How to answer selection criteria (with the STAR method)
6 min read · Updated 11 November 2026
Government, council, university and health jobs often ask for more than a resume and cover letter. They want you to show, point by point, how you meet the selection criteria. It feels like an exam, but there's a simple method that works for almost every criterion.
This guide covers what the panel is looking for, the STAR method, how long each answer should be, and two full examples.
What selection criteria are
Selection criteria are the skills and experience the employer has decided the job needs, like "strong written communication skills" or "demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities". The panel scores every applicant against each one, usually out of five or ten, and only the highest scores get an interview.
That's why they matter so much. A great resume can't score points on a criterion you didn't answer.
First, check what the ad actually asks for
Different employers ask for different things, and getting this wrong is the most common way to be ruled out.
- Answers to each criterion: a heading for each one, with a short answer underneath. This is the classic format.
- A "pitch" or "statement of claims": one or two pages explaining why you suit the role, without separate headings. Many federal and state government jobs now ask for this instead.
- Questions in an online form: a text box for each criterion, often with a word or character limit.
Whatever the format, stick to the limit exactly. If it says two pages, two and a half pages can get your application put aside.
Read each criterion closely
Before you write, break each criterion into its parts. "Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders" is really asking three things:
- Demonstrated: they want a real example, not a description of yourself.
- Effective relationships: show that the relationship led to something good.
- A range of stakeholders: show you've worked with different kinds of people, like staff, managers, customers or other teams.
If your answer covers each part, it scores well. If it skips one, it loses points even when everything else is strong.
The STAR method
STAR is the structure panels expect, and it turns a vague claim into a story with proof.
| Step | What it covers | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | Where you were and what was going on | One or two sentences |
| Task | What you needed to achieve | One sentence |
| Action | What you did, step by step | Most of your answer |
| Result | What happened because of it, with a number if you can | One or two sentences |
The Action is where you score. Panels want to know what you did, so say "I", not "we". If it was a team effort, explain your part in it.
An example answer
Here's an answer for a Business Analyst job at a council. Jordan is made up, but the criterion is a typical one.
Criterion: Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders.
Situation: At Suncoast Insurance, I was the business analyst on a $4 million project to replace the claims system used by more than 200 staff.
Task: I needed claims staff, team leaders, finance and the IT vendor to agree on how the new system should work, even though each group wanted different things from it.
Action: I started by meeting each group separately to understand what mattered to them and what worried them. Claims staff were concerned about losing shortcuts they relied on, while finance needed tighter controls on payments. I ran more than 30 workshops, mixing groups once trust was built, so they could hear each other's reasons. Where views clashed, I set out the options and their trade-offs in plain language and took them to the steering group for a decision, so nobody felt overruled by another team. I sent a short summary after every workshop so everyone could see their input had been recorded.
Result: All four groups signed off the requirements two weeks ahead of schedule, and the system went live on time. Claims team leaders asked me to run the same workshop format for their next process change.
Why it works
- It answers every part of the criterion. Four different groups, a real relationship-building approach, and a clear outcome.
- The Action is the longest part, and it's all about what Jordan did.
- The result is specific: ahead of schedule, on time, and a request to do it again.
- It's about 190 words, which suits a typical limit for one criterion.
A shorter example
Not every criterion needs a long story. When the limit is tight, keep the STAR order and cut each step to the bone.
Criterion: Well-developed written communication skills.
At Suncoast Insurance I wrote the guides staff used when the new claims system went live (situation and task). I wrote a one-page guide for each team, tested a draft with two staff from each team, and rewrote anything they found unclear. I also wrote fortnightly project updates for senior managers, keeping each to a single page with decisions needed at the top (action). Calls to the help desk in the first month were 40% lower than planned, and the guides are still used to train new staff (result).
How long should each answer be?
Follow the limit in the ad above anything else. If there isn't one:
- Separate criteria: about 200 to 350 words each, or roughly half a page.
- A pitch or statement: use every bit of the page limit, but no more.
- Online forms: if there's a character limit, aim to use most of it. A two-line answer looks like you didn't try.
Mistakes that cost points
- Describing yourself instead of giving an example. "I am an excellent communicator" scores nothing on its own.
- Using the same example for every criterion. Use a different one for each where you can, so the panel sees range.
- Saying "we" all the way through. The panel can't score what the team did.
- Old examples. Use something from the last few years if you can.
- Copying the criterion's wording back. Use it as your heading, then answer in your own words.
- Leaving out the result. It's where the proof is.
Government jobs take longer
Government and council roles often take weeks, sometimes months, to get back to you. Panels have to score every application and follow set steps before they can shortlist. Silence after two weeks is normal, and doesn't mean you've missed out. Keep applying for other jobs in the meantime, and keep a note of what you sent, because when the interview comes, the panel will ask about the examples you wrote.
Before you submit
- Did you answer every criterion, and every part of each one?
- Does each answer have a real example, with what you did?
- Is there a result in each one, with a number where possible?
- Did you stay within the word or page limit?
- Did you save a copy of exactly what you submitted?
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