If you’re about to take the CSE this coming August, then you’re probably wondering how to pass the Civil Service Exam easily. The answer lies in your preparation in the coming months.

Whether you’re looking to top the Civil Service Exam or are curious how to pass it in one take, read on and find out the proven, tested, and effective methods you can apply during your review.

How To Prepare For The Civil Service Exam

Your preparation for the Civil Service Exam is something you should take seriously.

While you may read comments online saying they only reviewed for a day and passed, the same may not apply to you.

Remember, the man well-equipped for battle has a higher chance of emerging victorious. So, if you’re wondering how to pass the Civil Service Exam, the answer lies in your preparation.

How To Pass The Civil Service Exam: A Step-By-Step Guide

Here are some practical tips you can apply in your preparation for the upcoming Civil Service Exam (from the point of view of someone who’s taken and passed it in one take):

Find Out The Subjects Covered In The Civil Service Exam

While this may be basic, most people overlook this step and jump straight to studying.

However, if you’re unaware of the subjects covered in the exam, you might end up reading for hours, only to find out that what you’re studying isn’t even included in the exam.

So what are the topics on the Civil Service Exam? The subjects covered in the Civil Service Exam Professional Level include:

General Information (Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Employees, and current events)
Word Analogies
Logical Reasoning
English (Grammar, Paragraph Organization, Reading Comprehension)
Filipino
Mathematics

Meanwhile, the subjects covered in the Civil Service Exam Subprofessional Level include:

General Information (Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Employees, and current events)
Clerical Operations
English (Grammar, Paragraph Organization, Reading Comprehension)
Filipino
Mathematics

Plan Your Review Schedule

Another thing that may seem basic, but as we’ve been reiterating, if you want to know how to pass the Civil Service Exam, you must first ask how you should properly prepare.

Creating a study plan and preparing a review schedule means counting the number of days left you have before the exam and dividing it as follows:

5 to 7 days for every subject you find difficult (for instance, if Math is your weakest subject, then start reviewing it first)
3 to 4 days for every subject you already have mastery on
1 day for taking a practice test (use a questionnaire to practice shading, and don’t forget to time yourself).

Do not depend solely on answering questions – ensure you understand the important concepts. We used about 12 books during our review; no similar questions appeared in the exam.

This proves that mastering the concepts is more effective than memorizing the questions.

Review At Least 2 To 3 Hours A Day

Reading at least 2 to 3 hours a day gives you an advantage over someone who doesn’t bother reviewing at all.

If you’ve seen people saying that they only reviewed a day or two before the exam, then their foundation of the subjects might already be strong, and the same may not apply to you.

Even so, you will benefit from reviewing daily, especially if you are unfamiliar with some of the concepts in the scope of the exam.

Take A Practice Test

As mentioned above, taking a practice test is essential to be familiar with shading the choices. You should also time yourself while taking a test.

Note that the exam proper for the Civil Service Professional Level has a time limit of 3 hours and 10 minutes, and the Subprofessional Level with 2 hours and 40 minutes.

You can practice exactly how you will be shading the circles and develop a technique so that the procedure wouldn’t feel “new” or “unfamiliar” to you during the exam day.

Watch YouTube Videos And Join Facebook Groups

That’s right – if you’re having trouble understanding some of the concepts, you can watch YouTube videos explaining how to answer certain types of questions.

You can also check Facebook groups.

There is a wide community of Civil Service Exam takers, and some dedicate time to answering questions and helping those about to take the Civil Service Exam.

You can also ask previous exam passers questions on how to pass the Civil Service Exam and nitpick which among their study procedures you think would be effective, considering your own study habits and review schedule.

Rest Early

Rest early on the night before the Civil Service Exam so that you can have ample time in the morning to travel to your designated school (which you can find at ONSA).

What Should I Study Before Civil Service Exam?

It depends on the type of exam you’ll be taking.

If you are about to take the Civil Service Exam Professional Level, then make sure to review the following:

General Information

This includes the Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Employees, and current events.

Word Analogies

These are vocabulary problems that consist of a pair of keywords. For instance, tree: leaf, flower: _____.

You would have to choose from a list of 4 possible answers. Pay close attention to the first pair of words given to solve the missing word.

In this case, the answer would be flower: petals.

Logical Reasoning

In logical reasoning, you would need a logical level of analysis to arrive at the answer to the problems. This usually includes “If/Then” and “And/Or” statements.

Note that this differs from Abstract Reasoning, which uses photographs of patterns.

English (Grammar, Paragraph Organization, Reading Comprehension)

If you’re wondering how to pass the Civil Service Exam, I suggest you build your English vocabulary by learning at least 50 new words and their meanings daily.

Aside from that, practice reading long passages fast and getting their gist in one go.

Filipino

Be familiar with the proper word usage and the meanings of some deeply rooted Tagalog words.

Mathematics

Lastly, don’t skimp on your Math practice tests. Answer age and distance problems, and be familiar with solving fractions and percentages.

If you’re taking the Civil Service Exam Subprofessional Level, you should study the following:

General Information (Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Employees, and current events)
English (Grammar, Paragraph Organization, Reading Comprehension)
Filipino
Mathematics

These are almost the same as the previously mentioned topics above, except for one subject:

Clerical Operations

Clerical Operations generally refer to day-to-day office tasks like answering phones and entering data into spreadsheets.

In this regard, make sure to study questions related to using computers and alphabetizing names in different circumstances.

Is The CSC Exam Difficult?

It depends on how you’ll look at it. Statistically, the Civil Service Exam Professional Level has a low passing rate of 11% to 17% every exam period.

In fact, the Civil Service Exam Professional Level held last March 2023 only had a 16.42% passing rate. So why do some people say the Civil Service Exam is easy?

It is simply because they might have had a strong foundation in the subjects back in High School, which also explains why they can pass even with just a week’s review.

Some fail the CSC Exam because they either lack the necessary foundation, have shaded the answer sheet without checking the total number of items (there are only 170 questions), or solved Math problems at the back of their answer sheets.

The CSC Exam tests not only one’s knowledge but how well they can follow instructions. Take note – you cannot solve problems in your answer sheet; you can use your test booklet instead.

FAQs

Which subject is most important for Civil Service?

All subjects are equally important in the Civil Service exam, so we suggest focusing on the subject you find most difficult first.

If you have a good foundation in all subjects, we recommend focusing on English (widening your vocabulary and answering paragraph organization questions).

It will also help if you solve Math problems daily.

How long should I study for CSC?

It depends if you have a mastery of the subjects in High School, but to ensure you are truly prepared; we recommend studying at least 2 to 3 hours daily.