How to Pass the Administrative Civil Service Exam

There are many jobs in the civil service field, but clerical and admin jobs are particularly popular. Clerical professionals in the field are responsible for things like office management, making travel arrangements, using advanced office equipment, maintaining file systems, and so much more.

Working as an administrative civil servant comes with great benefits, which makes the field highly competitive. This means that hundreds of people tend to apply when jobs are available. That’s why employers use and administrative civil service exam to pre-screen job candidates.

What is the Administrative Civil Service Exam (ACSE)?

The Administrative Civil Service Exam is a pre-employment evaluation that tests one’s ability to complete complex clerical tasks.

The test covers topics like:

• Spelling and Grammar
• Logical Reasoning
• Professional Record Keeping
• Customer Service Skills
• Written Communication
• Basic Arithmetic
• Text Evaluation

Spelling and Grammar

This section focuses on the test takers ability to use language correctly and effectively.

Logical Reasoning

Logical reasoning tests focus on the ability to solve problems through the use of context and general logic.

Profession Record Keeping

Tests the ability to maintain records, handle data, and multitask between tasks involving basic math, filing systems, and data entry.

Customer Service Skills

Evaluates the ability to maintain positive communication with other humans, even during high stress situations.

Written Communication

This portion goes beyond testing grammar and spelling. It focuses on being able to use the written language effectively to convey proper messages, emotions, and levels of urgency.

Basic Arithmetic

The arithmetic questions focus on the ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, calculate percentages, and complete other basic mathematical equations.

Text Evaluation

This section of the test pertains to the examinees grasp of the written words and being able to analyze material for trends.

Who has to Take the ACSE?

The ACSE is reserved for clerical civil roles like:

• Administrative assistant
• Assessment Assistant
• Management Analyst
• Legal Aid
• Grant Coordinator
• Court Admin
• Clerical
• Program Coordinator
• Transportation Assistant
• Program Examiner
• Many More

Essentially, if your position involves any level of clerical work, you will likely need to take the administrative civil service exam.

ACSE Sample Questions:

Spelling and Grammar:

Choose the word with the correct spelling.

Joan used a doctor’s note to excuse her________________.

A. Absense
B. Absentse
C. Absence
D. Abcense

Answer: C

Record Keeping:

Of the following names, which one would be THIRD in an alphabetic file?

A. Docker, John

B. Decker, Jane

C. Dinckman, June

D. Dockman, James

Answer: A

Customer Service:

An elderly man asks you for directions to a gas station. You have repeated yourself multiple times, but he can’t hear you. What do you do?

A. Repeat yourself again while trying to show the directions differently.

B. Repeat yourself again, then give up.

C. Ask someone else to help him.

D. Tell him you don’t know, then walk away.

Answer: A

Written Communication:

Identify the valid sentence.

A. Sitting on the porch, she was hit with a ball.

B. Sitting on the porch, the ball hit her.

C. Sitting on porch, the ball hit her

D. None of these

Answer: A

Improve your score on all segments of the Administrative Civil Service Exam, with our full preparation tests.

What is a Passing Score on the ACSE?

To pass a civil service exam, an examinee must make at least a 70% which is a higher threshold than many other pre-employment exams.

Even if a 70% doesn’t seem like a particularly difficult score to reach, it is important to remember that scores may be directly compared to other applicants to determine who to call for an interview.

This means that a person who scores a 70% won’t fair as well as a person who scores a 75%.

This type of score comparison is an extremely common practice in the pre-employment examination community. That’s why it is so important to prepare, no matter which exam you have to take.

How do I prepare for the Administrative Civil Service Exam?

Just like with any exam, the only way to truly ensure success is through consistent practice with proper materials.

At JobAssessmentHelp, we have curated thorough curriculum to help you study for and easily pass your ACSE.

Our civil service practice test bundle has all the information you could ever need to land your dream job. The preparation package contains 114 tests, over 1600 unique questions, detailed lectures, and a focus on exams from over 40 popular employment test creators.

Don’t let the administrative civil service exam stand between you and your dream career. Prepare for your test on JobAssessmentHelp.com.