Civil service careers are all about helping to preserve and better the community. And it has never been a better career for people who feel the genuine desire to help others. Professionals in this field include firefighters, police officers, social workers, and postal service workers. They work for local, state, or federal government agencies and must pass the civil service exam to attain the title of a professional civil service worker.

What Is the Civil Service Exam?

The civil service exam plays an integral role in upholding the integrity of civil service positions. It ensures that candidates are genuine about their desire for employment – unqualified professionals are also kept away.

What’s tested in the exam depends on the role one is pursuing. For example, a clerical position exam may contain keyboarding competency questions, while a civil engineering service exam may test knowledge of advanced math and reasoning topics.

How to Take the Civil Service Exam

The various ways of taking a civil service exam depend entirely on your employer. It usually takes a couple of hours or more to complete the exam, which includes multiple choice questions (MCQs), short answers, and oral constituents.

Your position will also determine how you present your performance to your exam givers and employers. For example, a soon-to-be teacher may be required to teach their subject to the exam committee.

The hiring department can help you schedule the time and date to do your exam. If the agency cannot schedule the period, you may have to schedule it yourself. Don’t forget to enroll for the exam days earlier. You can take your civil service exam online, but also you should be ready to take it face-to-face.

Exam Prerequisites

The mode of the exam you’re taking will determine the requirements for the civil service exam. For example, you must do an open competitive exam if the position you’re applying for is an active job listing. Employers determine the suitable candidate by contrasting your score to competitors applying for the same position.

A continuous exam is a civil service exam for a career without an open position when one is applying for the position. This exam helps you get an amp-up on your civil service test. Another type of civil service exam is the promotional civil service, meant for those already hired as civil servants but who want to apply for advancement.

Other requirements depend on the role you’re applying for. Some positions may require specific certificates or academic levels, including a master’s or bachelor’s degree.

What Jobs Require the Civil Service Exam?

Almost all civil service jobs within government agencies require one to succeed in their civil service exam to be considered for employment. The civil service may contain several roles, and most offer some form of civil service evaluation for those seeking to fill them.

The H.R. professionals in the government agency must take a civil service exam, unlike other H.R.s in many non-government businesses. Examples of H.R. experts in the civil service include H.R. specialists and compensation and benefits managers.

How Can I Pass the Civil Service Exam?

The only sure way to succeed in your civil service exam is to have enough time to study for it. Various resources help prepare you to answer your civil service exam’s math, logic, reading, and writing questions. Many successful people in the field admit to taking up to a year to prepare for the exam.

Be prepared to answer questions involving math, reasoning, and reading.

Some of the best study materials for preparing for this exam include Mometrix, Kaplan, and JobTestPrep; they challenge you with practice tests for your civil service exam. With JobTestPrep, you even access free practice tests. A successful preparation involves setting a time limit to answer questions and stick that limit.

When answering the civil service exam, consider answering the questions you find easy and returning to the ones you find difficult. Remember that you’re not penalized for guessing. Generally, an excellent succeeding score is 70% or above.

The exam givers compare your score and that of your competitors by placing the scores on a ranking list. When you score higher, you rank better, putting you ahead of your competitors seeking the same civil service roles.