Last Updated:
In this guide
People usually look for selection criteria examples because they are trying to work out what a good answer is meant to look like. That is fair. Selection criteria can feel like a strange writing task if you have mostly applied for private-sector jobs, where a resume and a short cover letter often do most of the work.
The trap is thinking the example is valuable because of the exact wording. It is not. A useful selection criteria example shows how evidence is selected, how the situation is explained, and how the applicant connects their work back to the requirement in the job ad. If you copy the wording without understanding that structure, your response can sound polished but still fail to prove anything important.
This is especially true for NSW Government roles. The panel is not reading your answer as a general story about being hardworking. They are looking for evidence that matches the role description, the focus capabilities, the essential requirements, and the kind of work the role actually performs.
What a Useful Selection Criteria Example Actually Shows
A strong example usually starts with context, but it does not stay there for too long. The reader needs to know where you were working, what problem existed, and why your action mattered. After that, the answer needs to move quickly into what you personally did.
This is where many weak responses fall apart. They describe the team, the organisation, the project, or the general goal, but they do not show the applicant’s judgement. A panel does not only want to know that a good outcome happened. It wants to know how you contributed to that outcome and whether your approach would transfer into the job being advertised.
For example, if the selection criteria asks for communication skills, a weak answer might say that you communicated with stakeholders and kept everyone informed. That is not enough. A stronger answer explains who the stakeholders were, what made the communication difficult, what information had to be simplified, what method you used, and what changed because of your communication.
The same logic applies to problem solving, planning, customer service, policy work, administration, compliance, project support, and leadership. The panel is looking for proof of behaviour, not a claim about your personality.
A Weak Example Compared With a Stronger One
A weak response might read like this: “I have excellent communication skills and regularly speak with customers, managers and team members. In my current role I respond to enquiries, attend meetings and provide updates. I am confident, professional and able to communicate with people from different backgrounds.”
That sounds reasonable at first glance, but it is mostly a list of claims. It does not show pressure, complexity, judgement, audience awareness, or outcome. A panel can see that the applicant has written the right topic, but it cannot see much evidence.
Stronger fictional teaching example — communication:
In an administration role at a training company, I handled enquiries when a course timetable changed at short notice. Students had received the original timetable, while reception staff were using a revised version that had not yet been approved. I was responsible for giving students an accurate update and preventing further conflicting advice.
I checked the timetable with the course coordinator and confirmed which dates were final. I then prepared a short message explaining what had changed, which sessions were unaffected and who to contact about attendance difficulties. Before sending it, I asked the coordinator to check the details and a reception colleague to read it as someone unfamiliar with the change. Their feedback helped me clarify the replacement session date.
I sent the approved update, saved it in the shared enquiry record and briefed reception staff on the questions students were likely to ask. I contacted students who had already raised an attendance concern so their circumstances could be referred to the coordinator. Staff then had one approved timetable and a consistent explanation to use. My role was to verify the information and communicate the change clearly; decisions about individual attendance arrangements remained with the coordinator.
This fictional example shows the source check, audience awareness, approval and follow-through behind “good communication”. It does not claim that every student could attend or that complaints fell by a particular percentage. Use the same level of truthful detail from your own experience.
That is the part people miss. Selection criteria examples are not there to help you sound more formal. They are there to show you the level of evidence expected.
How to Adapt Examples Without Copying Them
The right way to use selection criteria examples is to study the shape of the response, then replace the content with your own evidence. Look at how the example chooses one situation instead of trying to cover ten. Notice how it moves from context to action to result. Notice how it makes the applicant visible.
Then go back to the job ad and ask what kind of evidence the role really needs. If the role is customer-facing, your answer should probably show service judgement, calm communication and practical follow-through. If the role is policy or project-focused, the example should show analysis, coordination, stakeholder management or delivery discipline. If the role is compliance-focused, the panel may want to see accuracy, fairness, documentation and confidence applying rules.
You do not need the most dramatic story in your career. You need the most relevant one. A simple example can work very well if it clearly matches the criterion and shows the panel how you think.
For broader application structure, the existing guide on selection criteria for NSW Government jobs is the best next step. If the job ad asks for a statement of claims instead, use the statement of claims guide because that document is usually broader and more integrated.
Use the example with the right structure
An example is most useful when you can see why it works. Read the complete guide to writing NSW Government selection criteria, then use the STAR method examples to strengthen the action and result in your own evidence.
Final Takeaway
The best selection criteria examples do not give you words to copy. They show you how to make your own experience easier for the panel to assess. That means choosing one relevant example, explaining the problem clearly, showing your personal action, and connecting the outcome back to the job.
For help writing the documents for one role, see the Complete Government Job Application service — $497 incl. GST.