task, 60% action and 20% result.
4. Finish with a result you could back up: a number, a timeframe, a decision, or what other people now do differently.
5. Use "I" for what you did. Mention the team for context, but make your part unmistakable.

If you have two short examples that each cover a different part of the criterion, that can work for longer limits. For most criteria, one well-developed example reads better.

A fictional worked response

The person, organisation and figures below are invented. Use it to see the structure, not as text to reuse.

Role: Customer Resolution Officer, VPS Grade 3 (fictional). Criterion: the written communication criterion above. Limit: 250 words.

I write clear, accurate correspondence and briefings for readers who range from members of the public to senior executives.

In my current role at a regional water authority, I draft replies to about 15 customer complaints a week and contribute to briefings for the executive team. In 2025 our manager asked me to help reduce the number of customers who wrote back because they didn't understand our first reply.

I reviewed 40 replies that had led to a second complaint and found that most opened with policy background and left the answer until the third paragraph. I drafted a simple structure that put the decision first, followed by the reason and the next step, and replaced technical terms with plain English. I tested it on ten new replies, asked two colleagues from the billing team to check them for accuracy, and adjusted the wording on payment plans after their feedback. I also wrote a one-page guide so others in the team could use the same approach.

Over the next six months, follow-up complaints fell by about a third. My manager now asks me to review the team's replies on sensitive matters, and I have used the same decision-first structure in three briefings to the executive team, one of which was used without changes.

This response: 213 words.

Why it works: the first sentence answers the criterion directly; the example covers both correspondence and briefings and two very different audiences, as the criterion asks; the actions show judgement (finding the cause, testing, checking accuracy) rather than just "writing well"; and the result shows both an outcome and continuing trust.

The public sector values criterion

Careers Vic notes that many employers ask you to show your understanding of the Victorian public sector values. There are seven, set out in section 7 of the Public Administration Act 2004 and explained by the Victorian Public Sector Commission: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect, leadership and human rights.

The common mistake is to define each value. The panel already knows the definitions. Instead, pick two or three values that genuinely show up in your work and give one concrete behaviour for each. A fictional snippet: "I show impartiality by assessing every permit request against the same published checklist and recording my reasons, including for customers who have complained about us before. I show respect by offering a phone call or an interpreter when a customer is struggling with a written process." Two sentences like that do more than a paragraph of definitions.

Formatting, length and the cover letter option

• Separate document: put your name, the role title and the job reference at the top. Use each criterion as a heading, copied exactly, in the order given.
• Length: follow any word or page limit in the ad. Without one, a common rule of thumb is 250-400 words per criterion. If unsure, ask the contact person listed in the ad.
• KSC inside the cover letter: when the ad asks for this, keep a short opening, then give each criterion a brief heading or a clear topic sentence so the panel can find your evidence. Careers Vic says a good cover letter is usually one page, so check whether the ad allows more when KSC are included.
• Online forms: some systems ask for KSC in text boxes with a word or character limit. Our NSW targeted questions guide has a words-to-characters table that works for any form.
• Different examples: use a different example for each criterion where you can. If you must reuse one, focus on a different part of it.

Common mistakes

• Answering only half of a two-part criterion.
• Claims with no evidence, such as "excellent communication skills".
• Listing duties from your position description instead of describing what happened.
• One giant example reused for every criterion.
• Defining the values instead of showing them.
• Ignoring the instruction on where the responses go (separate document or cover letter).

If you get an interview, expect questions on the same criteria. Careers Vic's interview preparation guide suggests using STAR there too, so the examples you prepare now do double duty.

Also applying interstate? See how to answer NSW targeted questions and the Queensland resume and short statement. For Commonwealth roles, the pitch vs statement of claims vs selection criteria guide explains the APS formats.

FAQ

What are key selection criteria in Victorian government jobs?

They're the specific skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities the employer is looking for, listed in the position description. You show you meet each one with specific examples from your own work.

Do KSC responses go in the cover letter or a separate document?

It depends on the job. Some ask for a separate document and some for responses within the cover letter. Follow the ad and position description, and ask the contact person if it's unclear.

How long should each KSC response be?

Use the limit in the ad if there is one. Without one, 250-400 words per criterion is a common rule of thumb: enough for one well-developed example.

How do I answer the Victorian public sector values criterion?

Pick two or three of the seven values that genuinely show up in your work and give one concrete behaviour or example for each, rather than defining them.

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.