Common mistakes that get your government job application rejected

Why qualified people still get rejected

Every year, thousands of qualified Sri Lankans lose their shot at a government post before a single exam is sat. Not because they lack the marks or the degree — but because the application envelope is missing a certified photocopy, carries the wrong postal order value, or arrives one hour after the gazette-specified cutoff.

The Sri Lanka Public Service Commission (PSC), Department of Examinations, and individual line ministries process hundreds of thousands of applications annually. They apply the gazette notice as written, with no exceptions. Understanding the failure points is not bureaucratic pedantry — it is how you protect months of preparation.

Submitting after the deadline — including the time

Gazette notices routinely specify both a date and a time: "Applications must reach the undersigned not later than 4.00 pm on [date]." This is not 4.00 pm on the next working day if the date falls on a weekend; it is the listed date, full stop.

If you're posting, the postmark must be on or before the closing date. Hand deliveries after the listed time are turned away. Build in a buffer of at least three days for postal submission.

Using the wrong application form

Many departments publish their own specific form — often a numbered gazette form or a department-specific PDF — and will not accept a general template. Using last year's version of the same form, or one that differs even slightly in layout, can result in automatic disqualification.

Download the form directly from the PSC website or the relevant ministry on the day you apply, and verify it matches the form number referenced in the gazette notice.

Age and qualification certificate issues

Most government posts specify an age range — commonly 22 to 45, sometimes 18 to 35 for entry-level positions. Your birth certificate is the required document; your NIC alone is not always accepted as proof of age.

If your degree is from a foreign institution, you must submit proof of recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Many applicants from UK, Australian, and Indian universities assume a well-known university name is sufficient — it is not. Without UGC endorsement, the application is invalid regardless of the institution's reputation.

Provisional certificates and transcripts are not substitutes for the original degree certificate unless the notice explicitly permits them.

Incorrectly certified photocopies

Certified copies are not simply photocopies with a signature scrawled on them. You need a Justice of the Peace (JP), Grama Niladhari, Notary Public, or Divisional Secretariat officer — and which one is acceptable depends on the post level.

Higher-grade service appointments (Class I or Class II executive posts) often specify JP certification specifically. Using a Grama Niladhari stamp when a JP is required, or the reverse, is enough to get your application set aside.

Missing the character certificate

A character certificate from your Grama Niladhari is required for almost every government post. Obtaining one takes five to ten working days in practice — sometimes longer in busy urban areas. Many applicants leave it too late and try to submit the application without it, with a note that the certificate will follow. Most departments will not accept staged submissions.

Start this process as soon as you see the vacancy notice, not the week before the closing date.

Wrong post code or stream

Many gazette notices cover multiple posts in a single advertisement — each with its own stream code, salary scale, and eligibility criteria. Marking the wrong stream code, or leaving it blank, means your application is misrouted or rejected before anyone reads it.

If you are targeting, say, the Electrical Engineering stream of the Sri Lanka Engineering Service, triple-check that the code you have written matches exactly what is listed in the gazette for that stream — not the adjacent Civil or Mechanical code.

Postal order errors

Some applications still require a non-refundable postal order (available at any post office) made payable to a specific secretary or department, in a specific amount — LKR 250, LKR 500, LKR 1,000, or more depending on the post. This amount varies per notice and changes over time.

Sending cash, attaching a cheque, or reusing a postal order from a previous application — even for the same department — are all grounds for rejection.

Name mismatches across documents

Your name on the application must match your NIC, birth certificate, and degree certificate exactly. A maiden name on a degree, a hyphen missing from a birth certificate, a middle name added on the NIC but omitted on the form — these all create verification failures that government departments will not resolve in your favour.

If there is a legitimate reason for the difference (a marriage name change, a deed poll), attach the supporting document that explains it clearly.

Protecting months of preparation with one careful afternoon

Government preparation in Sri Lanka often spans years: studying for competitive examinations, completing the required degree, building the experience listed in the notice. Losing your eligibility because the postal order was LKR 250 short, or the JP stamp came from the wrong certifier, is avoidable. Read the gazette notice in full, twice. Make a checklist of every required document. Post at least three days early. The exam will test your knowledge — don't let the application paper test your patience.