Frequently asked questions
- What qualifications do I need to apply to GORS?
- When is the start date for the current recruitment round?
- Are there nationality requirements for working for GORS?
- Do you offer summer internships, student placements, MSc project placements or work experience?
- How am I assigned to a department?
- If I pass the GORS assessment day, can I defer my start date?
- Is there a minimum amount of time that I have to work for a department?
- What other Government analytical professions are there?
If you have a question which is not answered here, please use the contact page to ask us directly.
To be eligible to apply to GORS, you should have or be expecting at least a 2:1 in a numerate degree (the rule of thumb is that at least 50% of the studied modules must have mathematical content).
Applicants with a 2:2 degree may be accepted but they must show wider skills and experience relevant to Government OR. For instance, a Masters qualification in OR would be considered sufficient evidence of the wider skills and experience that we are looking for. Further information on the skills that are desirable in an applicant is detailed on the competencies page.
There is no fixed start date for each recruitment round. If you are offered a job within GORS, the date you start your position will need to be worked out between you and your department. The gap between passing the assessment day and starting your new job can be as short as a month.
In order to work for GORS, you must be a citizen of Britain, the EU or the Commonwealth. Further details on the nationality requirements can be found on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
Yes, all these positions are possible. However, we do not handle applications directly through GORS. Instead, interested applicants need to contact government departments individually to find out more.
The following departments offer student placements:
- Department for Education and Skills
- Department of Health
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Export Credits Guarantee Department
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Department of Trade and Industry
- Home Office
Vacancies of this kind in various departments are advertised on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
As part of your application, you can record your preferences for which departments you are interested in. Subsequently, if your application is successful, your preferences will be taken into account and you will be invited to visit one or two departments who are interested in employing you. The aim of these visits is to give you a better idea of where you might be working and for the department to explore any outstanding issues. A job offer will then follow if it appears that you and they are a good fit.
This is possible but the deferment should be made immediately after passing the assessment day. Only when you are ready to take up a position will you be invited to visited interested departments. You will be expected to take up a specific post within a year of passing the assessment day.
No, but new GORS entrants are expected to spend a minimum of 12 months in their first post. It is common for GORS analysts to work for several departments over the course of their career.
Aside from GORS, there are three other analytical professions:
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