Civil Service Exam Philippines: What You Need to Know

Serving the country is just one of many callings one may have when venturing into their career in life – whether it is being a public servant, working for the government, or volunteering for non-profits.

It takes a lot of dedication to work in the government – but on the bright side, it also has a lot of benefits that most Filipinos would enjoy, including:

  • Competitive salary
  • Job security
  • Growth in career
  • Salary increases and bonuses
  • Retirement plan

It is no wonder why most Filipinos would love the opportunity to work in public service. If you are one of many aspiring Filipinos who want to take on the job, it’s best to read on!

Working in the government sounds plain and simple. However, there are a few things that need to be done before you even qualify to work in public service – one of which includes passing the Civil Service Exam.

What is the Civil Service Exam?

The Civil Service Exam, or the Career Service Exam, is conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to determine which individuals are deemed fit to work in public service.

According to Civil Service Commission, Regional Office VIII, the Career Service Exam- Pencil and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) for the general public will be on 20 August 2023.

The CSC is one of three constitutional commissions in the Philippines with full responsibility for civil service. This is why the civil service exam is required, as the CSC needs to determine those eligible to work for the government.

Civil Service Exam qualifications

Aspiring applicants must meet the civil service exam qualifications given by the Civil Service Commission before they are allowed to take the exam:

1. The applicant must be a Filipino citizen.

2. The applicant must be at least 18 on the application date.

3. The applicant must have good moral character;

  • He/she must NOT have been convicted by final judgment related to crimes such as dishonesty, moral turpitude, drug addiction, drunkenness, and/or examination irregularity;
  • Applicants who have a pending criminal or administrative case are still allowed to take the exam and can be conferred civil service eligibility if they have passed;
  • On the downside, if proven guilty, the civil service eligibility can be forfeited as indicated in the decision of the existing Civil Service Law;

4. The applicant has previously worked in the government and has not been discharged dishonourably or otherwise dismissed from a civilian position or military service.

5. The applicant has not taken the civil service exam within the last three months before the examination date.

6. Filipinos with dual citizenship can also apply for the exam. All they need to do is submit a copy of the Certificate of Retention/Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship from the Bureau of Immigration.

The CSC strictly implements these rules. Suppose a civil service exam online application has already been processed. In that case, however, grounds for disqualification are found later on, the applicant will be prohibited from taking the civil service exam, and the fees paid shall be forfeited.

Who is exempted from taking the Civil Service Exam?

Even though taking and passing the civil service exam is a requirement from the CSC before aspiring applicants can work for the government, there are other ways to acquire eligibility without taking the exam.

The CSC grants 11 different eligibility categories under special laws that qualify individuals to work for the government and automatically exempt them from taking the civil service exam. The categories are as follows:

1. College graduates who have passed their bar and/or licensure board examinations administered by the Supreme Court and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), respectively.

2. Barangay officials who have completed their terms in office. This includes elected officials from their respective barangays, such as the Barangay Captain, Sangguniang Kabaan Chairman, Sangguniang Barangay regular members, and the Barangay Secretaries and Treasurers, which the Barangay Captain appointed.

3. Health workers in barangays who have completed at least two years of a college education and have voluntarily rendered service in their respective community for at least five years; must be accredited by the Local Health Board.

4. Barangay nutrition scholars or volunteer workers who have voluntarily rendered service regarding nutrition, family planning, mental feeding, sanitation, and backyard food production for at least two years.

5. Those who have taken and passed training courses and/or proficiency exams on Computer Programming and/or Systems Analysis and Design courses (MS Access. Java, or Visual Basic) conducted by the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO).

6. College graduates with Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude) from a state/local college or university or a well-established private educational institution in the Philippines.

7. College graduates with Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude) from a reputable foreign school verified by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

8. Individuals who have served the public as vice mayor and vice governor – as well as Sanggunian Members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Palungsod, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The number of years you have served as a Sanggunian Member and the number of units you have completed to earn your bachelor’s degree will be determinants of the level of government position you will be eligible for.

9. Science and Technology Specialists who graduated with a four-year college degree in any field of specialization and furthered increased their knowledge by pursuing a master’s or doctorate or by acquiring a minimum of 3 years of continuous teaching or research experience.

10. Skilled and dependable workers who accomplished a minimum of 1 year of very satisfactory performance and whose credentials cannot be measured by written tests; mentioned as follows:

  • Draftsmen
  • Carpenters
  • Shrine Curators
  • Laboratory technicians
  • Plumbs
  • Plant electricians
  • Automotive mechanics
  • Heavy equipment operators

A reminder, however, that the eligibility for a specific skill is not equivalent to either a professional or subprofessional career service eligibility.

Also, veterans are worth noting to be entitled to receiving a unique “career service” advantage.

Veterans, their spouses, and children under the Veteran Preference Rating Eligibility (VPRE) can receive 10 points to be added to their failed exam rating, which should not be lower than 70.

Through this, veterans or their dependents can obtain eligibility for civil service even if they fail any of the exams listed below:

  • Penology Officer
  • Fire Officer
  • Career Service Subprofessional
  • Career Service Professional

Civil Service Exam types

Two types of Civil Service Exams are conducted, which would solely depend on the applicant’s eligibility.

Subprofessional Civil Service Exam

For this civil service exam type, once you have passed this exam, you will get the Career Service Subprofessional Eligibility which qualifies you to work in first-level government positions, including clerical, trades, crafts, and custodial work.

First-level positions only require less than four years of a college education. So even if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, as long as you have passed this exam, you are already qualified to work for the government.

The Subprofessional Civil Service Exam covers General Information, Clerical Operations, English, and Mathematics topics. This exam has 165 items and a time allotment of 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete.

Professional Civil Service Exam

Unlike the Subprofessional Civil Service Exam, the Professional Civil Service Exam qualifies for first- and second-level government positions. This Civil Service Exam offers you various clerical and managerial jobs.

However, the Professional Civil Service Exam requires applicants to have graduated from a four-year college course.

This exam covers General Information, Analogies, Logical Reasoning, English, and Mathematics. It has 170 items and a time allotment of 3 hours and 10 minutes to complete.

What are the modes to take the Civil Service Exam?

The Civil Service Exam can be taken in two modes: the Paper and pencil test (CSC-PPT) or ballpen-based, and the Computerized examination (CSC-COMEX).

You can choose which exam mode you would like to take – based solely on whether you find yourself more inclined to the traditional pen-and-paper exams or being more tech-savvy.

Paper and pencil test (CSC-PPT) or ballpen-based

This exam mode is for those more comfortable with the traditional method of answering exams; shading circles, flipping the exam paper, etc.

Computerized examination (CSC-COMEX)

However, you can also take a computer-based exam if it’s more of your forte, which you can pursue through the civil service exam online application. This is also helpful if you want to get the results faster.

Key Takeaway

Hopefully, you now better understand what the Civil Service Exam is all about. If you’re now decided that working for the Philippine government is a career path you want to venture into, you should now understand the requirements and steps you need to take to apply.

You can read further on the step-by-step process for the online application, the documentary requirements, as well as what you will need on the day of your scheduled civil service exam.