CODESP Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which of the following BEST supports a student's self-determination skills? → Teaching the student to set goals, make choices, and advocate for their own needs
2. In CODESP practice, a 'bona fide occupational qualification' (BFOQ) defense allows an employer to use which otherwise prohibited criterion? → Sex or national origin when genuinely necessary for normal business operations
3. Which job analysis approach is most suitable when a new job is being created and no incumbents exist to survey? → Supervisor SME panels combined with future-oriented job analysis
4. In classical test theory, a person's observed score is defined as: → True score plus measurement error
5. In content validity studies for selection tests, the link between test content and job content is established primarily through: → Systematic job analysis identifying critical KSAOs
6. What is the primary purpose of a performance appraisal in a public sector merit system? → To provide a basis for personnel decisions and employee development
7. An employer uses a 'multiple hurdles' selection approach, which means: → Candidates must pass each successive assessment to continue in the process
8. A clerk must arrange the following numbers in ascending order for a numeric filing system: 1092, 1029, 1209, 1092, 1290. Which sequence is correct? → 1029, 1092, 1092, 1209, 1290
9. A jurisdiction administers a written knowledge test and discovers it has disparate impact on a minority group. Which action should the jurisdiction take FIRST? → Conduct a validity study to determine if the test is job-related
10. $3,458.47 subtracted from $9,821.60 is closest to which of the following? → $6,363.07
11. An agency screens 400 male and 200 female applicants and passes 320 males and 120 females. What is the adverse impact ratio? → 0.75
12. In the context of reference checks, a structured reference interview is preferred because it: → Provides consistent, job-related questions asked of all references
13. Which type of validity evidence examines whether test scores correlate with an external criterion measured at the same time? → Concurrent validity
14. When evaluating whether a cognitive ability test is appropriate for a clerical position, which evidence is most directly relevant? → Job analysis showing cognitive demands of clerical tasks
15. In the context of CODESP-aligned hiring, what does 'validity evidence' primarily support during recruitment? → Demonstrating that selection tools predict job performance
16. A clerk is asked to send a letter to 125 people. Envelopes cost $4.80 per box of 50. How many boxes must be purchased, and what will the cost be? → 3 boxes, $14.40
17. To ________ trainees to participate and to help them learn more, trainers will want to take steps to create a safe learning ________. → encourage; environment
18. A student with autism spectrum disorder becomes upset during a transition between activities. What is the BEST first response for a paraeducator? → Use a visual schedule or timer to prepare the student for upcoming transitions
19. The primary purpose of a 'test plan' in developing a civil service examination is to: → Map test items to job-relevant KSAOs with specified weights and item counts
20. Use the chart below: According to the May Library Summary, what percent of the total number of items borrowed were cassettes and videos? → 28.57%
21. A selection test shows high validity for a sample of incumbents but poor validity for a sample of applicants. The MOST likely explanation is: → Range restriction in the incumbent sample inflated the coefficient
22. Which metric BEST measures the effectiveness of a sourcing channel in a merit-based recruitment system? → Yield ratio of qualified candidates advancing from the channel
23. When setting performance standards for a classification, CODESP guidelines emphasize that standards should be SMART. What does the 'M' in SMART stand for? → Measurable
24. A student with a learning disability struggles with reading comprehension. Which accommodation would MOST directly support this student? → Providing the student with text-to-speech software or read-aloud support
25. A city HR department wants to increase applications from bilingual candidates for a community liaison role. The MOST effective strategy is to: → Translate the job announcement and post in language-specific community media
26. Recency error in performance appraisal occurs when: → A supervisor bases ratings primarily on events close to the evaluation date
27. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), when must an employer provide a reasonable accommodation during the selection process? → When a qualified applicant requests it, unless it causes undue hardship
28. When a test battery includes both a cognitive ability test and a structured interview, and the two are combined into a total score, this practice is known as: → Compensatory combination
29. The 'selection ratio' is defined as: → The number hired divided by the number of applicants
30. Which document provides the official written description of the duties, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications for a job class in a public agency? → Class specification