The Civil Service Exam is a test of an individual’s knowledge and skills in various areas, including English, Mathematics, and General Knowledge. We recommend reading the following articles to know more about the exam and learn key strategies that will help you make big improvements during the actual tests.
- Definite Guide to Civil Service Exam
- 5 Researched-Based Techniques to Pass the CSE
- How to Remember Better: A Study Tip
Overview of the Civil Service Exam (CSE)
CSE is utilized at every level of government — local or national. The objective of the exam is to establish a Register of Eligibles (RoE) which will make successful examinees civil service eligibles. This is a requirement if you want to work in any of the Philippine government agencies and offices. The exam has 2 levels: professional and sub-professional.
Professional Level
The professional level of the civil service exam has 170 multiple-choice questions that need to be completed within 3 hours and 10 minutes. Here are the topics that may be included in the CSE Professional Level:
- Vocabulary
- Grammar and correct word usage
- Organization of ideas
- Analysis/Synthesis
- Reading comprehension
- Word Analogy
- Data interpretation
- Logic and abstract reasoning
- Numerical reasoning
- General information on the Philippine Constitution, code of conduct, peace and human rights issues, and environmental management
Sub-Professional Level
The sub-professional level of the civil service exam has 165 multiple-choice items that need to be completed within 2 hours and 40 minutes. Familiarize yourself with the following topics:
- Vocabulary
- Grammar and correct word usage
- Organization of ideas
- Analysis/Synthesis
- Clerical Ability
- Spelling
- Numeral reasoning
- General information on the Philippine Constitution, code of conduct, peace and human rights issues, and environmental management
CSE Reviewer 2024
Get a sense of the CSE testing question sets and formations with these practice tests. This will allow you to check which areas you need help with the most and identify knowledge gaps and strengthen these areas to increase the chances of success on the exam. The review materials we compiled in this article are for both the Professional and Sub-Professional levels.
Mathematics
The Mathematics subtest contains questions on topics ranging from basic operations to business math problems. Also included is a 20-item Data Sufficiency to help you improve your analytical ability and critical thinking skills.
| CSE Math Reviewer | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics – Part 1 | 40 items |
| Mathematics – Part 2 | 35 items |
| Data Sufficiency | 20 items |
Inductive Reasoning
This subtest is all about solving problems given limited information. They may also be referred to as abstract reasoning tests or diagrammatic style tests. These tests measure the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar information and find solutions.
| Inductive Reasoning Reviewer | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Inductive Reasoning | 50 items |
Philippine Constitution, General Information, and Current Events
This CSE review material about the constitution aims to refresh your knowledge of the highest law of the land which is essential as a citizen of this country.
| Philippine Constitution Reviewer | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Constitution | 30 items |
| General Information | 30 items |
English
The English subtest has questions on alphabetizing and paragraph development aside from the questions on vocabulary, analogy, correct usage, and reading comprehension.
| CSE English Reviewer | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Alphabetizing | 20 items |
| Synonyms | 40 items |
| Antonyms | 40 items |
| Single-word Analogy | 40 items |
| Double-word Analogy | 40 items |
| Paragraph Development | 10 items |
| Grammar and Correct Usage | 40 items |
Filipino
Filipino subtest has questions on talahulugan (vocabulary) which is divided into three subtests: kasing-kahulugan, kasalungat, and kawikaan.
| CSE Filipino Reviewer | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Kasing-Kahulugan | 25 items |
| Kasalungat | 25 items |
| Mga Wikain | 25 items |
| Wastong Gamit | 30 items |
| Pagtatalata | 10 items |
Final thoughts
The CSE review materials above are identical in style and form that the Commission will give. It’s an important test that requires preparation. Always look for high-quality test reviewers and space out your study schedule until your testing day.
