Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE 371) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A supervisor says: 'Flag all files with status PENDING or ESCALATED. Do not flag CLOSED or UNDER REVIEW files.' Which action is correct?

Flag all files regardless of status to be safe.
Flag a file marked ESCALATED and do not flag one marked CLOSED. (Correct answer)
Do not flag a file marked PENDING because it is not urgent.
Flag a file marked UNDER REVIEW because it needs attention.

Correct answer: Flag a file marked ESCALATED and do not flag one marked CLOSED.

ESCALATED = flag. CLOSED = do not flag. Option C correctly applies both rules.

Question 2: Think about the subsequent series: 23, …, 31, 37. <br> What number is missing?

28
34
29 (Correct answer)
26

Correct answer: 29

The sequence 23, ..., 31, 37 consists of prime numbers. A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. The prime number that comes directly after 23 and before 31 is 29. Therefore, 29 is the missing number in the sequence.

Question 3: If a clerk types 65 words per minute, how many words can she type in 45 minutes?

2,925 (Correct answer)
3,050
2,700
2,825

Correct answer: 2,925

65 × 45 = 2,925 words.

Question 4: Identify the antonym of 'LOQUACIOUS':

Talkative
Garrulous
Verbose
Reserved (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Reserved

Loquacious means tending to talk a great deal, so its antonym is reserved, meaning restrained or quiet.

Question 5: Compared to black fish, silver fish can swim more quickly. Compared to black fish, the gold fish can swim more quickly. Compared to silver fish, the gold fish can swim more quickly. The third statement is: if the first two claims are accurate.

True
False
Uncertain (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Uncertain

The first two statements establish that both silver fish and gold fish are faster than black fish. However, they provide no information to compare the speeds of silver fish and gold fish relative to each other. Gold fish could be faster, slower, or the same speed as silver fish, based solely on the given premises. Therefore, the third statement is uncertain.

Question 6: Think about the sequences 6, 12, 24, and 48. <br> What figure should come after that?

96 (Correct answer)
60
86
48

Correct answer: 96

This is a geometric sequence where each number is obtained by multiplying the previous number by 2. Starting with 6: 6 * 2 = 12, 12 * 2 = 24, and 24 * 2 = 48. Following this pattern, the next number in the sequence will be 48 * 2 = 96. Therefore, 96 is the next figure.

Question 7: A colleague drafted: 'The committee will meet on Tuesday, March 12th, at 10 a.m. in the morning.' What is wrong with this sentence?

'in the morning' is redundant with 'a.m.' (Correct answer)
'March 12th' should be 'March 12.'
'a.m.' should be 'AM' in formal documents.
The sentence needs a direct object.

Correct answer: 'in the morning' is redundant with 'a.m.'

'a.m.' already means 'in the morning,' so 'in the morning' is redundant and should be removed.

Question 8: List 1: Pelletier, Ouellette, Tremblay, Bouchard, Gauthier. List 2: Pelletier, Ouellette, Tremblay, Boucher, Gauthier. What changed?

Pelletier was replaced.
Ouellette was changed.
Gauthier was replaced.
Bouchard was changed to Boucher. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Bouchard was changed to Boucher.

Bouchard (List 1) became Boucher (List 2) — a subtle one-letter difference.

Question 9: Which sentence uses the word 'affect' correctly?

The affect of the policy was immediate.
She tried to affect a calm expression poorly.
The new law will effect employees negatively.
Budget cuts will affect public services. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Budget cuts will affect public services.

Affect is typically used as a verb meaning to influence or have an impact on something, used correctly in option A.

Question 10: What is an 'appropriation' in government budgeting?

An executive order directing agency spending
A loan from the Treasury
A tax increase approved by Congress
Congressional authorization to spend money (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Congressional authorization to spend money

An appropriation is a legislative act authorizing the executive branch to spend a specified amount of money for a designated purpose.

Question 11: You are asked to copy this reference number exactly: GC-2026-NAT-007-EN. Which option is correct?

GC-2026-NAT-070-EN
GC-2026-NAT-007-NE
GC-2026-NAT-007-EN (Correct answer)
GC-2026-NTA-007-EN

Correct answer: GC-2026-NAT-007-EN

Only option A reproduces GC-2026-NAT-007-EN exactly.

Question 12: If a government project is 60% complete and has used $720,000 of its budget, what is the total estimated project budget?

$900,000
$1,200,000 (Correct answer)
$1,000,000
$1,440,000

Correct answer: $1,200,000

If 60% = $720,000, then 100% = $720,000 ÷ 0.60 = $1,200,000 total budget.

Question 13: A citizen contacts your office upset and uses aggressive language on the phone. What is the most appropriate response?

Match the citizen's tone to assert authority.
Remain calm, acknowledge their frustration, and try to de-escalate the conversation. (Correct answer)
Hang up immediately to protect yourself.
Transfer the call without explanation to avoid the situation.

Correct answer: Remain calm, acknowledge their frustration, and try to de-escalate the conversation.

Staying calm, acknowledging feelings, and de-escalating is the professional standard for difficult public interactions.

Question 14: All information is useful information. Some websites are of little use. Some websites lack informative content. The third statement is: if the first two claims are accurate.

True (Correct answer)
False
Uncertain

Correct answer: True

If 'All information is useful information,' and 'Some websites are of little use,' then those 'little use' websites must contain something other than useful information, or lack useful information. Therefore, it logically follows that 'Some websites lack informative content' because if they contained useful information, they wouldn't be of little use. The conclusion is a direct consequence of the premises.

Question 15: What comes next in the series? 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, ___

72
60
56
64 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 64

Perfect squares: 1², 2², ..., 7²=49, 8²=64.

Question 16: Which of the following words is spelled correctly?

Receive (Correct answer)
Receeve
Recive
Recieve

Correct answer: Receive

'Receive' follows the rule 'i before e except after c,' placing the 'e' before 'i' after the letter 'c'.

Question 17: Which of the following words is spelled correctly?

Neccesary
Neccessary
Necesary
Necessary (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Necessary

'Necessary' has one 'c' and two 's' letters: n-e-c-e-s-s-a-r-y.

Question 18: Memo: 'Overtime must be pre-authorized by a manager. Unauthorized overtime will not be compensated. Exceptions may be made in cases of emergency operations declared by the department head.' An employee worked overtime during a declared emergency without prior manager authorization. Will they be compensated?

No, because the department head must also authorize the overtime personally.
No, because all overtime requires manager pre-authorization.
Maybe, if they request compensation within 30 days.
Yes, because declared emergencies are an exception to the rule. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Yes, because declared emergencies are an exception to the rule.

The memo contains an exception for emergency operations declared by the department head. This exception applies here.

Question 19: Think about sequences 26, 24, 20, and 14. <br> What figure should come after that?

12
10
6 (Correct answer)
8

Correct answer: 6

Analyze the differences between consecutive numbers: 26 - 24 = 2, 24 - 20 = 4, 20 - 14 = 6. The differences are increasing by 2 each time (2, 4, 6). Following this pattern, the next difference should be 8. Subtracting 8 from the last number in the sequence gives 14 - 8 = 6. So, 6 is the next figure.

Question 20: What is the next number? 2, 6, 18, 54, ___

162 (Correct answer)
144
180
108

Correct answer: 162

Each term is multiplied by 3: 54×3=162.

Question 21: A clerk must process 480 records in 8 hours. If she works at a constant rate, how many records should she complete in the first 3 hours?

210
120
150
180 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 180

Rate = 480 ÷ 8 = 60 records per hour; in 3 hours = 60 × 3 = 180 records.

Question 22: Choose the correctly spelled word from the options below.

Separate (Correct answer)
Seprate
Seperate
Seperrate

Correct answer: Separate

'Separate' is spelled with an 'a' in the middle: s-e-p-a-r-a-t-e.

Question 23: Which of the following is NOT a proper way to handle confidential government documents?

Limit access to authorized personnel only
Shred when no longer needed per retention policy
Leave on a shared desk when stepping away (Correct answer)
Store in a locked cabinet

Correct answer: Leave on a shared desk when stepping away

Leaving confidential documents on a shared desk is a security violation; confidential materials must always be secured when not in use.

Question 24: What is the role of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)?

To write federal agency regulations
To classify government positions by pay grade
To hire all federal employees
To hear appeals from federal employees regarding adverse employment actions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To hear appeals from federal employees regarding adverse employment actions

The MSPB is an independent agency that hears and adjudicates appeals by federal employees who believe they have been subjected to unlawful actions.

Question 25: A government memo states: 'All travel claims must be submitted within 30 days of travel completion. Claims submitted after this deadline will not be reimbursed unless approved by the Director.' An employee submitted a claim 45 days after travel. What applies?

The claim deadline can be extended by any manager.
The claim will not be reimbursed under any circumstances.
The claim may be reimbursed with Director approval. (Correct answer)
The claim will automatically be reimbursed.

Correct answer: The claim may be reimbursed with Director approval.

The memo states late claims are not reimbursed 'unless approved by the Director,' meaning Director approval is a valid exception.

Question 26: A region has 15,000 registered voters. Turnout is 62%. How many voters turned out?

9,000
8,800
9,300 (Correct answer)
9,500

Correct answer: 9,300

15,000 × 0.62 = 9,300.

Question 27: A pie chart shows that 35% of government employees work in administration, 25% in operations, 20% in finance, and 20% in legal. If there are 4,000 employees total, how many work in operations?

800
1,200
1,000 (Correct answer)
1,400

Correct answer: 1,000

25% of 4,000 = 0.25 × 4,000 = 1,000 employees work in operations.

Question 28: There are 28 blue pencils and 7 black pencils in a box. <br> How many black pens are there compared to blue pens?

2:7
1:8
1:4 (Correct answer)
1:9

Correct answer: 1:4

To find the ratio of black pens to blue pens, we compare the number of black pencils (7) to the number of blue pencils (28). This gives a ratio of 7:28. To simplify, divide both numbers by their greatest common divisor, which is 7. This results in a simplified ratio of 1:4.

Question 29: Rules: 'Documents received before noon are processed same day. After noon, next business day. If received on a Friday after noon, processed the following Monday.' A document arrives Friday at 2:30 p.m. When is it processed?

Friday
Monday (Correct answer)
Sunday
Saturday

Correct answer: Monday

Friday after noon triggers the specific rule: processed the following Monday.

Question 30: What does the term 'fiscal year' mean in the context of the U.S. federal government?

July 1 to June 30
April 1 to March 31
January 1 to December 31
October 1 to September 30 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: October 1 to September 30

The U.S. federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30 of the following calendar year.

Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE 371)

The PSEE 371 is the Canadian federal government's officer-level aptitude test used for public service hiring, assessing reasoning ability and professional judgment across five cognitive domains including number series, logical reasoning, memory, general knowledge, and situational judgment.

Questions

45 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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