Texas Civil Service Exam Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Texas 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. Which leadership style is most appropriate when supervising highly experienced employees who require little direction? → Delegative, because experienced and competent employees can work with greater autonomy
2. What is the purpose of a job task analysis in civil service employment? → To identify the specific tasks, knowledge, and abilities required for a position
3. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct and most clearly written for an official report? → After reviewing all proposals, the committee has made its decision.
4. Complete the following number series: 5, 8, 12, 17, 23, ___ → 30
5. When a supervisor delegates a task to an employee, which of the following remains the supervisor's responsibility? → Accountability for the overall outcome of the delegated task
6. If you drive a car at an average speed of 28.5 miles per hour, how many hours will it take you to travel a distance of 91.2 miles? → 3.2 hours
7. Which of the following is the best example of positive reinforcement in employee management? → Publicly recognizing an employee for consistently exceptional performance
8. A supervisor reviews an incident report and finds a sentence with a pronoun error. Which sentence needs correction? → Each officer must complete their own daily activity log.
9. When documenting a disciplinary action, which of the following is most important to include? → Specific facts, dates, and the direct impact of the employee's conduct
10. A truck that weighs one ton is subject to a tax of $0.11 per pound. What is the total amount of tax money that is due? → $220
11. How much will the month of July's oil production be worth if it drops by 22% month over month in production? → $1,151,280
12. In the year 2025, if Blackpool had 50,000 people working, what would the percentage of employed to unemployed people be? → 10:1
13. Which of the following best describes 'mentoring' in the workplace? → An experienced employee guiding a less experienced employee's professional development
14. If Gear 1 turns clockwise as indicated by the arrow, which direction will Gear 4 turn? → Clockwise
15. What does 'unity of command' mean in organizational management? → Each employee should receive orders from only one supervisor at a time
16. An administrative clerk can type 60 words per minute. How long will it take the clerk to type a 5,400-word report? → 1 hour and 30 minutes
17. Which of the following best describes 'span of control' in organizational management? → The number of subordinates a supervisor can effectively manage
18. Which type of internal communication travels from lower-level employees upward to management? → Upward communication
19. Select the word that correctly completes the following sentence: The new city ordinance will _______ the process for obtaining a construction permit. → affect
20. Imagine the flat pattern shown is folded into a cube. Which of the answer choices represents the final assembled cube? → A cube showing the Plus, Star, and Triangle faces meeting at one corner.
21. In civil service personnel management, what is the primary purpose of a probationary period? → To allow the employer to observe and evaluate the new employee's performance
22. What was the cost per click ratio for Google in April compared to the cost per click ratio for Facebook and Yahoo in February? → 1 : 1.11
23. What is the primary purpose of in-service training programs for civil service employees? → To maintain and improve employee knowledge and skills needed for current job duties
24. How many more DVDs were sold than movies in theaters in year 5 if ticket prices went down by 5% but sales of movies on DVD went up by 8%? → 9,300
25. A police department's budget for fuel was $120,000 last year. This year, the budget was increased by 5%. What is the fuel budget for this year? → $126,000
26. What does 'chain of command' refer to in a civil service organization? → The line of authority extending from the highest to the lowest rank in the organization
27. Which sentence expresses the idea most concisely and professionally? → All employees must attend the mandatory meeting on Friday.
28. To lift the 100 lb weight, which of the four pulley systems shown requires the LEAST amount of pulling force from the user? → System C
29. Which of the following is explicitly forbidden by Chapter 143 from being part of a competitive promotional examination? → An oral interview.
30. A lever is positioned with a fulcrum as shown. To lift the heavy box with the least amount of effort, where should the downward force be applied? → Position 4