ADHD does not mean you cannot do the job.
But it can make the recruitment process harder than it needs to be.
Government interviews often rely on fast recall, structured examples, multi-part questions and time pressure. That can be a rough combination if your working memory, attention regulation or processing under stress is affected.
The aim of an adjustment is not to give you better answers. It is to help the panel assess the answers you actually have.
Adjustments that may help
For ADHD, useful adjustments may include:
- interview questions in writing
- interview questions shortly before the interview
- extra reading or thinking time
- permission to use notes
- one question at a time
- breaks in long assessment centres
- clear written instructions for tasks
- avoiding unnecessary timed tests
- extra time for written assessments
- a practical work sample if that better tests the role capability.
Why written questions help
Many ADHD candidates know their examples but lose the thread under pressure.
If the question is verbal, multi-part and only said once, the interview can become a memory test. Having the question in writing lets you check what is being asked and keep your answer on track.
That matters in government interviews because panels are often assessing whether you answered the actual question.
Why notes can help
Notes are not a script.
They are a way to keep your examples organised. You might have a short list of STAR examples, role achievements or capability prompts. If your mind jumps between ideas, notes can stop a strong example from turning into a scattered answer.
What to ask for
Try something like:
> I am requesting a recruitment adjustment for the interview. Because of ADHD-related working memory and processing barriers, it would help me participate fairly if the questions could be provided in writing, with a short amount of reading time before I answer. I would also like to refer to brief notes during the interview.
Keep it practical.
Name the barrier. Name the adjustment. Keep the focus on fair participation.
Useful next steps
If this topic is relevant to your application, these related Team 3Thirty guides are the best places to go next:
- interview questions in advance
- bringing notes to a government interview
- Services Australia Aurora
- reasonable adjustment examples
Useful resources
These official resources are worth checking if you need the source guidance behind the adjustment examples: