Repost: What to Prepare the Day Before the Exam

The day before the exam.. 

Prepare the following:

1. Notice of assignment / Examination permit. Once you got it, photocopy it in case it gets lost.

2. Pencil, sharpened, No. 2. bring at least two so that you will always have a spare every time one gets too short to use or gets broken.You need the pencil to mark the answer sheet. Be aware: Do NOT use ballpen for marking the answer sheets. Focus and minimize mistakes during the marking.

3. Sharpener. Bring one, you don't know when bad luck will strike, maybe all pencil leads get broken during travel.

4. A Staedtler Eraser. Bring a very good eraser. Don't be afraid to erase mistakes while marking the answer sheets, one sure correct answer is very important in passing the exam. If you have mistakes at marking up your answer sheet, it is important to erase all the marks at the wrong answer. A Staedtler eraser is a good eraser. Don't use those cheap ones, you'll get your answer sheet smudgy. The answer sheet is your only lifeline in passing the exam.

5. Ballpens. Bring two, in case one won't write. Sign pens are recommended, since it is known not to fail. I brought my techpen at the exam. Beware: You only need the pens for filling up your personal information at the beginning of the exam. Make sure you switch from pen to pencil on answering your answer sheets.

6. The same ID you used to apply for the exam. The proctor will check this before the exam along with the examination permit. They have a master list, with your pictures on it, just like in the election.

7. Snacks and Water. During the exam, it is important to feed your brains. Vitamin Water or Energy Drinks, Chocolates and Biscuits. You must buy chocolate bars, as it is the most refreshing and easier to eat. It stimulates your brain.

8. Clothes to wear. Prepare your most comfortable clothes and shoes. You'll be sitting there for almost five hours. It is important that you are comfortable with what you wear.

9. Money.

Then have a good night sleep to prepare yourself for a stressful day of the exam.

SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATIONS OF CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS

Here are the scope of the exam, which I failed to post due to my initial assumption that you would visit the Civil Service Examination Website, however, as many still asks for the scope of the exam, I thought I need to post it here.


Professional
Verbal 40

General Information on Career Service Examinations

Professional and Sub-professional Levels

IMPORTANT:
• THE INFORMATION ON THE CAREER SERVICE EXAMINATIONS CONTAINED HERE ARE GENERAL IN NATURE.
• THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (CSC) ISSUES A CORRESPONDING EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE CAREER SERVICE EXAMINATIONS.
• APPLICANTS ARE ADVISED TO CHECK OUT THE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PARTICULARS AND/OR UPDATES ON EXAMINATION RULES, REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE.
• IN ANY CASE OF INCONSISTENCY, THE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT SHALL PREVAIL OVER THIS GENERAL INFORMATION.

A. QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE CAREER SERVICE EXAMINATION (CSE)
• Career Service Professional and Sub-professional examinations are open to applicants regardless of educational attainment.
• Applicants for both levels must:
– Be Filipino citizens, at least 18 years old, and of good moral character;
– Have no criminal record or have not been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude;
– Have not been dishonorably discharged from military service or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government; and
– Have not taken the same level of career service examination within three (3) months from last examination taken.

B. MODES OF TAKING THE CSE
The Career Service Examination (Professional and Sub-Professional levels) may be taken through either of the following modes:

Computer Assisted VS Pencil and Paper Test Civil Service Career Examinations

Here are my thoughts, although I haven't experienced the computer assisted exam

Paper and Pencil Test:
1. more relax.
2. You can easily go back/skip to other part of the exams.
3. We are better-trained to answer this type of exam
4. Better chance in passing the exam (because you will be ranked with other takers, the more difficult the exam, the better chance to pass it)

Computer assisted:
1. If you don't know computer that much, you will be more stressed.
2. it will be difficult to go back to other part of the exam.
3. Answer sheet/form is new to most of the takers, it will time consuming to learn about it.
4. Less chance in passing the exam because Civil Service is designed to only pass those with above average IQ, which is only 20% of the world population. Since it is computer assisted, the passing mark will be fixed and not ranked like in PPT, meaning those with above average IQ are the only one that would surely pass the exam.

NO CLOCKS?? Why oh why??

During the exam, cellphones and watches with all your personal belongings will be placed below your chair or in front of the classroom. And CLOCKS will also be removed from the classroom.

So, how will you tell the time and how much time is left before the exam ends? The proctor will only announce the time hourly, and 30, 20, 10 and 5 minutes before the exam ends. You can ask the proctor about the time if it makes you uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to ask. Time is very important in taking the exam.

Why were the clocks removed? The clocks were removed due to past cheating scheme in PRC exams where the exams are mostly 50 items, not applicable in Civil Service though. Using the minute hand of the clock, on last hour, examinees will use sign/body languages to share the answers of the number where the minute hand is on. For example, at 04:01, one examinee would point his right foot forward, meaning the answer is A for item 1, at 04:20, he would put his left foot backward, meaning the answer for item 20 is D. The one copying the answer don't have to ask what number the answer D was, he just have to look at the clock in front of the classroom to tell that the D was for item 20 (04:20).

By the way, all questionnaires will be distributed at the start of the exam, it is up to you where you would like to start. As for me, I started at the beginning but got tired of answering about 100 english/grammar questions and skipped right through the Math part at the middle of the exam. You can do that and return to what you have skipped later.

How to Pass the Civil Service Examination in the Philippines

 I need someone to back-up what I'm saying here in the blog and I found this cool blog from someone called GeneralHowitzer. It pretty sums up everything. Here is the link.

How to Pass the Civil Service Examination in the Philippines

 I hope you found his advices useful.

The Rating System of the Civil Service Career Examinations - Paper and Pencil Test

The important thing you should know is that you don't need to get 80% of all the questions right. Yes, it does not work that way!! CSC has a quota!! ..which is 8 to 12% of the takers would only pass the exam!! Believe it or not, you will be ranked based on your score. Ranking the real scores from highest to lowest, the top 8 to 12% (or whatever their quota is) will get the passing scores (80+ ratings). In our time, the top one got an 89 rating.

Here is a photocopy of my certificate as an example.

The exam is divided into 4 categories, Verbal, Analytical, Numerical and General Information.

I was quite sure I failed the exam because of the verbal usage part, I got 83.72%, which is quite shocking for me at first (since I did not know the score system then) because I'm sure I only got less than 50% correct of the verbal usage exam. It was that difficult! But because the system ranked my score  highest to lowest, I got the 83.72% score. I was pretty confident with the analytic and numerical exams though (since this is my thing), I got very good scores while I was practicing on the reviewers. If you noticed I failed in general info, the questions was about laws and constitution and I sucked at it. I barely survived my Political Science and History in college. hehe.

I know this fact and I'm sure about it because it is the same with PRC board exams. They use the same system in Electrical Engineering Board exam, they use the quota system.

When you get your own certificate of eligibility, you have the option to change your picture with the same format, which will be permanently attached to your certificate because the Civil Service dry seal will be pressed on your picture..