Why a STAR example must be targeted to the role's selection criteria
APS selection is merit-based: a panel scores every application against the role's published selection criteria, at the capability level expected for that classification. They are not asking whether you have a good story. They are asking whether it proves the specific criterion in front of them, at the level the role demands. That is why a STAR example has to be targeted. An impressive, polished example that does not map to the criteria being scored will sit below a plainer one that speaks to them directly. STAR is simply the structure you pour that evidence into: Situation, Task, Action and Result, with most of the space going to the Action. Our guide to writing strong STAR examples covers the framework in full.
The role and its selection criteria
This worked example is built around a real APS position:
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority
Data and Reporting Analyst
APS 5 · Canberra ACT
Drawn from the duties in that listing, the role is assessed against five selection criteria:
Data reporting and analytical accuracy. Demonstrates the ability to extract, cleanse, validate and analyse transactional data to produce accurate, reliable and fit-for-purpose reporting products.
Written communication and reporting advice. Prepares clear, accurate and well-structured written advice tailored to internal and external stakeholders, including sensitive parliamentary audiences.
Systems support and business analysis. Supports system enhancements, upgrades and testing by gathering requirements, documenting user needs, liaising with stakeholders and testing business outcomes.
Governance, controls and data stewardship. Applies business rules, access controls, validation processes and procedural requirements consistently when managing reporting outputs, system access and parliamentary expense data.
Teamwork, adaptability and capability uplift. Contributes to a high-performing small team by collaborating, sharing knowledge, supporting others and responding flexibly to changing priorities.
How to choose the right STAR example for the selection criteria
To find the best experience to build a STAR example around, start with the principal selection criterion. This is the main selection criterion, often the one tied most closely to the role title and the core duty you'll actually perform. For this Data and Reporting Analyst role, that's data reporting and analytical accuracy: extracting, cleansing, validating and analysing transactional data to produce accurate, reliable, fit-for-purpose reporting.
The best examples are ones built around that core duty. The question isn't "can I write about teamwork?" or "can I write about communication?" It's can I show myself performing the core data reporting duty while also drawing in the other criteria? The supporting criteria are weaved in where they fit naturally: written advice, governance and controls, stakeholder liaison, system support, teamwork and adaptability. They show how you deliver the core duty in a real APS environment. Wherever you can, mirror the language of the selection criteria in your wording. If the criterion says "validate and analyse transactional data", a response that uses those same words reads as a direct, deliberate answer rather than a loose approximation.
Here is the difference in practice. Both examples below are still rough and unpolished. What separates them is the duty each one is built around.
Not built around the principal criterion
I worked in an administrative support role where our team had to prepare a weekly internal activity update.
I was asked to help collect information from team members and add it to a shared spreadsheet before the update was sent to a manager.
I copied information into the spreadsheet, checked that the cells were filled in, followed the template, and reminded a few colleagues to send through their updates.
The weekly update was completed on time and the manager had the information they needed.
Why this misses the point: This is really a teamwork and administration example. It shows coordination and meeting a deadline, but there is no data extraction, cleansing, validation or analysis. It answers "can I write about teamwork?" instead of showing the core data reporting duty.
Built around the principal criterion
I supported a quarterly reporting process that used transactional expense data from multiple internal systems. Before the report was finalised, I noticed inconsistencies between the source data and the reporting spreadsheet.
I was responsible for checking the data, identifying the cause of the inconsistencies, confirming the correct business rules, and helping prepare an accurate report for stakeholders.
I compared the source extracts against the reporting workbook, isolated duplicate and missing entries, checked unclear records with the relevant business area, documented the validation steps, and updated the report so the figures aligned with the agreed rules.
The corrected report was submitted with clearer supporting notes, the team had a more reliable validation process for the next cycle, and stakeholders received advice based on cleaner data.
Why this is on point: The core of the example is checking, validating and correcting transactional data against business rules: the principal criterion of data reporting and analytical accuracy. It is still raw and unpolished, but it is built around the right duty.
At this point you've identified an example built around the principal criterion. That's the first milestone. Now comes the complex part, where most candidates struggle: tailoring that example to weave in the supporting criteria, and calibrating it to the ILS behaviours expected at the role's level. Getting this part wrong can be costly. A candidate who has mastered this skill over months of practice can make weaker experience read more convincingly than your stronger experience that isn't framed or calibrated to the APS level, and be shortlisted ahead of you.
This is exactly why we built the Pitch Writer: so your application is judged on your experience, not on your ability to spend months mastering complex frameworks. It helps you identify the strongest examples from your background, then uses simple, guided questions to draw out the raw detail. From there, our specialised AI does the tailoring and level calibration to the standard of a professional writer, at a fraction of the cost, so every candidate can present their experience at the level a panel expects, even on a tight deadline.
How the Pitch Writer aligns the STAR example to the criteria
Below is the same raw example after the Pitch Writer has done the tailoring and level calibration.
During a quarterly reporting cycle, I was working with transactional expense data drawn from multiple internal systems1, and shortly before the report was due to senior stakeholders I identified inconsistencies between the source extracts and the consolidated workbook. As the analyst responsible, I needed to determine the cause of the discrepancies, confirm the correct business rules, and deliver an accurate report2 without slipping the deadline. I reconciled the source extracts against the reporting workbook, isolated duplicate and missing entries, and validated unclear records against the agreed business rules3; where the rules were ambiguous I confirmed the correct treatment with the data custodians and documented each validation step so the approach could be applied consistently4. I then prepared a short written brief explaining what had changed in the figures and why, in plain language suited to a non-technical audience5, and throughout I prioritised the validation work against my other reporting tasks and kept my manager informed at key points rather than waiting for direction6. The corrected report reached stakeholders on time, and I turned the documented steps into a reusable checklist and walked the team through it, which became part of the standard process for the next cycle7.
If you want to work through your own example with AI-guided feedback aligned to APS assessment language, APSPitchPro guides you from raw experience to a panel-ready pitch.
Answer capsule: To write a strong STAR example for a Data and Reporting Analyst role, anchor it on the principal selection criterion, data reporting and analytical accuracy, using a real situation where you validated and corrected transactional data against business rules. Weave the supporting criteria (written advice, governance and controls, teamwork) into the same story, then calibrate the wording to the autonomy expected at the role's level. A well-chosen example built around the core duty will always outperform a broader story that never shows the data work.
FAQ
What is the STAR method for selection criteria?
The STAR method is a way of structuring a selection criteria response into four parts: Situation (the context), Task (your specific responsibility), Action (the steps you personally took), and Result (the measurable outcome). Keep the Situation and Task brief, spend most of the response on the Action written as "I" rather than "we", and finish with a concrete result. It is the structure the APS and most Australian public sector panels expect behind a written criterion response.
Can I use one STAR example for several selection criteria?
Yes, and for this role it is the goal. A single example built around the principal duty, data reporting and analytical accuracy, can also evidence written communication, governance and controls, and teamwork, as long as each criterion is genuinely demonstrated in the Action and Result rather than just asserted. Reframe the emphasis for each criterion instead of repeating the same wording.
What if my data analyst experience comes from outside the APS?
Non-APS experience is acceptable and often valued. The key is translation: name the validation techniques you used, the business rules or controls you applied, and the stakeholders you advised. The complexity and independence of your example matter more to a panel than whether it happened inside government.
How much technical detail should I include?
Enough to prove the capability, but not so much that a non-technical panel member loses the thread. Name the specific techniques, such as reconciliation, validating against business rules and isolating duplicates, then explain the impact in plain language. The worked example above shows the balance to aim for.
Should I mention the ILS or capability level directly?
No. Panels calibrate against the Integrated Leadership System, but you demonstrate the level through how you describe your actions: ownership, independent judgement and managing priorities under limited direction, rather than by naming the framework. Show the behaviour; do not label it. Our guide to [framing your experience at the right APS level](/blog/preparing-for-a-specific-aps-level-job-application) explains how the expected level shifts across the bands.