How to Pass an EL1 Interview: Demonstrating Strategic Thinking and Leadership Instead of Technical Tasks

by APS Interview Coach | Jun 11, 2026 | APS Interviews, Pass an EL1 Interview

Updated: June 2026

Estimated read time: 11 minutes

Why EL1 Interviews Are Different

An EL1 interview is not just a harder APS6 interview. It is a different type of assessment.

At APS6 level, panels are often looking for strong technical capability, reliable judgement, subject matter expertise, the ability to work with limited direction, and ownership of complex pieces of work. Those qualities still matter at EL1 — but they are no longer enough on their own.

At EL1, the panel is assessing whether you can operate as a leader within the APS system. That means demonstrating that you can translate direction into action, lead people or work programs, manage risk, influence stakeholders, exercise sound judgement, and connect operational delivery to broader policy, program, agency or government priorities.

This is where many otherwise capable candidates fall short. They walk into an EL1 interview with strong examples, but they describe those examples like a high-performing technical officer. The panel hears competence, but not leadership. They hear delivery, but not strategy. They hear tasks, but not judgment. They hear effort, but not impact.

To be competitive at EL1, your interview responses need to show more than what you completed. They need to show how you thought, how you led, how you influenced, and why your actions mattered beyond the immediate task.

The Shift from Technical Expert to Strategic Leader

The most important mindset shift for an EL1 interview is this:

You are not being assessed only on whether you can do the work. You are being assessed on whether you can lead the work.

That distinction changes the way you choose examples, structure answers, and describe your contribution.

A technical answer focuses on the task itself:

• What you drafted
• What you analysed
• What process did you follow
• What document did you produce
• What deadline did you meet

An EL1-level answer focuses on the leadership behind the task:

• How you interpreted the broader problem
• How you clarified priorities under broad direction
• How you managed risk, sensitivity or ambiguity
• How you influenced stakeholders or brought people with you
• how you guided others, improved quality or lifted performance
• how the outcome supported the section, branch, agency or government objective

This does not mean you ignore the work you delivered. It means you frame the work at the right level.

For example, an APS6-style response might say:

I prepared the briefing, coordinated input from business areas, incorporated feedback, and delivered the final product by the deadline.

An EL1-style response would go further:

I recognised that the issue had broader implications for the branch because inconsistent input from business areas was creating risk for the decision-maker. I established a clearer coordination process, negotiated timeframes with key stakeholders, resolved conflicting positions, and reframed the advice so the senior executive could make a defensible decision. The final brief was delivered on time, but more importantly, it gave the branch a more consistent approach for future matters of the same type.

The second answer still shows delivery, but it also shows judgement, influence, risk awareness, stakeholder management and broader impact. That is the difference EL1 panels are listening for.

What EL1 Panels Are Really Assessing

Most EL1 interview questions are behavioural, but the panel is not simply checking whether you have a relevant example. They are listening for evidence that your example demonstrates EL1-level capability.

In practice, that usually means evidence across several areas.

1. Leadership and Accountability

At EL1, leadership is not limited to formal staff management. You may lead a team, a project, a function, a stakeholder process, a policy reform, a procurement activity, a compliance response, or a complex operational deliverable.

The panel wants to hear how you took accountability for shaping the work, not just completing your part of it. Strong EL1 responses show that you set direction, clarified expectations, improved quality, managed competing priorities, and made decisions that affected the work of others.

2. Judgement Under Broad Direction

EL1 officers are expected to work under broad direction, not constant instruction. This means the panel is looking for signs that you can interpret intent, make sensible decisions, and know when to escalate.

A strong EL1 answer explains how you assessed the situation, what risks or constraints you considered, what options you weighed, and why you chose a particular course of action.

3. Strategic and Operational Awareness

Strategic thinking at EL1 does not mean using abstract language or pretending every task was whole-of-government reform. It means showing that you understood the broader context of your work.

That might include:

• How your work supported agency priorities
• How a decision affected another team, program or stakeholder group
• How did you balance short-term delivery with longer-term consequences
• How you anticipated risk or future demand
• How you improved a process rather than simply completing it

4. Stakeholder Influence

At EL1, stakeholder management is not just about being polite, responsive or collaborative. Panels are looking for influence.

They want to hear how you managed competing views, handled resistance, negotiated an outcome, represented your area, built trust, or brought stakeholders toward a shared position.

5. People Leadership and Quality Assurance

If you have managed staff, you should be ready to discuss how you set expectations, supported development, managed performance, allocated work, and maintained quality.

If you have not formally managed staff, you can still demonstrate EL1 leadership through project leadership, mentoring, peer coordination, quality assurance, workflow management, stakeholder leadership or acting opportunities. The key is to show that your contribution extended beyond your own individual output.

What Strategic Thinking Sounds Like at EL1

Many candidates know they need to sound more strategic in an EL1 interview, but they misunderstand what that means.

Strategic thinking is not about using bigger words. It is not about saying “strategic” repeatedly. It is not about claiming credit for decisions made by senior executives.

At the EL1 level, strategic thinking usually sounds like:

• “I considered the broader implications for the branch…”
• “I identified that the immediate issue was part of a wider pattern…”
• “I balanced the operational deadline against the longer-term risk…”
• “I recognised that the decision-maker needed clearer options, not just more information…”
• “I reframed the problem so the team could focus on the outcome rather than the process…”
• “I anticipated the stakeholder concern before it escalated…”
• “I adjusted the approach because the original process was not fit for the level of sensitivity involved…”

Notice the pattern. Strategic thinking is demonstrated through the way you interpret the environment, identify risk, connect details to outcomes, and make decisions that improve the quality of the work.

It is not enough to say:

I had to think strategically.

You need to show the panel what you saw, what you weighed, what you changed, and why that mattered.

How to Show Leadership Without Overclaiming

A common concern for APS6 candidates applying for EL1 roles is that they do not want to overstate their experience. This is sensible. Panels can usually tell when a candidate is inflating their role.

But underclaiming is just as damaging.

Many candidates have EL1-relevant experience but describe it too narrowly. They say they “helped”, “supported”, “assisted”, “contributed to” or “was involved in” work where they actually exercised judgement, coordinated others, influenced stakeholders or improved an outcome.

To show leadership accurately, focus on your real sphere of influence.

You do not need to claim that you owned the entire agency outcome. You can say:

• You led the coordination of a complex input
• You shaped the advice before it went to the executive
• You identified a risk and recommended a mitigation
• You coached junior staff through a difficult process
• You resolved conflicting stakeholder views
• You improved the quality assurance process
• You translated broad direction into a practical work plan

Those are legitimate EL1 signals when they are explained clearly and supported by a real example.

The strongest candidates are precise. They do not overclaim, but they also do not hide their leadership behind passive language.

Stakeholder Management at EL1 Level

Stakeholder questions are common in EL1 interviews because EL1 officers are often the link between senior direction, team delivery and external or cross-agency interests.

A weak stakeholder answer describes communication:

I kept stakeholders informed and made sure everyone was updated.

A stronger EL1 answer describes influence:

I identified that two stakeholder groups had different expectations about the outcome. I met with each group separately to understand their concerns, clarified the non-negotiable requirements, and then brought them together around a revised approach that preserved the policy intent while addressing the operational constraint. This avoided escalation and allowed the project to proceed with agreed responsibilities.

That answer shows more than communication. It shows judgment, negotiation, conflict management, ownership and outcome focus.

For EL1 interviews, prepare stakeholder examples where there was genuine complexity. Ideally, your example should include one or more of the following:

• competing priorities
• conflicting views
• a sensitive issue
• senior stakeholders
• cross-agency or cross-branch coordination
• a risk of escalation
• a need to influence without direct authority

The more clearly you can explain how you navigated that complexity, the more EL1-level your answer will sound.

Common EL1 Interview Mistakes

Mistake 1: Giving APS6 Answers in an EL1 Interview

This is the most common issue. The candidate gives a solid answer about completing complex work, but the example does not show leadership, broader judgement or strategic impact.

The panel may think: “Good officer, but not yet operating at EL1.”

Mistake 2: Spending Too Long on Background

EL1 questions often involve complex examples, but that does not mean the panel needs a long history of the issue. Too much background reduces the time available to explain your judgement, actions and impact.

The panel needs enough context to understand the complexity — then they need to hear what you did with it.

Mistake 3: Describing the Team Instead of Yourself

Using “we” too often makes it difficult for the panel to assess your personal contribution.

It is fine to acknowledge the team context, but your response must clearly explain your role:

• What you decided
• What you led
• What you influenced
• What you changed
• What outcome followed from your actions

Mistake 4: Confusing Strategy with Seniority

You do not need to have been the SES decision-maker to demonstrate strategic thinking. You need to show that you understood the bigger picture, anticipated consequences, and shaped your work accordingly.

Mistake 5: Not Explaining the Result Properly

Many EL1 candidates end their answer with:

The work was delivered successfully.

That is too vague.

A stronger result explains what changed:

• Was a decision made?
• Was a risk reduced?
• Was a stakeholder issue resolved?
• Was the process improved?
• Was the executive better informed?
• Was the team able to deliver more effectively?
• Was the agency better positioned for a future issue?

Results matter because EL1 panels are assessing impact, not just activity.

Why Preparation Matters for EL1 Interviews

EL1 interviews are highly competitive because many candidates applying at this level are technically strong. The difference between being found suitable and missing out often comes down to how clearly you can translate your experience into EL1-level evidence.

You may already have strong examples. But if those examples are not framed around leadership, judgment, stakeholder influence and strategic impact, the panel may not score them at the level you expect.

The goal is not to memorise scripted answers. The goal is to understand what the panel is assessing and prepare examples that demonstrate the right level of capability.

That is why EL1 interview preparation should focus on three things:

• choosing examples that genuinely demonstrate EL1-level complexity
• framing those examples around leadership and judgement rather than task completion
• Practising your responses so you can communicate clearly under panel conditions

Frequently Asked Questions About Passing an EL1 Interview

How do I pass an EL1 interview?

To pass an EL1 interview, you need to demonstrate that you can operate under broad direction, exercise sound judgement, lead people or work programs, manage complex stakeholders, and connect your work to broader agency outcomes. Strong technical examples are useful, but they must be framed as leadership evidence, not just task completion.

What are EL1 interview panels looking for?

EL1 panels are looking for evidence of leadership, accountability, judgement, stakeholder influence, strategic awareness, risk management and the ability to deliver outcomes through others. They want to hear how you interpreted complexity, made decisions, influenced people and improved outcomes.

How do I show strategic thinking in an EL1 interview?

Show strategic thinking by explaining the broader context of your example. Describe what risks, priorities or future impacts you considered, how you connected the work to a branch or agency outcome, and how your decisions improved the quality or usefulness of the final result.

Can I pass an EL1 interview without managing staff?

Yes. Formal staff management is helpful, but it is not the only way to demonstrate EL1 leadership. You can show leadership through project leadership, stakeholder coordination, mentoring, workflow management, quality assurance, acting roles, or leading complex work across teams.

Why do strong APS6 candidates fail EL1 interviews?

Strong APS6 candidates often fail EL1 interviews because they describe their examples at the wrong level. They focus on technical delivery, effort and task completion instead of leadership, judgement, influence, risk and strategic impact. The panel may see them as capable, but not yet operating as an EL1.

Should I use STAR examples in an EL1 interview?

Yes, but your STAR response needs to be weighted correctly. Keep the Situation and Task brief, then spend most of your answer on Action and Result. At EL1, your Action should explain your judgement, leadership and influence. Your Result should explain the broader impact, not just that the task was completed.

What is the biggest mistake in EL1 interview preparation?

The biggest mistake is preparing examples without calibrating them to the EL1 level. A good example at APS6 may not be strong enough for EL1 unless it demonstrates broader accountability, stakeholder complexity, independent judgement and strategic or operational impact.

How much should I talk about technical skills in an EL1 interview?

Technical skills still matter, especially in specialist roles, but they should not dominate your response. Use technical capability as the foundation, then show how you used that expertise to advise, influence, manage risk, lead others or improve outcomes at a broader level.

How can I prepare for an EL1 interview?

Start by reviewing the role advertisement, identifying the key capabilities, and selecting examples that demonstrate leadership, judgement, stakeholder influence and strategic impact. Then practise turning those examples into clear, structured responses that sound like EL1 evidence rather than technical task summaries. For targeted support, see our EL1 Interview Coaching.