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USPS Exam 955 is the examination component of the United States Postal Service Maintenance Selection System (MSS). On the official postal exams list, USPS names Maintenance (Exam 955) for Maintenance Mechanic, Building Maintenance, and Electronic Technician paths and describes it as measuring mechanical maintenance knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
Exam 955 is not a Virtual Entry Assessment. It is separate from Exams 474, 475, 476, and 477, and it is separate from Automotive Knowledge exams 943 to 945 and Custodial Exam 916. If your job announcement lists a different exam number, use the guide that matches that announcement.
Key takeaway: Exam 955 is a technical maintenance assessment inside MSS. Passing the exam is not the same as finishing the Maintenance Selection System, and it is not a substitute for any Virtual Entry Assessment.
General mechanical aptitude practice on AptitudeTests.org can help you warm up on gears, pulleys, hydraulics, pneumatics, and basic circuits before you narrow your review to USPS maintenance topics. It is independent general mechanical aptitude preparation. It does not reproduce the Multicraft or Spatial Relations content of Exam 955, and it is not a substitute for reviewing the official USPS Exam 955 Assessment Information Package.
What Exam 955 is
Exam 955 measures mechanical and electrical job knowledge together with spatial visualization ability. It sits inside the broader Maintenance Selection System, which USPS and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) describe as the structured process for filling maintenance craft positions. Passing Exam 955 is one step in that process. It is not the only step.
Job families and crafts mapped to Exam 955
| Assessment | Jobs listed by USPS | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (Exam 955) | Maintenance Mechanic; Building Maintenance; Electronic Technician | USPS Postal exams |
Related maintenance titles may appear on individual postings, such as area maintenance technician or mail processing equipment maintenance mechanic, when Exam 955 is the named requirement. Confirm the examination line on your own announcement. Do not assume every maintenance-sounding title uses Exam 955, and do not treat one score threshold as a craft-specific ranking guarantee.
Exam 955 structure
According to the official USPS Assessment Information Package for Exam 955, the examination has two timed, computer-administered parts:
| Part | Items | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multicraft | 60 | 60 minutes | Mechanical and electrical job skills |
| Spatial Relations | Conflicting official figures | Conflicting official figures | Visual spatial relations ability |
The official assessment package states the total appointment takes approximately two hours, which includes both timed test parts. The Multicraft part is scored on correct answers, with no penalty for guessing, so USPS advises answering every item even if you have to guess.
The current USPS Assessment Information Package contains inconsistent Spatial Relations specifications. Its summary table lists 68 items in 40 minutes, while the Spatial Relations explanatory passage in the same package lists 65 items in 60 minutes. Treat those figures as document-specific rather than a single universal rule, and follow the item count and timing shown in your current assessment-session instructions or Notice of Result.
The Spatial Relations part has two question styles described in the official package:
- Matching Parts and Figures: you are given two or more flat pieces and must decide which option shows how those pieces fit together without gaps or overlapping.
- Spatial Visualization: you are given a drawing with top, front, and right views and must decide which of four options would produce those same views.
Independent preparation resources commonly group Multicraft review topics such as circuits, motors, hydraulics, pneumatics, tools, and troubleshooting. USPS’s own package does not publish a fixed public list of exactly eight named content areas, so treat any provider content-area count as that provider’s categorization rather than an official USPS specification.
After you confirm the Exam 955 requirement and review the official package structure, USPS Exam 955 preparation can provide additional third-party practice for similar mechanical, electrical, and spatial themes. Compare product coverage with your invitation. JobTestPrep is an independent preparation provider, not the United States Postal Service, APWU, or an official assessment administrator. Confirm the current USD price, access period, and included practice on the live product page.
Scoring and Retesting
The official USPS Assessment Information Package states plainly: “You must attain a minimum score of 70 (excluding Veterans’ Preference points) on the examination to be considered for any of the positions for which you applied.”
Beyond that published passing score, USPS has not publicly released a detailed scoring formula, section weighting, or exact ranking methodology for Exam 955. Multiple independent sources report that candidates who score below the passing threshold receive an “Ineligible” result and must wait before retesting, with a commonly cited wait period of about six months. USPS has not published that wait period in the AIP excerpt reviewed for this guide, so confirm your exact retest timeline through your USPS Notice of Result, your local Human Resources office, or your union steward rather than relying on any single third-party figure.
After the Exam: Interview and Selection
The APWU’s Maintenance Selection System handbook describes a structured interview as part of the current MSS process. Passing Exam 955 does not guarantee selection. USPS combines your exam result with the structured interview outcome, then makes maintenance craft selections from the qualified candidate pool. Fingerprinting, background review, and a medical or drug-screening step are also typical parts of the broader federal and postal hiring process. Follow your own Notice of Result and USPS instructions for the exact next steps that apply to you.
How to Prepare for USPS Exam 955
- Confirm the exact exam number on your own USPS job announcement and assessment invitation.
- Read the official USPS Assessment Information Package for Exam 955 in full.
- Review basic mechanical concepts: gears, pulleys, levers, torque, and mechanical advantage.
- Review basic electrical concepts: Ohm’s Law, series versus parallel circuits, AC versus DC, and common test instruments.
- Review hydraulics and pneumatics fundamentals: pressure, force, area, and common valve types.
- Review common maintenance tools and basic preventive-maintenance principles.
- Practice spatial visualization: matching parts and figures, and identifying a solid from its top, front, and right views.
- Practice reading simple troubleshooting scenarios and selecting the most reasonable next step, not the most extreme one.
- Review safe-work judgment scenarios that emphasize following procedure, escalating appropriately, and not bypassing safety steps.
- Take timed mixed practice once you are comfortable with each area individually.
- Arrive at your test center with a government-issued photo ID and your assessment login credentials, as required by the official USPS instructions.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming Exam 955 is the same test as the mail carrier or mail handler VEA exams (474, 475, 476, 477)
- Treating a preparation provider’s content-area breakdown as an official USPS specification
- Guessing an exact retest wait period instead of confirming it through your official Notice of Result
- Skipping items on the Multicraft section instead of guessing, even though there is no guessing penalty
- Confusing series and parallel circuit behavior
- Reversing the direction of a driven gear or pulley
- Matching only one of the three views (top, front, right) instead of all three at once
- Choosing an extreme troubleshooting response instead of the simplest reasonable first step
- Assuming a passing score guarantees selection, when a structured interview and other steps also apply
- Relying only on a static PDF without practicing timed spatial-reasoning questions
Free vs Paid Preparation
Free preparation can help you understand the exam’s two-part structure, review basic mechanical and electrical concepts, and try practice-style questions across the seven skill areas covered on this page.
Independent mechanical aptitude practice can supplement your review of general mechanical reasoning skills such as gears, levers, and pulleys. It is general mechanical aptitude preparation, not a USPS-specific or Exam 955-specific product, and it does not reproduce the Multicraft or Spatial Relations content of the real exam.
JobTestPrep and other independent third-party preparation providers are not the United States Postal Service, PSI, GEN2, or the official Maintenance Selection System administrator. Preparation cannot guarantee a passing score, an interview, or a hiring outcome.
Official resources
- USPS Postal exams
- Official Exam 955 Assessment Information Package (PDF)
- APWU Maintenance Selection System Handbook, EL-304 (PDF)
- USPS Practice Tests hub
These official and union sources describe the current exam structure and the Maintenance Selection System process. They do not define a fixed, unofficial content-area breakdown, and this page does not present one as official.
Related Guides
- USPS Practice Tests
- Federal Hiring Tests
- Mechanical Aptitude Tests
- Mechanical Aptitude Test
- Hydraulics Questions
- Pneumatics Questions
- Tools and Workshop Questions
- Electrical Circuits Questions
- Spatial Reasoning
- Industrial Maintenance / Maintenance Technician
FAQ
What is USPS Exam 955?
USPS Exam 955 is the examination component of the USPS Maintenance Selection System. It is used to screen applicants for maintenance craft positions such as maintenance mechanic, building equipment mechanic, and electronic technician.
Is Exam 955 the same as the USPS mail carrier exam?
No. Mail carrier and related roles use separate Virtual Entry Assessment exams (474, 475, 476, 477). Exam 955 is specific to maintenance craft positions.
What does Exam 955 cover?
The official USPS assessment package describes two timed parts: Multicraft (60 items, 60 minutes, covering mechanical and electrical job skills) and Spatial Relations (visual spatial relations ability). The same package gives conflicting Spatial Relations item-count and timing figures (68 items in 40 minutes in the summary table, and 65 items in 60 minutes in the explanatory passage), so follow the count and timer shown in your live assessment session.
What is the passing score for Exam 955?
USPS’s own official assessment package states that a minimum score of 70, excluding Veterans’ Preference points, is required to be considered for the positions you applied for.
What happens if I do not pass?
Multiple independent sources report an “Ineligible” result with a waiting period before retesting, commonly cited as around six months. Confirm your exact retest timeline through your official USPS Notice of Result or your local Human Resources office.
Does passing Exam 955 guarantee a maintenance job?
No. USPS combines your exam result with a structured interview and other steps, such as background review, before making a final selection.
Does this guide reproduce official assessment questions?
No. This guide explains formats and preparation boundaries without reproducing proprietary live assessment questions.
Is JobTestPrep the official USPS test provider?
No. JobTestPrep is a third-party preparation company. It is not USPS, PSI, GEN2, or the official Maintenance Selection System administrator.