Planning on taking the Civil Service Exams?
Passing the exams is certainly your goal. That’s why you should focus on your answering the test papers on the exam day!
Leave all your other cares behind.
Check out these survival tips for taking the Civil Service Exams, no matter what type of test you are about to take.
Obtain School Assignment
Were you able to pass your application before the deadline?
The best way to know that you made it to the list of exam takers is when you receive your notice of school assignment from the Civil Service Commission.
As the weeks leading the exams to arrive and you still haven’t received yours, you can check that using the Online Notice of School Assignment (ONSA).
It is best to print this notice to bring it to the school.
Prepare the Things You Need for the Test
Bring your ONSA printout or letter, a valid ID (the same as the one you used to apply), receipt of payment for the exam, ballpen, extra pictures, snacks, money, and your mobile phone.
Place this inside a bag – that’s important because the examiner is most likely going to tell you to put all your stuff at the front portion of the room. Calculators are not allowed in the exam venue.
Leave Your Own Car
If you happen to plan on driving your own car to the venue, it might not be a good idea to do that because many public schools don’t have a parking space allotted for cars.
Commuting to the venue just might be your best bet.
Practice the Commute
It is best to check the location of the school and practice the commute from your hotel or home at least a day before the test.
You can start early to find the school early and make your observations regarding the traffic situation to the area during early hours of the day, availability of vehicles to bring you to the school, and whether you can find a place to eat before taking the test.
It would also be a good idea to request the guard to let you in so you can find your room and be ready for the test without having to scramble across the school grounds on Exam Day, still trying to find your room assignment.
Doing this on Saturday before the test is the best time as you can have a feel of the area during the weekend and also have the route still fresh on your mind for the Exam Day.
To maximize the trip, squeeze in some time to study by bringing your notes as you head off to your school assignment.
Answer as Many as You Can
The test has a time limit.
You only have roughly a minute for each test question; thus, the goal is to answer as many as possible while also trying to choose the correct answers.
If you are unsure of something or don’t really know the answer, simply pick a choice and move on.
Since the test is multiple-choice, there’s a good chance you might pick the right one.
Good luck on your test!