The Candidate Experience Framework
A better experience for candidates. A stronger future for your organisation. Our framework shows the full candidate journey, what shapes the experience and the evidence that helps you improve it.
More than an exam day
A joined-up experience from first awareness to future progression.
Discover
Understand the assessment and what it means for you.
Apply / Book
Register and provide the information needed to arrange your assessment.
Prepare
Understand what to expect and have what you need to prepare effectively.
Access
Complete the checks and processes needed to access the assessment.
Assess
Take the assessment with a fair opportunity to demonstrate your ability.
Results & feedback
Receive and understand your result, with useful feedback where appropriate.
Progress
Move forward — whether through progression, further development or another attempt.
Six interconnected elements
Each influences every stage of the journey.
Assessment design
Valid, fair and understandable assessments that enable candidates to demonstrate their ability.
Communication & preparation
Clear, consistent information and resources so candidates know what to expect and can prepare effectively.
Access & inclusion
An accessible experience for all candidates, with fair treatment and appropriate adjustments.
People & support
Well-prepared people and effective support that give candidates a consistent, professional experience.
Technology & process
Reliable, user-centred technology and processes that work for candidates and support effective delivery.
Continuous improvement
Using feedback, incidents and data to learn, resolve issues and make the experience better over time.
A clearer, more complete picture
Each source tells us something different.
Candidate feedback
What candidates tell us about their experience.
Complaints
Where candidates believe the experience has fallen short.
Incidents
What has gone wrong during preparation or delivery.
Operational data
What the service tells us about how the experience is working.
Assessment data
What performance and outcomes reveal about the assessment.
User research
Deeper investigation into candidate needs, behaviours and experiences.
Want to understand your Candidate Experience more clearly?
CX Works can help you map the candidate journey, bring together the evidence and identify practical priorities for improvement.