Career Guide
APS Work Level Standards explained
Learn what the APS Work Level Standards measure and how to use autonomy, complexity, accountability and influence to select better application evidence.
The quick answer
The APS Work Level Standards are classification guides that differentiate the work expected at APS, Executive and SES levels. They describe broad characteristics such as leadership, accountability, job complexity, judgement, stakeholder relationships and independence. They classify roles rather than people and must be interpreted in the context of the actual position.
Read across the whole standard
Do not select one sentence that supports the level you want and ignore the rest. Look for the overall pattern of work, including the highest functions performed regularly and the role's operating context.
What the standards do
Work Level Standards provide a consistent basis for classifying diverse APS roles. They help agencies distinguish the expected work at adjacent levels while allowing interpretation for policy, service delivery, regulatory, operational and specialist contexts.
What they do not do
They do not create an exhaustive duty list, guarantee promotion or classify a person based on potential. Job titles, salary history and time served are not substitutes for work value.
Dimensions to compare
When comparing levels, examine:
- the direction and guidance available;
- complexity, sensitivity and ambiguity;
- independence and decision-making authority;
- accountability for advice, delivery, people or resources;
- stakeholder level and influence;
- leadership and organisational contribution; and
- the scale and consequence of outcomes.
Using standards for an application
Identify the descriptors most relevant to the advertised duties. Then test your proposed examples against them. The final application should usually use plain, evidence-led language rather than reproducing the standard.
Use the standards alongside the candidate pack. Agency context can make the same broad capability look different in a small regulator, a large service-delivery agency or a specialist technical function.
Evidence questions
For each example, ask: What was I accountable for? How much direction did I receive? Which decisions were mine? What made the work complex? Who relied on my advice? What risk or consequence did I carry? What changed at team, program, agency or system level?
The answers reveal level more persuasively than adjectives.
Official guidance used for this page
Guidance last reviewed: July 2026
This Professional Resumes Australia guide interprets public recruitment guidance for applicants. Always follow the instructions in the specific job advertisement and candidate information pack.
Questions about Work Level Standards
Do roles need to perform every function listed at a classification?
No. The standards are general and not exhaustive. Classification considers the overall role and the highest function performed regularly.
Can the standards prove that I personally work at a higher level?
They can help you assess your evidence, but a recruitment panel will still consider the advertised role and what your examples actually demonstrate.
Do your examples demonstrate the advertised APS level?
Professional Resumes Australia can compare your evidence with the Work Level Standards and help you show the required complexity, autonomy, judgement and impact.