TL;DR: An assessment centre is a series of exercises, now often run virtually, that graduate employers use after the online tests. Expect some combination of a group exercise, a case study or presentation, a role play, a written task and an interview. Assessors score observed behaviour against set capabilities, so what you do and say matters more than being the loudest person in the room. Use real examples, make your own role clear, and practise each exercise type.
Reaching the assessment centre means you are on the shortlist. It is also the stage where candidates who have never done one before are at the biggest disadvantage, because the format is unlike a normal interview. This guide walks through what happens and how to prepare for each part.
A Worked Example: The Australian Government Graduate Program
The Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP) publishes a candidate information guide, which gives a clear picture of a real Australian assessment centre. In the 2025 Generalist Stream guide:
- Candidates shortlisted from the online assessment were invited to a virtual assessment centre, run over a number of weeks in late May and June.
- The guide said the assessment centre is designed to give you "an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths against multiple capabilities required for the graduate program".
- Activities could include a panel interview, an individual presentation, a written task and a group activity.
- Because of the volume of candidates, feedback was only provided to candidates who attended the assessment centre.
Its tips are worth following anywhere: understand the instructions and ask if you are unsure, address every issue clearly and concisely, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), use real situations rather than hypothetical ones and make your own role clear, test your device beforehand, and pace yourself against the time limit.
Private sector assessment centres vary in length and format, but they draw on the same set of exercises.
The Exercises and How to Approach Each One
The group exercise
You work with other candidates on a shared task, such as ranking options or agreeing a plan, while assessors observe.
What assessors look for: contributing ideas, building on other people's points, including quieter members, handling disagreement constructively, and keeping the group on task and on time.
How to do well:
- Suggest a structure early, such as agreeing the criteria before debating the options.
- Invite in people who have not spoken: "We have not heard from you yet. What do you think matters most?"
- Use the information in the brief, especially the numbers.
- Disagree with reasons, and change your view when given a good one.
- Talking the most is not the goal. Assessors score the quality of your contribution and how you work with others.
The case study and presentation
You analyse a business problem from a pack of information, then present a recommendation, sometimes as slides, sometimes verbally or in writing.
How to do well:
- Lead with your recommendation, then the reasoning and the numbers behind it.
- Show your working on the key figures, such as a growth rate, a margin or a payback period.
- Name the risks and how you would manage them.
- Finish with next steps and what you need decided.
- Keep to time. A clear, finished answer beats a perfect, unfinished one.
The role play
You hold a one-to-one conversation with an assessor or actor playing a client, colleague or stakeholder, often someone unhappy or with a problem.
How to do well:
- Listen first. Ask what is going on and what matters to them before offering a fix.
- Acknowledge their concerns honestly, without promising what you cannot deliver.
- Work toward the objective in your brief, and agree specific next steps.
- Stay professional, even if the character pushes back. Pushing back is often part of the design.
The written task
You read a short pack and write a document for a specific reader, such as an email, a briefing note or a short report.
How to do well:
- Answer the question you were asked, for the reader you were given.
- Put the recommendation first and the supporting points after it.
- Use the evidence in the pack, and leave out details that are irrelevant to the decision.
- Check accuracy: figures, names and dates. The AGGP application stage notes that your writing skills are assessed along with your content, and the same applies here.
The interview
Most assessment centres include an interview, often behavioural, asking about times you demonstrated particular capabilities.
How to do well: prepare five or six real examples that cover teamwork, problem solving, initiative, communication and resilience, and structure each with STAR. Our guide to behavioural interview questions covers this in depth.
Try a fictional written task: choose a workshop venue
This is one small editorial practice task, not a live employer question, an AGGP exercise or a prediction of your selection score. The brief and answer are fictional. It practises a routine administrative decision, not professional, financial or safety advice.
Brief — 10 minutes: You are a graduate coordinator arranging a two-hour Melbourne skills workshop for 20 attendees. Write an email of no more than 120 words to your team leader recommending one venue, giving two reasons and one check before booking. The total budget is A$600, including equipment. All options have step-free entry according to the supplied venue notes; attendee access requirements still need checking.
- Venue A: A$450 room hire plus A$100 equipment; capacity 24; a five-minute walk from the station; available on the required date.
- Venue B: A$350 including equipment; capacity 16; beside the station; available on the required date.
- Venue C: A$600 including equipment; capacity 30; a twenty-minute walk from the station; availability not yet confirmed.
Stop here and write your answer before reading the example. Use only the supplied facts; do not invent a discount, confirmed booking or accessibility guarantee.
Illustrative response
Subject: Workshop venue recommendation
I recommend Venue A, subject to checking attendee access requirements. Its A$550 total is within our A$600 budget, it seats all 20 attendees and it is available on the required date. The five-minute station walk also makes it more convenient than C. B is cheaper but cannot seat the full group; C uses the whole budget and its availability is unconfirmed. Before booking, I would ask attendees about access needs and confirm the venue can meet them, then seek your approval to proceed.
Practice rubric
This is a self-review guide, not the scoring system of an employer. Another recommendation can work if it meets the brief and explains its trade-offs.
| Criterion | Strong evidence in this response | A weaker response |
|---|---|---|
| Uses the brief | Compares A's A$550 total with the budget and checks capacity and date | Picks B on price alone, ignoring the 20 attendees |
| Explains trade-offs | Names B's capacity shortfall and C's unconfirmed availability | Calls A “best” without comparing the options |
| Communicates and handles uncertainty | Leads with a recommendation, stays within 120 words and checks access needs before booking | Invents an access guarantee or says the booking is already confirmed |
Practise another assessment-centre exercise when you want a timed task with feedback. The product's generated tasks will differ from this editorial example; feedback is for practice, not a hiring decision.
Virtual Assessment Centres
Many assessment centres now run online, as the AGGP's did. On top of the usual preparation:
- Test your device, camera, microphone and connection before the day, and know the platform.
- Have a quiet space and a backup plan, such as a phone hotspot.
- Keep your camera on and speak a little more deliberately in group exercises, because talking over people is harder to manage on a call.
A Preparation Checklist
- Read the employer's capabilities or values. They are what the assessors score against.
- Prepare real STAR examples for the common capabilities.
- Practise each exercise type at least once under time pressure.
- Practise presenting a recommendation in a few minutes, out loud.
- Check the logistics: start times, duration, technology and dress.
- Rest the night before. The AGGP guide advises being well rested so you bring your best self.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is a graduate assessment centre?
A: A series of exercises, such as a group activity, case study, presentation, role play, written task and interview, that graduate employers use to assess shortlisted candidates against the capabilities the role needs.
Q: Are graduate assessment centres in Australia held online?
A: Many are. The 2025 Australian Government Graduate Program Generalist Stream ran a virtual assessment centre in late May and June.
Q: What happens in an assessment centre group exercise?
A: You work with other candidates on a shared task while assessors observe how you contribute ideas, build on others' points, include others and keep the group on task.
Q: How should I answer interview questions at an assessment centre?
A: Use the STAR method with real examples, and make your own role clear. The Australian Government Graduate Program's guide recommends real situations rather than hypothetical ones.
Q: Do you get feedback after an assessment centre?
A: It depends on the employer. The Australian Government Graduate Program's Generalist Stream stated that feedback would be provided to candidates who attended the assessment centre.
Conclusion
An assessment centre is a set of exercises scored against clear capabilities, not a personality contest. Learn what each exercise is designed to observe, bring real examples, and practise each format before the day.
Rehearse the whole day. StrongHire Labs' Assessment Centre practice has a group exercise with three AI participants, a case study and presentation, a role play and a written exercise, each written for your field and scored against the competencies assessors use. For the stage before, try a one-way video interview.
