Civil Service Exam

The Civil Service Exam is given by local and state governments and the United States federal government to assess job candidates.

There are several types of civil service exams administered to candidates. The exam or exams you take depends on the position you apply for. They measure candidates’ reading, writing, and reasoning abilities. Some exams also test mathematical skills. A variety of exams also test clerical ability.

To register for an exam, you must directly contact the participating agency where you are applying.

The type of civil service exam you take depends on the job you apply for. Some tests may have only a few questions and take a short time. Others may have up to one hundred multiple-choice questions and be approximately two hours long. The number of questions and exact time vary by test.

Reading questions test your ability to understand written texts, analyze the information presented, and draw conclusions. 

Verbal skills questions test your grammatical and writing skills. You may be asked about subject-verb agreement, spelling, or sentence structure. 

Many exams test spelling skills. You might be asked to identify the correct spelling of a word. Exams may also test your vocabulary, asking you to choose the synonym or best definition of a word.

Some civil service exams also feature analogies. These may be verbal or visual, and they test your reasoning abilities.

Depending on the job you are applying to, you may be asked to solve some mathematics problems. Civil service math exams are generally straightforward and involve simple arithmetic. 

Some civil service exams feature clerical questions, especially for candidates applying to administrative positions. Alphabetization questions test your ability to quickly and accurately file names in alphabetical order. Coding and comparison questions evaluate your attention to detail by asking you to compare names or addresses and search for errors, or to determine the accuracy of a numerical code. Memorization questions test your observation skills. You will have two minutes to review a photograph or picture; then you will be asked questions about details in the image.

Different civil service exams are administered by participating agencies. In some cases, you may be asked to take the exam online from your home as part of the application process and promise not to use any outside assistance. It is important to understand that you are on your honor to do your best with no outside help. In other cases, you may test at a facility.

Civil Service Exam results are typically emailed to test takers by the agency through which you arranged your test.