This article introduces DAC events, event groups, and placeholders - how they work together and how setting them up well creates a strong foundation for your DAC template.
When this step is done correctly, scheduling becomes smooth and effortless. Taking the time to set things up now helps avoid extra work later and ensures everything runs exactly as intended.
Understanding DAC Events and Event Groups
DAC Event
A DAC Event is a single assessment centre activity within your session.
For example:
Interview
Role play
Group exercise
Break
Each event can contain one or more:
Candidates
Assessors
By default, all assessors assigned to an event are expected to score all candidates in that event - unless more than one event group is used.
DAC Event Groups
Event groups allow you to control which assessors score which candidates within the same event.
If event groups are used:
Assessors only score candidates assigned to their group
Groups are defined in the DAC template
Groups can be placed in the same virtual room or separate rooms
You can identify how many event groups exist in a DAC event by looking at the template layout:
In the below example the DAC event Interview contains 2 DAC event groups - depicted by the cells around them, so assessor one and two are scoring candidate one and two. Assessor 3 is scoring candidate 3.
If candidate and assessor placeholders are grouped together in the same cell → they are in the same group
If they are separated into different cells → they are separate groups
Why Event Groups Matter
Event groups determine:
Which assessors score which candidates
Whether candidates can have individual timing adjustments
Whether groups meet in one shared room or separate virtual rooms
When creating or editing the DAC event (via the pencil icon, you will see the option:
Separate Room for Each Group
Unchecked → All participants in the DAC event are in the same virtual room. Assessors only score candidates in their group.
Checked → Each group has its own virtual room. Candidates only see their assigned assessors.
Understanding Placeholders
Placeholders are reserved slots in your DAC template.
When you later schedule a session, placeholders are replaced with:
Real candidates
Real assessors
At template stage, you are not assigning people. You are creating the spaces they will occupy.
Why You Cannot Add Placeholders Later
Once you begin populating and scheduling a session:
✅ You can validate a session with empty placeholders
❌ You cannot add new placeholders
❌ You cannot add a candidate or assessor without an existing placeholder
Best practice:
Always create slightly more placeholders than you think you need. It is far better to have spare slots than not enough.
How Placeholder Numbering Works
Placeholders are numbered automatically initially, then as you add more you can specify the number:
Candidate #1
Assessor #1
These numbers are extremely important.
If the same placeholder number appears across multiple events, it represents the same person throughout the session.
Example
If:
Candidate #1 appears in three exercises
When you assign a real candidate to Candidate #1, they will automatically be scheduled into all three exercises.
The same rule applies to assessors.
Candidate Placeholder Rules (strict)
Candidates can only be assigned to one placeholder number in the template.
If you are running:
5 candidates
3 exercises
You must use:
Candidate #1–5 in every exercise
Do not create:
Candidate #1–5 in Exercise 1
Candidate #6–10 in Exercise 2
This would represent different people and you will not be able to populate the session correctly.
Assessor Placeholder Rules (flexible)
Assessors are more flexible.
An assessor can:
Be assigned to multiple placeholder numbers
Cover multiple placeholders in one event
Be swapped out of individual events (if set up correctly)
This flexibility is especially useful for last-minute changes.
Best Practice for Assessor Flexibility
If you use the same assessor placeholder number across all events:
Removing that assessor from one event removes them from every event where that placeholder appears.
For longer or more complex schedules:
✅ Use unique assessor placeholder numbers in each event
This allows you to:
Swap assessors in or out of specific exercises
Manage partial-day availability
Handle last-minute changes without affecting the whole template
Deciding How Many Placeholders to Create
Before building your template, consider:
How many candidates will attend?
How many assessors are required per exercise?
Might you need a spare assessor?
Remember:
You can leave placeholders empty. You cannot add more later.
Adding Additional Placeholders
Each new DAC event typically contains:
1 Candidate placeholder
1 Assessor placeholder
(Depending on how the exercise was configured.)
You can add more in two ways.
Examples to help you get the best out of your templates
Method 1: Add to the Same Group (Using the + Next to an Existing Placeholder)
Click the + next to an existing placeholder:
Enter the placeholder number
Click Save
This adds another placeholder to the same group.
Important:
If an incorrect placeholder is populating the event, you must first add the correct one before deleting the unwanted placeholder.
What This Means
If you have:
Candidate #1
Candidate #2
Assessor #1
Assessor #2
Like this:
All within the same group:
Both assessors score both candidates
Everyone is treated as part of the same session group
⚠ Important:
When placeholders are in the same group:
You cannot adjust timings individually for one specific candidate in the group
Any timing change applies to everyone in that group
This setup is suitable when:
All candidates attend together
Timings will not vary per individual
You do not anticipate reasonable adjustments or individual technical delays
Method 2: Add a New Event Group (Using the + Below the Existing Group)
Click the + below the group to create a new event group.
This creates:
A separate candidate/assessor grouping within the same DAC event
You can then decide whether groups share a room or are separated (using the “Separate Room for Each Group” option).
When to Use Separate Groups
Create separate groups when:
You need flexibility to adjust timings for individual candidates
You want separate assessor coverage per candidate
You want candidates in the same room but with independent scheduling control
Advanced Scenario Example
Scenario:
Multiple candidates in one shared room
One assessor overseeing them
You need the ability to adjust timings per candidate
Solution:
Create separate groups but use the same assessor placeholder number with Separate Room for Each Group left unchecked
Example:
Group 1: Candidate #3 + Assessor #1
Group 2: Candidate #2 + Assessor #1
Group 3: Candidate #1 + Assessor #1
This allows:
Individual timing control for each of the candidates in the DAC event
One assessor covering multiple candidates
Full flexibility during scheduling
Key Takeaways
✔ Placeholders are required to assign candidates and assessors
✔ You cannot add more once scheduling begins
✔ Placeholder numbers link the same person across events
✔ Candidates can only occupy one placeholder number
✔ Assessors can occupy multiple placeholders
✔ Unique assessor placeholders increase flexibility
✔ It is better to create too many placeholders than too few
Final Advice
This is a key step in creating your DAC template, and getting your placeholders and event groups set up well will make scheduling smooth and effortless.
With a solid foundation here, everything that follows becomes much simpler.
Take a moment to build it carefully—it's time well spent and will help your template work exactly the way you want.