[TIPS] Civil Service Exam - FREE Download CSC Reviewers (UPDATED)

Looking for tips on passing CSC exam? And be a successful CSE passer! BONUS: FREE CSC Reviewer 2018!

If you are here, being a CS Passer is a tough one. Many have no idea about it and may ask something like this:

What are the privileges and benefits of being one of the CSE passers? 

Civil Service eligibility is mandatory in the Philippine government.

Disclaimer:   I give tips and resources. I am working for CSC but with another government agency. 

INTRODUCTION

What does the CSC abbreviation mean? What are its functions and administers? Why do we(especially government employees) NEED to pass the CSC Exam? Is it essential? 

How do you pass the civil service exam? These are a few common questions. We will answer that later on. 

Passing the Civil Service Examination (CSE from CSC) is challenging. Expect to see some modifications of examination style patterns, and one should not expect exact similarities from the previous exam.

The examination has different approaches, though (Different patterns in the exam schedule). 

The passing rate of 80% of the exam is difficult to pass. This is why the Civil Service Test/Exam is tagged as a prestigious test/exam in the Philippines.

Check your room and school assignment - Online Notice of Assignment.

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Statistics

Chances are high if you have good analytical skills and vast general knowledge. You will pass the exam.

20%

If you don't know the answer, you will get 20%. Your chance of getting a correct answer is 1 out of 5.

It is not about options. It is about how you study.

Introduction

What Is CSC?

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is a government body-owned agency whose sole purpose is to manage members to become public servants.

CSC Mandates the following:

The Civil Service Commission was conferred the status of a department by Republic Act No. 2260 as amended and elevated to a constitutional body by the 1973 Constitution. It was reorganized under PD No. 181 dated September 24, 1972, and again reorganized under Executive Order no. 181 dated November 21, 1986. With the new Administrative Code of 1987 (EO 292), the Commission is constitutionally mandated to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the Civil Service.

One of the mandates of the CSC (Civil Service Commission) is to formulate, administer, and evaluate systems/programs to develop a qualified workforce in the public service.

To be fully qualified to become a REGULAR/Permanent (Plantilla Item/Position) staff in any Government office, you need to take and pass the civil service exam: CS sub-prof or CS Professional (CS Prof is recommended but more complex as compared to sub-proof) held twice in a year. You can check the computer-based exams too. Just check every once in a while.

Take note: If you have already passed the BAR(Lawyers), CPA(Accountants), and other professional board exams, then you are highly qualified to work in public offices.

However, if you graduated on non-board exams (like me, an IT graduate), you must pass the CSC examination by crook or hook!

Furthermore, CSC offers examinations in two(2) tests: the Sub-Prof and Professional exams twice a year. (Usually, it will take in October or April/May month unless otherwise, it will update on its social media outlets).

Passed for Future Work in Government Agencies

Passing the Civil Service Test/Exam is not just for your self-achievement( which proves that you are keen to pass it or test your IQ) and your career path. It will allow you to be employed by government agencies in the Philippines.

The benefits of being a passer of the Philippine Civil Service Examination (CSE)

If you are currently employed as a job order/contractual/casual status in a Government agency, you have a higher chance of getting a permanent plantilla position. Thus, you will enjoy promising privileges and benefits like salary increases, employee leaves, bonuses, gifts and incentives, and promotions. Sounds great, right?

However, it is sad to note that being a PASSER does not necessarily guarantee being immediately hired or appointed in our government system. *sigh* Unless you have a network of people or relatives in that office, or you know someone that will help you (so-called BACKER).

As Ramon Bautista quipped something like:, Keys to success: sipag, tiyaga, at kakilala (BACKER). Funny, but it's sad and damn accurate!

GENERAL INFORMATION about CAREER SERVICE EXAMINATION (CSE)

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE CAREER SERVICE EXAMINATION (CSE)

• Career Service Professional and Sub-professional examinations are open to applicants regardless of educational attainment.

The CSE-PPT for Professional and SubProfessional levels is open to Filipino citizens at least 18 years old when filing an application, regardless of educational attainment.

Take note: CSC has given info that any FILIPINO Citizen can file the application if he/she is 18 years old, even if you are not in college or have any 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 career service examination within three (3) months from the last examination taken.

The CSC clarifies that there is no longer a limit on taking the Career Service Examinations. An individual may continuously take the exams regardless of the number of times they fail, provided that the examinee takes the same level of examination once every three months.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Fully accomplished Application Form (CS Form No. 100 (Revised September 2016)). The “Signature of Applicant” and “Right Thumbmark” spaces on the form should be left blank. These shall be accomplished in the presence of the CSC processor.

2. Four (4) copies of identical I.D. pictures with specifications, as follows:

• a. Philippine Passport size (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm or 1.8 inches x 1.4 inches)
• b. Colored, with a white background
• c. Taken within three (3) months before the filing of the application
• d. Printed on high-quality photo paper
• e. In a standard close-up shot (from shoulder level up with the head and face occupying at least 80% of the picture and with the name tag positioned at approximately 1 inch or 2.54 cm below the chin)
• f. In bare face (with no eyeglasses or any accessories that may cover the facial features)
• g. Showing left and right ear
• h. Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
• i. With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
• , j. With complete and handwritten (not computer-generated) name tag in the format: First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name, and Extension Name (if any), and signature over printed name

3. Original and photocopy of any valid ID containing the applicant’s clear picture, date of birth, signature, and signature of the authorized head of the issuing agency such as Driver’s License, SSS ID, GSIS ID, Philhealth ID, current Company/Office ID, current School ID, Postal ID, BIR ID, Barangay ID, Voter’s ID, Valid Passport, or Police Clearance (Note: Any other ID not included in the list shall NOT be accepted)

IDs lacking information, particularly the applicant’s date of birth, should be supported by an NSO-issued Birth Certificate or Birth Certificate authenticated/issued by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR).

4. Copy of the Appointment letter received by the applicant through email (for Computer Assisted Test)

5. Examination fee of Php 500.00 for the Paper and Pencil Test (PPT), or Php 600.00 for Computer-Assisted Test (CAT).”

SCOPE OF EXAMINATION

• Professional Level

In English and Filipino: vocabulary, grammar, correct usage, paragraph organization, reading comprehension, analogy, logic, and numerical reasoning.

• Subprofessional Level

In English and Filipino: vocabulary, grammar, correct usage, paragraph organization, reading comprehension, clerical operations, and numerical reasoning.

Both the examination levels will have general information questions on the Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct, Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R. A. 6713); peace and human rights issues and concepts; and environment management and protection.

EXAMINATION RESULT

• 1. CSE-PPT

The CSE-PPT results are usually released forty-five (45) days after the examination. The names of passers will be posted on the CSC website, csc.gov.ph.

Upon presenting the required documents, those who passed the examination must personally claim their Certificates of Eligibility at the CSC Regional Office/Field Office. On the other hand, those who failed the examination may secure a copy of their Rating Report through the CSC website. 

No Report of Rating shall be mailed to those who failed. To ensure a copy of the Rating Report, an examinee must key in his/her name, date of birth, examinee number, examination date, and examination type. Thus, examinees are advised to keep or remember their examinee number until the examination results are received.

• 2. CSE-CAT

Results of the CSE-CAT are usually released within two to three hours after the examination. Examinees are strongly advised to wait for the testing results. Those who passed shall receive their Certificate of Eligibility, while those who failed shall receive their Rating Report. Should an examiner fail to claim/receive his/her examination result on the test day, he/she has to return personally later to claim either his/her Certificate of Eligibility or Report of Rating.

The names of passers of the CSE-CAT examinees are posted on the CSC website by clicking the following link: Online CSE-CAT Result Generation System. A copy of the Notice of Rating (for passers) may also be secured online. However, the Notice of Rating does not replace the Certificate of Eligibility.

Meanwhile, the CSC website may also secure a copy of the Report of the Rating of examinees who failed the examinations. To obtain a copy of the Report of Rating, an examinee must key in his/her name, date of birth, examinee number, examination date, and test type.

CSE PPT Professional Level VS Sub-Prof Level EXAM

• PROF has 170 items, while SUB-PROF only has 165 items
• PROF lasted 3 hours while SUB PROF only two hours and thirty minutes
• PROF examination covers vocabulary, grammar, correct usage, paragraph organization, reading comprehension, analogy, logic, and numerical reasoning. At the same time, SUB-PROF has spelling and clerical operations and HAS NO ANALOGY and LOGIC.

COMEX EXAM

You can try this online using COMEX: CSC Computer Examination.

{{UPDATES}}

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• I would like to greet those who passed the exam and who are not!

TESTIMONIALS (PART 1: Screenshots)

 Added FILES

• Vocabulary.pdf
• Avocabulary.pdf
• Value and Ethics of Public Responsibility. pptx
• Analogies practice test.pdf
• rulesimplementingthecodeofconductandethicalstandardsforpublicofficialsandemployees-ppt-110925074101-phpapp01.pptx
• Three-Step Method for Solving Analogies Problems.pdf

Added some Math PDF files for a complete review of Math formulae and more practice exercises.

• A Handbook of Essential Mathematical Formulae (PDF)
• Business Math for Dummies (PDF)
• Essential Mathematical Methods 1 (PDF)
• Google Drive updates its GUI

{old}. Now, this is the sample file I will share here. It's an outdated screenshot, but it works well.

Once you are a passer, you can get a CoE (Certificate of Eligibility) here: How to get a certificate of eligibility.

• Like this Facebook page for hints, tips, and other related topics to CSC Exam CSC Reviewer Key Tips Hints
• It also posts exercises to improve your Math problem Skills, Vocabulary, general knowledge, and Grammar.
• Congratulations to all CSC Passers who took the exam last April 06, 2014 :)
• CSC Results for April 06, 2014, PPT: CSC EXAM Results in 2014 April

TESTIMONIALS(PART 2)

• Added some related documents for CSC Reviewer 2014

• I would like to congratulate those who passed the CSE-PPT exam on October 13, 2013. For those who did not make it, there is still much time and chance. Be prepared for the next exam. Lastly, I am overwhelmed and happy with the result, in which I helped and contributed in small ways. Some of them thank me. I feel warm-hearted. Congrats!

How to download Ebook in Google Drive

Now Available Soft Copies:

• Philippine Civil Service Reviewer 2015
• For excellent Tutorials, Practical Tests, and Exams - visit civilservicereview.com.
• Added English Grammar Ebook Collection
• Added: FULL Texts SONA 2013 (PDF FILE - English and Tagalog version)
• Added RA6713.pdf
• Added: Oxford and necessary Synonyms pdf
• I said New MSA PDF Files.
• Civil sService Pointersreviewer

Testimonial continuation
Good afternoon, po!

It's too late already, but thank you again, sir, for the review you gave me. I passed the April 2013 CS exam professionally. May you continue to bless everyone, especially those taking the Civil Service Exam. GOD BLESS YOU MORE, SIR.
Sent from Samsung tablet

~Mica

The passer is not "guaranteed" to become a REGULAR Employee, Too (sad but true)

Remember that a passer does not guarantee 100% to become one of the government office's permanent employees. 

It is interesting to note that being one of the eligible passers does not guarantee you will be hired by government agencies. There are many factors to consider, too: the less expectation, the Better.

My Experience. A Second Taker is pretty good, after all.

I took the Civil Service Exam the second time; I was surprised when I passed it last October 21, 2012. Oh, it's a miracle! Funny and shocking, I can't believe it, but it pays for the effort and sacrifices I put into my studying sessions. Anyway... I'm thankful for passing the exam; now, I am eligible for one. At this point, I want to share some tips you need to make an extra effort to follow.  Try and Try until you succeed.

Before that, you must know some crucial facts to prepare for the upcoming test and be a successful passer.

Things you need to know

Preparations

• You need to pass an 80% passing rate. High %, right? 
• Exam will take three(3) hours; that's 60 mins/hr x 3hrs = 180mins
• The test questionnaire has 180 items, 10-15 free(personal information), and ten blanks. So, it makes a total of 160 items. I calculated the total items over the total time of 180 minutes.  It's roughly 0.87 minutes per item, but some items take time, especially reading comprehension and Math problems. You MUST have 3-5mins to answer it.
• Career service professionals and subprofessionals have almost the exact scope of examination in English and Filipino, including reading comprehension, synonyms, antonyms, logic, grammar and correct usage, paragraph organization, spelling, and analogy. Math: Word problems, interest, percent, sales, linear, algebra, graphs, and general information, including the Philippine Constitution (R.A. 6713), Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Peace and Human Rights Issues and Concepts, and Environment Management and Protection.
• Exams will definitely start at 8 AM Sunday.
• If you are taking a Computer-Aided Test, it is synchronized nationwide, but you need to answer quickly. ( No need to shade answers, which makes it faster and easier)

You must prepare for it, calculate a time to answer items, and study the exam's scope.

TIPS to HELP you PASS the Civil Service Examinations

Before EXAM

• Review, review, and review. You need to take it seriously. Your future is at stake here. To pass the exam, better review, and study smartly. You can try without reviewing, too; just focus on the stored stock knowledge.

Good News! I will share some soft copies with you here. Click it => CSC Reviewer 2017.  

• Study Resource Materials. As much as possible, you need to collect more resources here, like newspapers, hard copies, books, reviewers, photocopies, magazines, soft copies, and internet information. I also have resources: newspapers, reviewers, internet freedom information, books, and photocopies. I did not pass my first take, and I got a low rating of 66%. Whoa! It was devastating and morally degrading, but I was encouraged by my colleagues not to lose hope here. Like anyone else, they failed, too. Tip: If you did not pass, try to make it an inspiration to study and review more.
• Pray, but don't just rely on it. As many religious people would say, God will help you if you allow yourself first. Do your best, and God does the rest. You need to be realistic, too, here. If you are not serious about reviewing, you will have a slight chance of passing the exam. Remember, it is a good factor in a better future. It is useless if you just rely on faith without hard work. It must be FAITH and HARD WORK.
• Practice more, and it will be PERFECT. Some of us really hate MATHEMATICS, right? Start to love it.  Just like anything else, it will go with the flow. For the sake of your future, you need to sacrifice. Practice every day. Solve problems at least 5-10 word problems daily. Doing all these things will familiarize you with the problems and situations of the examination day. Heck, don't memorize at all. Just familiarize yourself with the concepts and principles of math, like PEMDAS( parentheses, exponent, multiply, divide, add, subtract in order), solve word problems, explain the unknown, formulas, percent, etc. Sometimes, the first instinct is the correct answer. Trust your instinct. Indeed, the first impression lasts. If you have the first impression of the specific option, select it. Your mind (subconscious) thinks it is correct because, at some point, you already encountered it in the past(to your practice) without even solving it. If you have lots of time, you had better review it. But the duration is fast and feels short, so you need to answer as quickly as possible. 

Image: www.dreamstime.com

• Exercise your body and mind. A study shows that exercise will make you 10% smarter. Of course, scientifically, your blood flows well in circulation, which gives your brain more oxygen and can improve the ability to store information, retrieve it fast, and analyze it better. Like me, I did gym exercises: it boosts mental alertness.

Image: www.weightymatters.ca

• Use the Internet effectively. Instead of sitting there for almost 20/7 hours and just doing nothing. Read online news on ph.yahoo.com, vocabulary.com(I played there and found it more valuable and enjoyable), dictionary.com, and Google.com(search math problem samples, tips, tricks, English grammar usage, etc.)

Image: atlantiswebmarketing

• Use Android/iOS Apps Effectively. Install useful apps like a dictionary. I recommend the English Tagalog app, Merriam-Webster Dictionary; you can search for it in the Play Store. play.google.com. 

• Eat breakfast(Don't skip it). Fasting is good, but you don't need to skip a meal, especially breakfast, as a taker. 

Image: need motivation

• Eat Chocolate instead of Junk food. Chocolate(incredibly dark) has been known to boost mind power and alertness. Eating Chocolate also helps to sharpen thinking skills. Thus, studies say Chocolate is good for the heart and soul.

Image: expatandthecity

• Drink Coffee. If you are not a coffee lover, try eating Chocolate. Studies have shown that coffee improves memory capability and speeds up reaction time. According to some research, drinking coffee at least three times daily will boost your mood and cognitive function. Be sure not to overdrink; you will experience a sleep disorder.

Image: lip mag

• Ask previous examiners.  Do not be afraid to ask those previous examiners. They will give tips and points too. Here is the good news; I will share some soft copies if you like. For an offline e-book, CSC reviewer.

• Beauty Sleep. Don't sleep too late at night or early in the morning. Not getting enough sleep makes your body weak.

Image: Alaska sleep

• Take Vitamins. If you do not have time to exercise, just eat a balanced diet and take vitamins and minerals.

Image: Health

• Relax before the day of an exam. Do not overextend your studying session. You do not need a 24hrs review before the exam. Just don't overdo it; your body and brainpower will get tired and exhausted.

WHILE ON TEST

• Prepare things. Prepare your ballpen, mineral water, candy, and yourself, too. Take a good night's sleep and a hot shower in the morning.
• Relax and stay calm. While on your test, panicking will contribute to bad results. 

Image: weheartit

• Be ON TIME. The examination starts at 8 am; ideally, you must check the room number earlier. However, if you don't know your seat and room numbers, look for those numbers as early as 7 am. When I went at 6 am, yes, too early, I wasted time and was exhausted from waiting for 2 hrs standing. So be just in time(JIT in Japanese), and don't be late or too early, or else you will be exhausted.

Image: the-soccer-essentials

• Time is Gold; you need more time. Love takes time, but not on exams; it is a quickie one, though. I have experienced that when I am focused, I forget the time. Just check your watch occasionally and prioritize questions with less difficulty. 

Image: aoao2/deviantart

• Skip harder questions. This is a crucial technique. When you skip questions and plan to answer back, you need to double the time as much as possible. The advantage is there are hints in the following questions.
• Just don't leave blank answers. Ideally, you should not miss any shades(since it is a computerized system, ideally, you must shade all questions)
• Be happy and enjoy the exam. The future is at stake here, but don't take life seriously; remember, if you fail first. There is always a better place for you. :)

AFTER the EXAM

• Be thankful. Thank God and yourself for your hardships and exerted efforts. Just talk to yourself; research shows it is highly recommended because it will improve your thinking skills. (nerd)
• Be optimistic. There is nothing more calming when you think positively. (BUT Nah, I am a pessimist ) 
• Less expectation. Yes, I don't expect the final result.
• Relax and enjoy it!

I would like you to do these things. But one thing is true: I took the exam twice.

I hope you will succeed in passing the Civil Service Examinations and that you have learned something here.

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Last grammar checked updated: March 16, 2025