Selection Criteria Examples for WA Government Jobs: 2026 Rules, Template and What 87 Ads Ask For
Selection criteria are the skills, knowledge and experience a WA Government job requires. You show you meet them with short, specific examples of what you did and what happened as a result. Since 1 July 2026 the WA public sector calls them "suitability requirements", and the format varies by ad. You might be asked for a cover letter, a statement of one to three pages, or a response to each criterion. Below: what 87 live WA Government ads actually asked for, a template, and two worked examples.
Last fact-checked: 30 October 2026. Pay rates, rules and job numbers change; follow the linked source before you act.
What are selection criteria?
Selection criteria (also called key selection criteria, work-related requirements and, since July 2026, suitability requirements) are the list of skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications a panel uses to decide who is suitable. In WA Government jobs they're usually listed in the Job Description Form (JDF) attached to the ad. WA Police calls it a Position Description Form.
They come in three groups:
- Essential: you must show you meet these to be found suitable.
- Desirable: they help you stand out, but you can be appointed without them.
- Eligibility and pre-employment conditions: a licence, a qualification, the right to work in Australia, a police clearance or a Working with Children Check. You meet these or you don't, so don't write essays about them.
What changed on 1 July 2026
A new Recruitment Standard took effect across the WA public sector on 1 July 2026, set out in Commissioner's Instructions 48, 49 and 50. It replaced the old Employment Standard, and a new WA Government Jobs website launched the same day. Three changes matter for applicants:
- New name: agencies now assess you against "suitability requirements". Older ads, guides and templates still say selection criteria or work-related requirements. They mean the same thing.
- Merit is still the test. Agencies must assess each applicant individually against those requirements, as required by the Public Sector Management Act 1994.
- Referees are now optional for agencies under the Standard. Many ads still ask for two, often including your current or most recent supervisor.
The practical upshot: follow the ad, not a guide. Each ad sets its own format, page limit and closing time, and late applications are often refused.
What 87 WA Government job ads asked for
On 30 October 2026 we read 87 live ads on WA Government Jobs. The sample covered every agency with an open job, plus 30 more ads picked at random. We recorded what each one told applicants to send.
| The ad asked for… | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| A resume or CV | 84 | 97% |
| A Job Description Form to read | 72 | 83% |
| Referees | 55 | 63% |
| A response addressing the criteria directly | 27 | 31% |
| A cover letter (often with criteria to cover in it) | 23 | 26% |
| A statement of suitability | 17 | 20% |
| Only a resume and form, nothing written | 20 | 23% |
| Page limit stated in the ad | Ads |
|---|---|
| No limit stated | 32 |
| 1 page | 8 |
| 2 pages | 24 |
| 2–3 pages | 5 |
| 3 pages | 11 |
| 4 pages | 7 |
What this tells you:
- Long, one-page-per-criterion responses are mostly gone. When an ad sets a limit, it's usually two pages for everything you write.
- Some ads name only some criteria. A WA Police administration officer ad, for example, asked for a statement on two named requirements in no more than two pages. Address only those, and use the space to go deeper.
- A "cover letter" can still be a criteria response. Many ads ask for a one- or two-page cover letter "outlining" how you meet listed criteria. Treat it as a selection criteria statement written as a letter.
How to write a selection criteria response
- Read the JDF and the ad together. Note exactly what the ad asks for: which criteria, what format, and how many pages. If anything's unclear, call the contact officer named in the ad. WA agencies encourage it.
- Pick one strong example per criterion. Choose something recent, specific and as close to the job as possible. Paid work, volunteering, study and community roles all count.
- Write it as STAR. Situation (one sentence), task (what you had to do), action (most of your words, in the first person), result (numbers if you have them). The Public Sector Commission's tips add a fifth step: what you learned.
- Use the criterion's own words in your opening sentence so the panel can tick it off quickly.
- Say "I", not "we". The panel is assessing you, not your team.
- Cut to fit. Two pages for four criteria leaves about a third of a page each. Remove background, adjectives and anything the resume already says.
- Check before you submit: the right job reference, page limit, file format, referees, and the closing time (usually 4:00pm AWST).
Selection criteria template
Copy this structure for each criterion:
[Criterion, copied word for word]
I have [one-sentence claim using the criterion's words], developed over [time/role].
Situation and task: In my role as [role] at [organisation], [the problem or task, with scale: how many people, how much money, how much time].
Action: I [specific steps you took, 2–4 sentences, using strong verbs: designed, negotiated, trained, resolved].
Result: As a result, [measurable outcome]. [Optional: what I learned, or how I'd apply it in this role.]
Selection criteria examples
Two worked examples for criteria that appear in a large share of WA Government administration and frontline ads. They're each about 170 words, which fits three or four criteria into two pages.
Example 1: "Well-developed written and verbal communication skills"
I have strong written and verbal communication skills, developed over four years in customer-facing administration roles.
As team administrator at a Perth property management firm, I was asked to fix our tenant maintenance notices. They were generating around 40 follow-up calls a week from tenants who didn't understand what would happen or when.
I reviewed six months of calls to find the most common questions, then rewrote our five standard notices in plain English with a clear "what happens next" section and a single contact number. I tested the drafts with two property managers and, at their suggestion, added an SMS version of each notice. I also ran a 20-minute session showing the team how to tailor the templates.
Within two months, follow-up calls fell to about 15 a week, and the notices were adopted across all three of the firm's offices. I learned that testing a draft with the people who'll use it saves more time than polishing it alone.
Example 2: "Demonstrated ability to deliver quality customer service, including in difficult situations"
I have delivered customer service in busy, high-pressure settings for five years, most recently as a shift supervisor at a Perth pharmacy.
One Saturday a customer became distressed and angry because a prescription her elderly father needed that day had not arrived from the wholesaler, and the pharmacist on duty was with another patient.
I moved the conversation to a quieter area, listened without interrupting, and repeated back what she needed so she knew I'd understood. I phoned two nearby pharmacies, found one with stock, and arranged with our pharmacist for the prescription to be transferred so she could collect it within the hour. I then logged the supply problem so it could be raised with the wholesaler.
The customer collected the medication that afternoon and later emailed the store manager to thank the team. Afterwards we introduced a Friday stock check on critical medicines, which has prevented repeat shortfalls on weekends.
Mistakes that get applications screened out
- Going over the page limit. Some panels stop reading at the limit.
- Addressing every criterion when the ad asked for two.
- Describing duties ("I was responsible for…") instead of what you did and what happened.
- Recycling an application for a different JDF without changing the examples.
- Using "we" throughout, so the panel can't see your contribution.
- Missing the closing time. WA Government ads usually close at 4:00pm, and many won't accept late applications.
What happens after you apply
Panels shortlist from your written application and resume, then usually interview (often with questions built from the same criteria; see our interview questions guide), check referees and run pre-employment checks. Some recruitment processes create a pool: suitable applicants can be appointed to the same or similar jobs later without reapplying. How long a pool lasts depends on the ad. Public Sector Commission guidance refers to appointments within 12 months, but some ads set their own end date. Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback, and anyone who believes the rules weren't followed can lodge a breach claim. Agencies try to resolve breach claims within 21 days.
Where to find WA Government jobs
Every WA Government job is advertised on WA Government Jobs (search.jobs.wa.gov.au). Jobs In Perth lists them by agency, with pay and closing dates:
- All WA Government jobs, with every agency's jobs in one list
- WA Health, Department of Education and WA Police
- Government jobs in Perth
Applying for a private-sector job instead? Use our cover letter template and resume template.
Frequently asked questions
What are selection criteria?
The skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications listed for a job, which the panel uses to decide whether you're suitable. In WA Government jobs they're usually in the attached Job Description Form, and since July 2026 they're called suitability requirements.
How long should a selection criteria response be?
Whatever the ad says. In the WA Government ads we read, two pages was the most common limit, and 37% set no limit. Without a limit, aim for half to two-thirds of a page per criterion.
Do I need to address every selection criterion?
Only if the ad asks you to. Many WA ads now ask for a short statement or cover letter on a few named criteria. The rest are assessed at interview or through referees.
What is the STAR method for selection criteria?
Situation, Task, Action, Result: a structure for each example that shows what you did and what it achieved. WA Health Support Services recommends it, and WA Country Health Service uses a similar Situation, Action, Outcome format.
What are suitability requirements?
The term the WA public sector has used since 1 July 2026 for selection criteria. It covers the skills and experience needed for the role plus eligibility and pre-employment conditions such as licences and checks.
Can I use the same selection criteria response for different jobs?
You can reuse examples, but rewrite the response for each job description form and the format each ad asks for. Panels notice generic responses.
Sources
- Public Sector Commission, Recruitment in the public sector (Recruitment Standard from 1 July 2026)
- Commissioner's Instruction 48 (suitability requirements and merit)
- Public Sector Commission, Recruitment Standard guidance
- Jobs and Skills WA, Applying for a job in the WA government sector
- WA Government, Application tips (Place of opportunity)
- WA Country Health Service, Application requirements and process
- WA Health, Applicant information