Dress for the assessment day as you would for an interview, allow plenty of time for your journey and aim to arrive 5-10 minutes early. You are being assessed from the moment that you walk through the door.

Try to have the right attitude from the start and unless you are told otherwise your objective is not to win against the other candidates. We don’t work to quotas and because you are all being judged by the same standards it is possible that everyone could pass.

Get actively involved in all of the tasks but do so with a sense of humour, flexibility and respect for other candidates’ ideas as we are looking at your ability to build rapport and work in a team.

Don’t rush. Listen carefully to instructions and ask questions if you don’t understand. Take a few moments to think about the competency we are assessing and plan your strategy accordingly. Try not to be put off by ‘high flyers’ or by people you assume have no chance of succeeding. Everyone will do better in some exercises than others, so concentrate on demonstrating your own strengths.

Remember that appropriately asserting your viewpoint is usually preferable to confrontation and talking just to be heard. Communication and persuasion are key sales skills which we assess.