Shannon R. Turlington - Master The Civil Service Exam: Targeted Test Prep to Jump-Start Your Career

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Master the Civil Service Exams gives you a structured, step-by-step tutorial program that can help you master all the basics. It covers all the key points and gives you the practice you need to score high on your civil service exam.

Master the Civil Service Exams is written for civil service candidates who want to prepare for their exam in the smartest way possible but whose study time is limited. This book is for you if:

• You know that youll get the most out of a structured, step-by-step tutorial program that takes the guesswork out of test preparation.
• You want to prepare on your own time and at your own pace, but you dont have time for a preparation program that takes weeks to complete.
• You want a guide that covers all the key points you need to know but doesnt waste time on topics you dont absolutely have to know for the exam.
• You want to avoid taking risks with this all-important exam by relying on beat the system guides that are long on promises but short on substance.

• Part I gives you a quick overview of important facts you need to know about the civil service job market and whether you must take an entry-level exam to qualify. Youll learn where to get job information; how to apply for federal, state, and municipal positions; and what to expect on a civil service exam. Youll also get some general test-taking tips that will help you score higher on test day.
• Part II focuses on the concepts and strategies youll need to know for the verbal sections of most civil service exams. Youll cover grammar and usage, spelling, synonyms, sentence completions, verbal analogies, and effective expression as they are assessed on civil service exams. Youll also learn the fundamentals of reading comprehension, judgment, observation and memory, and mechanical aptitude skills. At the end of each chapter, youll apply what you learned to civil servicetype practice exercises.
• Part III teaches you the ins and outs of alphabetizing and filing, clerical speed and accuracy, and typing and stenography. Here, too, youll find skill-building practice exercises.
• Part IV focuses on the arithmetic covered on most civil service exams. Youll review fractions and decimals, percents, ratio and proportion, graphs and tables, and arithmetic reasoning in preparation for your test. Youll learn strategies for solving each question type, and youll sharpen your skills by working through practice exercises.
• Part V contains four full-length practice tests that are as close as you can get to the real thing. Take them under timed conditions and youll experience just how it feels to take an actual civil service exam. Two of the practice tests give you a great opportunity to gauge your progress and focus your study in key areas, including English grammar and usage; spelling; synonyms; sentence completions; verbal analogies; reading comprehension; judgment, communication, and memory; and mechanical aptitude. Two additional practice tests will help you prepare for the Municipal Office Aide and Senior Office Typist exams. As you finish each exam, check your answers against the answer key and read the explanation for each question you missed.
• The Appendixes provide additional information about some of the most sought-after civil service jobs available at local, state, and federal levels. Appendix C also provides a list of government positions for which you must take and pass a civil service exam.

Once you have read and worked through this intensive, focused preparation program, youll be more than ready to score high on your civil service exam, and you will be a more attractive applicant for the position youre seeking.

Master the Civil Service Exams is designed to be as user-friendly as it is complete. To this end, it includes several features to make your preparation more efficient.

Overview
Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics covered in the chapter. This will allow you to quickly target the areas in which you are most interested.

Bonus Information
As you work your way through the book, keep your eyes on the margins to find bonus information and advice. Information can be found in the following forms:

Note
Notes highlight need-to-know information about the civil service exams, whether its details about applying for a position, how scores are tallied, or the structure of a question type.

Tip
Tips provide valuable strategies and insider information to help you score your best on the civil service exams.

Alert!
Alerts do just what they sayalert you to common pitfalls and misconceptions you might face or hear regarding the civil service exams.

Youve made the decision to work for the federal government or for your state or local government and have taken a very important step in that process. Master the Civil ServiceExams will help you score high and prepare you for everything youll need to know on the day of your exam and beyond it. Good luck!

The federal government is the nations largest employer. It employs more than 2.7 million civilian workers in the United States and an additional 100,000 civilian workersone-half of whom are U.S. citizensin U.S. territories and other countries. Government occupations represent nearly every kind of job in private employment, as well as some jobs unique to the federal government, including regulatory inspectors, foreign service officers, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents. Many civilian federal employees are employed through the legislative branch (Congress, the General Accounting Office, the Government Printing Office, and the Library of Congress) and the judicial branch (the Supreme Court and the U.S. Court system). By far the greatest number of federal civilian employees work for the executive branch.

Categories of Federal Jobs

Nearly every occupation in the private sector is also represented in the federal civil service. If you are seeking a career in government service, you will probably be able to put to use the skills youve already acquired. Heres a quick look at the major categories of federal positions:

• Professional. These positions require knowledge in a specialized field, usually acquired through college-level or postgraduate education. Among those filling these positions are engineers, accountants, attorneys, biologists, physicists, and chemists.
• Administrative and managerial. Employees in these positions are responsible for overseeing contracts with the private sector and purchasing goods and services for the government. Positions include contract specialists, budget analysts, purchasing officers, claims examiners, product control specialists, administrative assistants, personnel officers, and IRS officers.