Civil Service Exam Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Civil Service Exam facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Choose which sentence contains an error. → No error.
2. Compare the given information and choose the correct answer. → NONE of them are the same.
3. The ratio of male employees to female employees in a bureau is 5:3. If there are a total of 1,200 employees, how many female employees are there? → 450
4. The closest meaning for the word FABRIC is __________. → Textile
5. The closest meaning for the word CHILD is __________. → Offspring
6. The concept of 'due process of law' appears in which amendments to the Constitution? → Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments
7. Which revision best improves: 'The manager told the supervisor that she needed to review her report before the deadline.' → The manager told the supervisor to review the supervisor's report before the deadline.
8. He used an extra layer of silicone glue to reinforce the windows glasses. REINFORCE most nearly means: → Strengthen
9. Compare the given information and choose the correct answer. → FIRST and SECOND information are the same.
10. A bar chart shows permit applications received quarterly: Q1=320, Q2=480, Q3=410, Q4=390. What was the percentage increase in applications from Q1 to Q2? → 50.0%
11. Your department is implementing a difficult new computer system. Several colleagues are struggling too. What is the best approach? → Request additional training for yourself and interested colleagues
12. Republic Act 9485, also known as the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 (ARTA), was enacted primarily to achieve what objective? → To promote transparency and improve the efficiency of government service delivery.
13. Choose the word pair that best completes: 'The auditor found the records to be _____ maintained, with _____ discrepancies between reported and actual figures.' → meticulously / negligible
14. If the statement 'All filed complaints must be investigated within 30 days' is true, which of the following must also be true? → If a complaint was filed, it must be investigated within 30 days.
15. Who is the team leader of the group that is assigned on Monday night shift? → Top
16. A government employee earns $28.40/hour for the first 40 hours and 1.5x for overtime. If they work 47 hours in one week, what is the gross pay? → $1,434.20
17. All supervisors must complete ethics training. Maria is a supervisor. Which conclusion can be logically drawn? → Maria must complete ethics training.
18. Benefits cost $850/employee/month. If the workforce grows from 340 to 385 employees, what is the additional ANNUAL cost? → $459,000
19. Choose which sentence contains an error. → She traveled because it cost the same as teraphy and was a lot more enjoyable.
20. Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, which of the following disclosures would be protected? → Reporting evidence of gross waste of government funds to the Inspector General
21. The closest meaning for the word WANDERER is __________. → Nomad
22. INDEFATIGABLE is to TIRE as INDOMITABLE is to ______. → CONQUER
23. A data table shows a city's population grew from 125,000 in 2015 to 148,750 in 2023. What was the percentage increase over this period? → 19.0%
24. Which group is assigned on Wednesday night? → Betta
25. WATER is to THIRST as MEDICINE is to __________. → Sickness
26. Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct. → Either the department head or the managers have approved the report.
27. Under most civil service systems, which of the following is a valid reason for bypassing a candidate who scored highest on a civil service examination? → The candidate has a documented disqualifying criminal conviction related to the position
28. The new regulations will significantly ______ the agency's daily operations, and the primary ______ will be an increase in required documentation. → affect, effect
29. Compare the given information and choose the correct answer. → ALL three information are alike.
30. What is the closest meaning for the word REPRIMAND? → Rebuke