Benjamin B.

The civil service exam is a comprehensive exam given to those who want to become a civil servant, a term often used to refer to a professional job in government. Passing the exam is a prerequisite to many government jobs at the local, state and federal levels. These civil service jobs may each require a different civil service exam, depending on the situation. Questions are generally split between those related to general knowledge and academics, as well as specific knowledge requirements based on the job. The general knowledge portion of the civil service exam will cover things such basic arithmetic and possibly even advanced arithmetic, depending on the job. These questions may be particularly suited to money handling or word problems based on different jobs. Interpretation of graphs and statistics may also be a portion of the test, especially for those going into fields that are more analytical in nature, such as finance and government accounting jobs. The civil service exam will also focus a great deal on language skills, especially English. Those interested in taking the exam should make sure they understand the basic concepts of grammar, can spell adequately, and write a composition well. These basic skills are required in every civil service exam.