If you have ever seen the words "reasonable adjustments" in a government job application and paused, you are not alone.
Most people know the phrase matters. They just do not know what it means in practice.
Can you ask for the interview questions in advance? Can you ask for extra time? Can you ask for a different assessment format? Will the panel think you are asking for special treatment?
Here is the useful answer: a recruitment adjustment is a change to the process so you can participate fairly and show whether you can do the job. It is not a shortcut around merit. It is not a guarantee of selection. It is a way of removing barriers that are not actually part of the role.
That distinction matters.
Government recruitment is supposed to assess your capability, experience and suitability for the role. If the process is accidentally testing something else, such as how well you cope with a noisy room, an inaccessible online form, a timed test format, or having to process multi-part questions on the spot, an adjustment may help.
What recruitment adjustments can include
Official NSW and Australian Government sources give practical examples. Depending on your needs, adjustments may include:
- receiving interview questions before the interview
- having questions provided in writing during the interview
- extra reading time or thinking time
- extra time for a written task or interview
- breaks between assessment activities
- a different assessment format, such as a written scenario instead of a psychometric assessment
- accessible documents or application materials
- use of your own laptop, screen settings, mouse, keyboard or assistive technology
- captioning, Auslan interpreting, a scribe, a reader or other communication support
- an accessible interview room
- reduced noise, good lighting or adjusted seating
- online, phone or video interview options
- clear instructions about timing, location, platform and panel format.
The best adjustment is not the fanciest one. It is the one that removes the specific barrier.
RecruitAbility is different
For APS jobs, RecruitAbility is a separate scheme. If a role is advertised under RecruitAbility, applicants with disability who opt in, declare they have disability and meet the minimum requirements are advanced to a further stage of assessment.
That does not mean you automatically get the job. Merit still applies.
It also does not mean RecruitAbility is the only way to ask for adjustments. APSC guidance says reasonable adjustments can be available whether or not you opt into RecruitAbility.
What to say when you ask
You do not need to write a long medical history.
A practical request is usually stronger:
> I am requesting a recruitment adjustment for the interview stage. Because of how I process information under time pressure, it would help me participate fairly if the interview questions could be provided in writing before the interview, or at the start of the interview with reading time. I am happy to discuss an alternative if that is not possible.
Notice what that does.
It explains the barrier. It names the adjustment. It keeps the focus on participating fairly.
The final point
Asking for an adjustment does not mean you cannot do the job.
It means you are trying to make sure the recruitment process tests the right thing.
That is what a fair process should do.
Useful next steps
If this topic is relevant to your application, these related Team 3Thirty guides are the best places to go next:
- APS RecruitAbility scheme
- NSW Government recruitment adjustments
- reasonable adjustment examples for interviews
- email template for asking for adjustments
Useful resources
These official resources are worth checking if you need the source guidance behind the adjustment examples: