Selection criteria · Guide

How to answer selection criteria for a job application, with STAR examples

Written by the team at JobMatcha · Last checked 20 September 2026

If a job ad asks you to "address the selection criteria", it is asking you to prove that you have the skills or experience the employer is looking for. You may also see terms such as key selection criteria, KSC, targeted questions, statement of claims, capability questions or a written pitch. The names vary, but the basic task is similar: give clear evidence that you can do what the role requires.

The short version

For each criterion:

• Work out exactly what it is asking.
• Choose one strong, real example.
• Explain it using STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
• Spend most of your words on what you did.
• Use the employer's language naturally.
• Finish with a clear result.
• Stay within the word or page limit.

A common mistake is spending too much time explaining the background and not enough time explaining the action. The Action section is usually where your evidence is strongest.

What are selection criteria?

Selection criteria are the skills, experience, knowledge or qualities an employer considers important for a role. For example:

• "Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders."
• "Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines."
• "Strong problem solving and decision making skills."
• "Ability to work effectively as part of a team."

They are common in Australian government jobs, councils, schools, health services, universities and some not-for-profit organisations.

What does "address the selection criteria" mean?

It means showing the employer how your experience demonstrates each requirement. Do not just describe yourself.

Weak: "I have excellent communication skills."

Stronger: give a real example showing who you communicated with, what you did and what happened.

The employer is not looking for the most impressive adjectives. They are looking for evidence. If you cannot point to the part of your answer that proves the skill, the employer may not be able to either.

The formats you may see

Employers do not all ask for selection criteria in the same way. You may be asked to:

1. Answer each criterion separately. Each criterion appears as a heading and you write a response underneath it.
2. Include your evidence in another type of application. This may be a cover letter, targeted questions, a statement of claims, a written pitch or capability questions.

Always follow the instructions in the job advertisement and role description. The format used by one employer may be completely different from the format used by another.

Government job applications

NSW Government jobs. A NSW Government application may include a resume, cover letter and targeted questions. The role description also identifies the capabilities and requirements relevant to the role.

Australian Public Service jobs. APS applications may ask for a written pitch, statement, targeted questions or responses to selection criteria. The job advertisement should tell you what to submit and the required length.

Victorian Government jobs. Requirements vary between departments and roles. Some positions ask applicants to address key selection criteria separately. Others ask you to demonstrate them through a cover letter or another written response.

Queensland Government jobs. Applications commonly include a resume and cover letter, although some roles ask applicants to respond to selection criteria or other role requirements.

Councils, schools, universities and health services. Requirements vary. Some employers still ask for a separate written response to every criterion.

Do not assume you know the format because you have applied for a similar job before. Read the instructions for the actual role.

The STAR method

STAR is a simple way to structure evidence.

Situation. Briefly explain the context. What was happening?

Task. Explain what you needed to achieve, or what responsibility you had.

Action. Explain what you personally did. This should usually be the largest part of your response.

Result. Explain what happened because of your actions. A number, percentage, amount or time saving can strengthen a result when it is true and relevant. But not every result needs a number. For example: "I resolved the complaint that day and the customer continued using our service." A clear result is better than a made-up statistic.

How much should I write in each part?

As a rough guide:

• Situation: keep it short.
• Task: usually one or two sentences.
• Action: give this the most space.
• Result: explain the outcome clearly.

Applicants often do the opposite. They spend half the response explaining what happened before they acted, then rush through what they actually did. If you need to cut words, cut background before you cut evidence.

How to answer one selection criterion

Imagine the criterion is: "Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders."

Step 1: break the criterion apart

Look for every part you need to prove. In this example: "communicate effectively" and "range of stakeholders". Your example should show both. If a criterion contains two or three requirements, make sure your response deals with all of them.

Step 2: choose the right example

Do not automatically choose the biggest or most senior example from your career. Choose the example that proves the criterion most clearly. Your evidence might come from employment, casual work, study, volunteering, community work, projects, sport or other relevant experience. One clear example is usually stronger than several vague ones.

Step 3: write it using STAR

Keep the Situation and Task short. Then explain your actions in enough detail that the employer can understand how you handled the situation. Use "I" when describing your own contribution. You can mention the team, but make sure the employer can see what you personally did.

Step 4: use the employer's language naturally

If the employer uses the term "stakeholders", and that term accurately describes your experience, use it. If the role description says "conflict resolution", "project delivery" or "customer service", you can use the same language when it is true. Do not repeat keywords just for the sake of repeating them. The words matter less than the evidence behind them.

Step 5: check the result

Ask yourself: what changed because of what I did? Did I solve the problem? Did I improve something? Did I meet the deadline? Did I help a customer, team or organisation achieve something? A result does not have to be dramatic. It just needs to be clear.

Step 6: edit against the criterion

Read the criterion one more time. Then read your answer and ask: did I actually prove this? This final check is simple, but it catches a lot of weak responses.

Three selection criteria examples

These examples are fictional and are designed to show the structure. Use your own real experience, results and numbers.

Example 1: communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders

Situation. As a customer service officer, I was part of a team moving more than 400 regular clients to a new booking system.

Task. I needed to help clients, staff and our IT provider understand the change while keeping disruption to a minimum.

Action. I created a one-page plain English guide for clients and ran two short sessions for staff. I also created a shared log so our IT provider could see problems as they occurred. When some clients had difficulty using the system, I talked them through the process by phone.

Result. We moved 95 percent of clients to the new system within the two-week target. Complaint calls also fell compared with our previous system change, and my guide was used for later rollouts.

Why this works. The example shows more than one type of stakeholder, explains what the applicant personally did, and finishes with a clear outcome.

Example 2: solve problems and use sound judgement

Situation. During a busy end-of-financial-year period, I noticed that our monthly figures did not reconcile. There was a difference of about $6,000.

Task. Reporting was due in three days and I needed to find the cause without delaying the deadline.

Action. I worked backwards through the transactions and identified when the difference first appeared. I traced it to a duplicated supplier invoice, showed my manager the evidence and recommended a correction. I also introduced a check to help identify duplicate invoices earlier.

Result. The accounts reconciled a day before the deadline and the $6,000 error was corrected. The new check also identified two similar errors during the following quarter.

Why this works. The applicant does not just say they are a good problem solver. The steps show how they investigated the issue, made a decision, and prevented the problem from happening again.

Example 3: work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines

Situation. A colleague went on unexpected leave the week before a major grant application was due.

Task. I took responsibility for completing their outstanding sections while keeping my own work on schedule.

Action. I listed the remaining tasks and prioritised them by urgency. I completed the most difficult work first and gave my manager a short progress update each day. I also asked a colleague with specialist knowledge to review one section rather than risk submitting inaccurate information.

Result. We submitted the application on time and it was successful, securing $120,000 for the program.

Why this works. The answer shows planning, prioritising, communication and judgement under pressure. The result is specific and relevant.

Common selection criteria mistakes

Making claims without evidence

Weak: "I have excellent leadership skills." This tells the employer what you think about yourself. It does not show what you have done. Give an example.

Describing duties instead of achievements

Weak: "I was responsible for managing the roster." This explains the job. It does not explain what you actually achieved. Tell the employer what problem you handled, what you did, and what changed.

Spending too long on the situation

The background only needs enough detail to make the example understandable. Do not use 150 words explaining the problem and 50 words explaining what you did. The Action is usually the most valuable part.

Using "we" for everything

Teamwork is important, but the employer is assessing you. Explain your own actions clearly.

Ignoring part of the criterion

If the criterion asks for communication with a "range of stakeholders", your example needs to demonstrate that range. If it asks for both "planning and prioritising", show both.

No clear result

You do not need a number every time. You do need an outcome.

Weak: "The issue was resolved."

Stronger: "I resolved the issue that day, allowing the project to continue without delaying the deadline."

Forcing numbers into the answer

Numbers can be useful, but only when they are real and meaningful. Do not invent a percentage because you think STAR requires one. A truthful, specific outcome is better.

Going over the word limit

More words do not automatically make an answer stronger. If the employer gives you 300 words, your job is to choose the most useful 300 words.

Using the same example for everything

Sometimes one example genuinely demonstrates several skills. But using different examples can show a wider range of experience.

Inventing or exaggerating

Do not create achievements, responsibilities or numbers that are not true. Your written examples may be discussed later in an interview or referee check.

What about ATS software?

Some employers use applicant tracking systems, usually called ATS, to store and manage applications. Different systems work differently. There is no single secret formula for beating an ATS.

A sensible approach is to make your application easy for both software and people to understand.

• Follow the file format requested by the employer.
• Use clear headings.
• Keep the layout professional and easy to read.
• Use important language from the job description naturally.
• Do not fill the application with keywords that do not match your experience.
• Check that your document displays correctly before submitting it.

Using AI or job application tools

AI tools can help you organise your ideas, improve structure and make your writing clearer. They should not invent your evidence.

A useful way to work is to start with your real experience first. What happened? What did you do? What was the result? Then use a tool to help organise or improve the wording.

If the final response contains achievements you could not confidently explain in an interview, it has gone too far.

What if I am changing careers?

Do not focus only on job titles. Look for transferable skills. For example:

• A teacher may have experience in stakeholder communication, planning, conflict resolution, presenting, reporting and managing competing priorities.
• A retail worker may have experience in customer service, problem solving, cash handling, teamwork, training and working under pressure.

The setting may change. The skill can still transfer. Our guide on how to explain your transferable skills to an employer shows how to put this into words.

What if I do not have much paid experience?

You may still have strong evidence. Relevant examples can come from study, volunteering, community activities, projects, casual work, leadership roles or other real experiences. Choose the example that proves the skill most clearly.

How long should a selection criteria response be?

There is no universal word count. Always follow the instructions in the job advertisement. Some employers set a word limit for each response. Others set a total page limit.

APS jobs may ask for a one-page or two-page pitch, or provide a specific word limit. NSW Government targeted questions generally state their own limits.

If there is no stated limit, keep your answer focused. Enough detail to prove the skill is useful. Extra background that does not help prove the skill is not.

Frequently asked questions

What does STAR stand for? Situation, Task, Action, Result. It is a simple way to structure an example so the employer can see what happened, what you did and what changed.

What does "address the selection criteria" mean? It means showing how your experience demonstrates the skills or requirements listed by the employer.

How many examples should I use for each criterion? Usually one strong example is enough if it clearly proves the skill. A complex criterion may need more evidence.

Can I use the same example for two criteria? Yes, if it genuinely demonstrates both. However, different examples can help show a broader range of experience.

Do selection criteria go in my cover letter? Sometimes. Some employers want separate responses. Others want the evidence included in a cover letter, pitch or targeted questions. Follow the job advertisement.

What are targeted questions? Targeted questions ask for evidence about particular skills, experience or capabilities. They are common in NSW Government applications. STAR can often be used to structure your answer. Our NSW guide has worked examples.

What is a statement of claims? A statement of claims explains how your skills, experience and achievements match the requirements of a role. The exact format depends on the employer.

What is an APS pitch? Some Australian Public Service jobs ask for a short written pitch explaining how your skills and experience fit the role. The job advertisement should tell you the required length and what to address.

Should I use words from the selection criteria? Yes, when they accurately describe your experience. Using the employer's terminology can make your response clearer. Do not force keywords into your application just to include them.

Final check before you submit

Before submitting, ask yourself:

• Did I follow the application instructions?
• Did I answer every part of the criterion?
• Did I use a real and relevant example?
• Is it clear what I personally did?
• Did I spend enough time explaining my actions?
• Did I explain the result?
• Did I stay within the word or page limit?
• Are my achievements and numbers accurate?
• Could I confidently explain this example in an interview?
• Have I checked spelling and grammar?

If the answer is yes, your response is ready.

Sources

• I Work for NSW, Writing your application. Read 19 September 2026.
• Australian Public Service Commission, Applying for an APS job: cracking the code. Read 19 September 2026.
• Queensland Government, How to write a resume and cover letter. Read 19 September 2026.
• Victorian Government Careers, How to apply for a job. Read 19 September 2026.

Application requirements can change between employers and individual roles. Always check the current job advertisement and official application instructions before applying.

Every care has been taken to make this guide accurate at the time it was written. It was last checked on 20 September 2026. Requirements change, and they differ between employers, states and individual roles. This guide is a starting point, not advice. The job advertisement, the role description and the responsible authority decide what applies to you. Please confirm anything you rely on before you act on it.