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CIVIL
SERVICE EXAMS
Government Jobs / Federal Jobs / Post
Office Jobs
Tests are required for specific
groups including secretarial and clerical, air traffic control, law enforcement, and for
certain entry level jobs. The majority — approximately 80% — of government jobs
are filled through a competitive examination of your background, work experience, and
education, not through a written test.
Mandatory testing for administrative careers has been eliminated. OPM and individual
agencies announce professional and administrative job vacancies and interested people
request and receive application material through the mail, internet, or fax. Applicants
must return a simple questionnaire and a resume or optional application forms. Personnel
offices score applications and generate hiring lists within two weeks of the job
announcement’s closing date. Agencies have the option to use a written test if they
wish. Table 5-1 in The Book of U.S. Government Jobs
provides a list of professional and administrative occupations that may be tested.
Sample test questions are provided in this chapter. Additionally, Table 5-3 lists over 60
clerical positions that require written tests.
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About 100 professional and administrative job series were originally filled using one
of two options:
- A written examination; (no longer mandatory) or
- An application based on scholastic achievement, reflected by your grade point average
(GPA), and work experience.
Entry level grades generally start at the GS-5 and GS-7 levels. College graduates with
top grades can still be hired on the spot at OPM college fairs or by agencies under the Outstanding
Scholar Program. Applicants who meet the requirements of the Outstanding Scholar
Program are not required to take a written test and they may apply directly to agencies.
Applicants who meet the requirements of the Bilingual/ Bicultural Program
may apply directly to agencies at any time, but they may be required to take a written
test. This program permits federal agencies to hire directly individuals who are
proficient in Spanish language or have knowledge of the Hispanic culture when public
interaction or job performance would be enhanced by this skill or knowledge.
Entry-level professional and administrative job applicants now earn eligibility by
either:
- Earning a college grade point average of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale or having
graduated in the upper 10 percent of your class or major university subdivision, and
impressing agency recruiters with experience and technical abilities during an interview.
This method is referred to as the Outstanding Scholar Program.
- Passing an examination of your education and/or experience for a specific job vacancy.
Agencies may use the original written tests to assess an applicants’ abilities prior
to appointment.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
It's important to note that a college degree isn't required to
qualify for most of these jobs. Equivalent experience is acceptable as an alternative
to a college degree. For example, to qualify for a GS-5 position you would require four
years of education leading to a bachelor's degree, 3 years of responsible experience,
or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Applicants have three avenues to explore. If you don't have three years
of experience or a bachelor's degree you may be able to use a combination of education and experience
to qualify.
RESPONSIBLE EXPERIENCE
You can combine education and experience to meet the qualification requirements. One
academic year of full-time study (30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) is equivalent to
nine months of responsible experience. A bachelor's degree is equivalent to three years of
responsible experience. To be considered as qualifying experience, your experience must be
related to the position applied for.
COURSES TAKEN AT NONACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE IF THEY MEET THE QUALIFYING
CONDITIONS:
1. The courses are accepted for advanced credit at an accredited institution.
2. The institution is one whose transcript is given full credit by a State University.
3. The courses have been evaluated and approved by a State Department of Education.
4. The course work has been evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by
the Council of Post secondary Accreditation.
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If your GPA is 3.45 or higher or you graduated in the upper ten (10) percent of your
class or major subdivision you can be added to OPM's referral list under their Outstanding
Scholar Program. Applicants who meet these provisions can be placed on an OPM referral
list. Agencies are authorized to make immediate offers of employment to candidates who
meet the requirements of this program. Visit
Student Jobs in the Federal Government, Employment Options, and Federal
Student Hiring Programs. for additional information and direct links to federal regulations that govern this
program. This site also provides downloadable application forms.
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TABLE 5-2 in "The Book Of U.S. Government Jobs" lists the qualification
requirements and pay for Clerical and Administrative Support Occupations. Some clerical
and administrative support positions also require typing and/or stenography proficiency.
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A sample clerical exam is included in
The Book of U.S. Government
Jobs - 9th edition. You will also find exams in this book for vocabulary,
reading, tabular, and arithmetic reasoning questions. When you request to take the exam
through an open job announcement OPM sends out a complete application package that you
must take with you to the scheduled exam.
If you have access to the internet and OPM's new USA JOBS site you can request this
information on line. You first identify a clerical job announcement in your area and then
you submit a form on line. OPM sends out an admission card, OPM Form 5000-B within a day
or two. After you complete the form you send it into the address specified on the original
announcement. Be sure to copy the announcement cover page if you do this online. The cover
page has the address listed that you will need when you return the OPM Form 5000. OPM
returns this form to you with your scheduled exam date and location of the test. Along
with this form you will receive a computer graded OMB No. 3206-0040 FORM C that you must
complete. When you go to take the exam you must bring with you:
1) An eraser
2) a pen, three median No. 2 lead pencils
3) any forms enclosed with the notice, completed and ready to hand in.
GENERAL EXPERIENCE: High school graduation or the equivalent may be
substituted for experience at the GS-2 level for all listed occupations except
Clerk-Stenographer, where it maybe substituted for experience at the GS-3 level.
Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience requirements
may be used to meet total experience requirements at grades GS-5 and below.
Table 4-3 lists all of the positions and grades covered under the Clerical and
Administrative Support Positions test. Positions at higher grade levels in listed
occupations are covered under separate examinations.
TABLE 5-3
Clerical and Administrative Support Positions
Clerk GS-2/3, Clerk Typist GS-2/4
Clerk Stenographer GS-3/5
Secretary GS-3/4
BUSINESS
Clerk GS-2/4 Procurement
Clerk GS-2/4 Production Control
Clerk GS-2/4 Property Disposal
Clerk GS-2/4 Purchasing Agent GS-2/4
COMMUNICATIONS
Clerk GS-2/4
Communications Technician GS-2/4
Communications Relay Operator GS-2/4
Cryptographic Equip.
Operator GS-2/4
Teletypist GS-2/4
FINANCE
Accounting Clerk GS-2/4
Budget Clerk GS-2/4
Cash Processing clerk GS-2/4
Financial Clerk GS-2/4
Insurance Accounts Clerk GS-2/4
Military Pay Clerk GS-2/4
Payroll Clerk GS-2/4
Tax Accounting Clerk GS-2/4
Time & Leave Clerk GS-2/4
Voucher Examining Clerk GS-2/4
LEGAL
Claims Clerk GS-2/4
Legal Clerk GS-2/4
Legal Records Clerk GS-2/4
OFFICE CLERK
Correspondence Clerk GS-2/4
Information Reception Clerk GS-2/4
Mail and File Clerk GS-2/4
Office Equipment Operator GS-2/4
Personnel Clerk GS-2/4
Personnel (Military) Clerk GS-2/4
Printing Clerk GS-2/4
Statistical Clerk GS-2/4
Supply Clerk GS-2/4
Telephone Operator GS-2/4
TRANSPORTATION
Dispatching Clerk GS-2/4
Freight Rate Clerk GS-2/4
Passenger Rate Clerk GS-2/4
Shipping Clerk GS-2/4
Transportation Clerk GS-2/4
Travel Clerk GS-2/4
MISCELLANEOUS
Archives Clerk GS-2/4
Arts & Information Clerk GS-2/4
Coding Clerk GS-2/4
Compliance Inspection Clerk GS-2/4
Computer Clerk GS-2/4
Editorial Clerk GS-2/4
Electronic Accounting Machine Operator GS-2/4
Environmental Protection Assistant GS-2/4
Fingerprint Identification Clerk GS-2/4
Intelligence Clerk GS-2/4
Language Clerk GS-2/4
Library Clerk GS-2/4
Management Clerk GS-2/4
Messenger GS-2/4 *
Security Clerical & Assistant GS-2/4
TYPING PROFICIENCY
Typing proficiency is determined one of several ways. You can present a speed
certification statement from a typing course, take a typing test with OPM, or personally
certify that you type 40 or more words per minute and later take a test upon reporting
for duty.
TESTING PROCESS
The written clerical test consists of two parts, clerical aptitude and verbal abilities.
To pass the written test, applicants must make a minimum score of 33 on the verbal
abilities and a minimum combined total score of 80 on both the clerical and verbal parts.
A score of 80 converts to a numerical rating of 70. In addition to written tests,
applicants must complete the Occupational Supplement for Clerical Positions (OPM Form
1203-A1). With this form OPM will be able to determine an applicants' minimum
qualifications based on a review of their education and work experience.
A final rating results from the written examination and Form 1203-Al, with 5 or 10
additional points added for veterans preference. After taking the exam and filling out the
additional forms OPM will send you a Notice of Rating (NOR) within 5 to 10 work days of
testing.
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Visit Post Office Jobs: Exams,
Occupations, Jobs, and Study Guide for the 473 Postal Exam. for complete information on Postal Service Exams.
You can also visit our Post Office Jobs web site at
http://postalwork.net for
additional information about the new 473 Postal Exam.
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