FAST STREAM Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the FAST STREAM exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 FAST STREAM Exam Format at a Glance
📚 FAST STREAM Topics to Study (35)
✍️ Sample FAST STREAM Questions & Answers
1. Under the UK constitutional convention of ministerial responsibility, to whom are civil servants ultimately accountable?
Civil servants are accountable to Parliament through their ministers — the convention of ministerial responsibility means ministers answer to Parliament for the actions of their departments.
2. You are asked to give a performance rating to a team member you manage. You personally like them. What must you guard against?
Affinity bias is the specific tendency to rate people we like more positively. Awareness of this bias is essential for fair performance management.
3. The Civil Service Code sets out four core values. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
The four Civil Service values are Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity and Impartiality. Loyalty is not one of the four core values, though civil servants do serve the government of the day.
4. Which body is responsible for regulating the standards and conduct of civil servants in the UK?
The Civil Service Commission is the independent body that regulates Civil Service appointments to uphold the merit principle. It also hears complaints under the Civil Service Code and provides assurance that recruitment is fair and open. It was established on a statutory basis by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
5. If a civil servant believes they are being asked to act in a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Code, what is the correct first step?
The Civil Service Code directs civil servants to raise concerns internally with a line manager or more senior official before escalating outside the department.
6. Which word best means 'easily led or influenced'?
Malleable literally means able to be shaped. Figuratively it means easily influenced or adaptable, which fits the definition given.