Use this page as a skill-by-skill question bank. The questions below are original JobPracticeTests material; they are not copied from a state, city, county, court or testing vendor.

There is no single US civil service exam. The subjects, timing, scoring and hiring rules depend on the jurisdiction, employer and job title. Read the current official examination announcement first, then practice only the skills that the announcement actually tests.

For a mixed timed set, use the Civil Service Exam Practice Test. For an announcement-first preparation plan, use the Civil Service Exam Study Guide.

How to use these questions

  1. Answer without looking at the explanation.
  2. Mark questions that are slow as well as questions that are wrong.
  3. Review the rule or reasoning behind every error.
  4. Group mistakes by skill: reading, arithmetic, checking, filing, data or judgment.
  5. Return to the official notice before assuming that a weak skill will appear on your exam.

A score on this page is a practice diagnostic only. It is not an official passing score, percentile or prediction of list rank.

Reading comprehension

Question 1

A notice states:

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the closing date. Late applications are not accepted unless the agency announces an extension.

Which statement is supported by the notice?

A. Every late applicant receives an extension.
B. Applications should arrive by 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.
C. The closing date applies only to mailed applications.
D. Applicants may submit after the exam.

Answer: B. The notice directly sets 5:00 p.m. on the closing date as the deadline.

Question 2

A department sends a written instruction requiring staff to verify an applicant’s identification before releasing a confidential record.

What should a staff member do first when an applicant requests the record?

A. Release the record immediately.
B. Ask another applicant for permission.
C. Verify the applicant’s identification.
D. Publish the record online.

Answer: C. The instruction makes identification verification the required first step.

Basic math

Question 3

A unit processed 360 applications. Twenty percent were incomplete. How many were incomplete?

A. 36
B. 60
C. 72
D. 90

Answer: C. 360 × 0.20 = 72.

Question 4

A clerk works 7.5 hours per day for four days. How many hours does the clerk work in total?

A. 28
B. 30
C. 32
D. 35

Answer: B. 7.5 × 4 = 30.

Question 5

A permit fee is $80 and increases by 10%. What is the new fee?

A. $82
B. $86
C. $88
D. $90

Answer: C. Ten percent of $80 is $8, so the new amount is $80 + $8 = $88.

Clerical checking

Question 6

Which pair is exactly the same?

A. NY-48291-A / NY-48921-A
B. File 72914 / File 72914
C. Dept 406A / Dept 460A
D. Carter, L. / Carter, I.

Answer: B. Every character matches.

Question 7

Original code: AB-4927-KL

Which option matches exactly?

A. AB-4927-KL
B. AB-4972-KL
C. AB-4927-LK
D. BA-4927-KL

Answer: A. The letters, numbers and order all match.

Filing and alphabetizing

Question 8

Which surname should come first alphabetically?

A. Sanders
B. Sanford
C. Santiago
D. Sawyer

Answer: A. Compare letter by letter: Sand... comes before Sanf..., Sant... and Saw....

Question 9

Which order is alphabetical?

A. Miller, Mills, Milton, Mitchell
B. Miller, Milton, Mills, Mitchell
C. Mills, Miller, Milton, Mitchell
D. Mitchell, Miller, Mills, Milton

Answer: A. Mil... comes before Mit...; within Mil..., Miller precedes Mills, and Mills precedes Milton.

Data interpretation

Use this table for Questions 10 and 11.

Day Requests completed
Monday 42
Tuesday 38
Wednesday 45
Thursday 40

Question 10

How many requests were completed on Tuesday and Thursday combined?

A. 75
B. 78
C. 80
D. 83

Answer: B. 38 + 40 = 78.

Question 11

How many more requests were completed on Wednesday than on Tuesday?

A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8

Answer: C. 45 - 38 = 7.

Situational judgment

Question 12

A member of the public is upset about a missed deadline. The written policy does not let you waive the deadline, but it describes an official appeal process. What is the best response?

A. Promise to waive the deadline.
B. Argue with the person.
C. Explain the rule calmly and direct the person to the official appeal process.
D. Ignore the person.

Answer: C. It follows the stated policy, stays within the employee’s authority and gives the person the correct next step.

What these questions do and do not tell you

These examples help you practice transferable skills, but they do not establish the content of your specific examination. An administrative assistant announcement may emphasize office records and written communication, while a correction officer or sanitation title may use a different selection process entirely.

Before test day, confirm from the current official announcement:

  • the exact examination title and number;
  • filing and eligibility requirements;
  • subject of examination;
  • delivery method;
  • time limit and question count if published;
  • permitted materials, including calculator rules;
  • scoring or eligible-list information;
  • any physical, medical, interview or background stages that are separate from the written assessment.

Next steps

If you are comparing paid products rather than looking for free questions, use the separate Best Civil Service Exam Prep guide. That keeps product comparison separate from this free question bank.