Civil Service Exam 2024 Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT): Application, Eligibility, and Schedule

The Civil Service Exam 2024 Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) is a critical examination for individuals aspiring to enter the civil service in 2024. This article will provide you with an in-depth guide on how to prepare for this challenging test and increase your chances of success.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced the schedule of the Civil Service Exam – Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) for the Year 2024 at Regions I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, XII, NCR, CAR, Caraga, and BARMM through Examination Announcement No. 05 series of 2023. The 2024 CSE for these regions will be held on March 3, 2024.

What is the Civil Service Exam 2024 (CSE-PPT)?

The Civil Service Exam 2024, commonly referred to as CSE-PPT, is an assessment conducted by the government to select individuals for various civil service positions. It is an essential step for those who dream of serving their country through government employment. The CSE-PPT assesses candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to ensure that they meet the standards required for government service.

Why is the CSE-PPT Important?

The CSE-PPT is a vital gateway to a rewarding career in the civil service. Here are some key reasons why it holds such significance:

Qualifications and Eligibility

Before delving into the exam details, it’s crucial to understand who is eligible to take the CSE-PPT. Candidates must meet specific qualifications, which typically include being a citizen of the country, having no criminal record, and meeting age and educational requirements.

CSE Exam Format and Syllabus

The CSE-PPT consists of three papers, each designed to evaluate different skills and competencies. Let’s explore the format and syllabus of each paper:

Paper 1: General Knowledge

This paper tests your general awareness of current events, history, geography, and other essential knowledge areas. It assesses your ability to stay informed about the world around you.

Paper 2: English Proficiency

Strong English language skills are crucial for effective communication in the civil service. This paper evaluates your proficiency in grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and essay writing.

Paper 3: Numerical Ability

Government work often involves dealing with numbers and data. This paper assesses your mathematical skills, including arithmetic, algebra, and data interpretation.

Who Can Take the Civil Service Exam?

The Civil Service Exam is a crucial step for those aspiring to work in government positions in the Philippines. To ensure a fair and qualified pool of candidates, the Civil Service Commission has established specific eligibility criteria that applicants must meet. Here’s a detailed overview of who can take the Civil Service Exam:

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to take the Civil Service Exam, applicants must meet the following qualification requirements:

1. Filipino Citizen

Applicants must be Filipino citizens to be eligible for the exam. This requirement ensures that government positions are primarily filled by citizens of the country.

2. Minimum Age Requirement

Applicants must be at least 18 years old on the date of filing their application. This age requirement ensures that candidates have reached a certain level of maturity and responsibility.

3. Good Moral Character

Candidates must possess a good moral character. This criterion reflects the importance of integrity and ethical conduct in government service.

4. No Conviction of Certain Crimes

Applicants should not have been convicted by final judgment of crimes related to drug addiction, drunkenness, dishonesty, moral turpitude, and/or examination irregularity. This ensures that individuals with a history of criminal misconduct do not hold government positions.

5. Pending Criminal or Administrative Cases

Candidates with pending criminal or administrative cases can still take the exam and be conferred civil service eligibility if they pass. However, if they are later proven guilty, their eligibility can be forfeited as part of the penalties indicated in the decision of existing Civil Service Law.

6. Honorable Discharge for Previous Government Workers

If the applicant previously worked in the government, they must not have been dishonorably discharged or dismissed from military service or a civilian position. This requirement underscores the importance of maintaining a good employment record.

7. Three-Month Exam Interval

Applicants should not have taken the civil service exam, whether through the pencil and paper test or computerized examination, within the last three months before the examination date. This ensures that candidates have adequate time to prepare and prevents multiple attempts in quick succession.

8. Dual Citizenship

Filipinos with dual citizenship may also apply and take the civil service exam if they present the original and submit a copy of the Certification of Retention/Re-acquisition of Philippine Citizenship from the Bureau of Immigration. This provision acknowledges the status of dual citizens who wish to serve their country.

Civil Service Exemption: Who Is Exempted From the Civil Service Exam?

Are you interested in a government job but worried about passing the Civil Service Exam? You’re not alone. While the civil service exam is a common pathway to government employment, there are several exemptions available for those who meet specific criteria. In this article, we’ll explore who is exempted from the Civil Service Exam and how they can achieve civil service eligibility through alternative routes.

Exemption Categories

The Civil Service Commission grants 11 different eligibility categories to qualified individuals, automatically exempting them from taking the exam. Let’s delve into these categories:

1. College Graduates with Bar or Licensure Board Exam Success

a. Bar Exam Passers: Individuals who have successfully passed the bar examination administered by the Supreme Court.

b. Licensure Board Exam Passers: Those who have passed licensure board examinations administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

2. Barangay Health Workers

Barangay health workers with college degrees (at least 2 years of college education) who are accredited by the Local Health Board and have voluntarily served their community for a minimum of 5 years.

3. Barangay Nutrition Scholars or Volunteer Workers

Individuals who have rendered at least 2 years of continuous nutrition services and related activities in their community, such as family planning, mental feeding, backyard food production, sanitation, and community health.

4. Barangay Officials

Barangay officials who have completed their terms of office, including elected officials such as the Barangay Captain, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman, Sangguniang Barangay regular members, and Barangay Treasurers and Secretaries appointed by the Barangay Captain.

5. ICTO Proficiency Test Passers

Those who have successfully completed training courses or proficiency tests in Systems Analysis and Design and/or Computer Programming courses (Visual Basic, Java, or MS Access) conducted by the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO).

6. Latin Honors Graduates

Individuals who graduated with Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude) from reputable foreign schools verified by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

7. Latin Honors Graduates in the Philippines

Graduates with Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude) from reputable private educational institutions or state/local colleges or universities in the Philippines.

8. Sanggunian Members

Those who have served as vice mayor and vice governor, as well as regular Sanggunian Members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The level of government position they are eligible for depends on their years of service as a Sanggunian Member and the number of units they completed to earn a bachelor’s degree.

9. Science and Technology Specialists

Specialists who earned a bachelor’s degree in an accepted field of specialization and furthered their intellectual pursuits through a master’s/doctorate or by gaining at least three years of continuous research/teaching experience.

10. Skilled Workers

Skilled workers who have completed at least 1 year of very satisfactory work performance. Their qualifications are not measurable by written tests and include roles such as laboratory technicians, plumbers, draftsmen, carpenters, shrine curators, plant electricians, automotive mechanics, and heavy equipment operators.

Veteran Preference Rating Eligibility (VPRE)

Apart from the categories mentioned above, veterans and their dependents can benefit from the Veteran Preference Rating Eligibility (VPRE). Under VPRE, veterans, their spouses, and children can receive an additional 10 points added to their failed exam rating, provided it is not lower than 70. This advantage can be crucial for obtaining civil service eligibility even if they initially fail in the following examinations:

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

Read More: Understanding Philippine Salary Grade 2023: A Comprehensive Guide

When is the Exam?

Here is the detailed schedule and deadline of application for March 2024 Civil Service Exam (Professional and Subprofessional levels), courtesy of CSC.

Testing Centers

Qualifications for Getting CSE?

The Civil Service Examination is open to all Filipinos who want to be eligible and work at local government positions.

CSE-PPT for both professional and subprofessional levels is an eligibility test to gauge the examinees’ preparedness in working with the government.

Here are the specific qualifications posted by CSC:

1. Must be Filipino citizen;
2. Must be of good moral character;
3. Must have not been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude, or disgraceful or immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs;
4. Must have not been dishonorably discharged from military service or dismissed for cause from any civilian positions in the government;
5. Must be at least 18 years of age on the date of filing of application.
6. Must have not taken the same level of Career Service Examination, regardless of mode, within the last three (3) months before the date of examination.

Take note of the following additional reminders:

• Approval of applications may be recalled any time upon discovery of applicant’s disqualification, for which the examination fees paid shall be forfeited.
• Applicants holding dual citizenship under R.A. 9225 may apply for and take the examination upon presentation of original and photocopy of Certification of Retention/Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship from the Bureau of Immigration, and meeting of all the other admission and application requirements for the examination.
• Applicants with pending administrative and/or criminal cases may take the examination and shall be conferred the eligibility if they successfully pass the same. However, this is without prejudice to the outcome of their pending cases. If they are found guilty, their eligibility shall be forfeited based on the penalties stated in the decision and under existing Civil Service Law and Rules.
• The Bar examination given by the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Board examinations given by the Professional Regulation Commission are declared civil service examinations under Republic Act (RA) No. 1080. Accordingly, and as set forth in CSC Resolution No. 90-1212, Bar and Board examinations passers are automatically considered as civil service eligibles. Along this line, based on RA No. 10635, passers of the examination for marine deck and engine officers given by the Maritime Industry Authority are considered as falling under the contemplation of RA No. 1080. Thus, they may opt not to take the Career Service examination anymore.
• Also, the following individuals may opt not to take the Career Service examination anymore:
  • > Passers of Career Service Examination for Foreign Service Officer as the resulting Career Foreign Service Officer Eligibility is comparable to the Career Service Professional Eligibility
  • > Grantees of the following eligibilities under special laws and CSC issuances, which are comparable to the Career Service Professional Eligibility:
    • Honor Graduate Eligibility under P.D. 907
    • Scientific and Technological Specialist Eligibility under P.D. 997
    • Sanggunian Member Eligibility (2nd Level) under RA No. 10156
    • Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility under CSC Resolution No. 1302714
    • Veteran Preference Rating Eligibility (Professional) under EO No. 132, s. 1948 and EO No. 790, s. 1982; and/or
• Grantees of the following eligibilities under special laws and CSC issuances, which are comparable to the Career Service SubProfessional Eligibility:
  • Barangay Official Eligibility under RA No. 7160
  • Barangay Health Worker Eligibility under RA No. 7883
  • Barangay Nutrition Scholar Eligibility under P.D. 1569
  • Sanggunian Member Eligibility (1st Level) under RA No. 10156
  • Veteran Preference Rating Eligibility (Sub-Professional) under EO No. 132, s. 1948 and EO No. 790, s. 1982

Application Requirements

1. APPLICATION FORM: Fully accomplished application form (CS Form No. 100, Revised 2016). Download the form here. The ‘Signature’ and the ‘Right Thumb mark’ as per CSC shall be left blank as this will be accomplished in the presence of CSC representative/ processor.

2. ID PICTURES: Four (4) pieces of ID photos printed in good quality photo paper, Passport size, colored with white background, with handwritten name tag showing the signature over printed full name format. In the photo studio, just tell that the photo is to be used for Civil Service application, they already know the specifications.

Meanwhile, here are the detailed specifications:

• Taken within the last three (3) months before the filing of an application
• Philippine passport picture size (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm or 1.78” x 1.38”)
• Coloured, with white background and printed on good quality photo paper
• Must be in a standard close-up shot (from shoulder level up with the head and face occupying at least 80% of the picture and with the name tag positioned at approximately 1 inch or 2.54 cm. below the chin)
• Must be in the bare face (with no eyeglasses, coloured contact lenses, or any accessories that may cover the facial features (facial features not computer enhanced)
• Must show the left and right ears
• Must be taken in full-face view, directly facing the camera, with neutral facial expression and both eyes open
• Must have handwritten (not computer-generated) name tag legibly showing signature over printed full name in the format: First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name, and Extension Name, if any.

3. VALID ID with clear picture and Date of Birth and signature:
   Original and photocopy of any of the following accepted I.D. cards for civil service exams:
   • a. Driver’s License Card/Temporary Driver’s License (LTO O.R. must be presented together with old Driver’s License; O.R. alone is not allowed)/Student Driver’s Permit;
   • b. Passport;
   • c. PRC License Card;
   • d. SSS I.D. Card;
   • e. GSIS I.D. Card (UMID);
   • f. Voter’s I.D. Card /Voter’s Certification;
   • g. BIR/Taxpayer’s I.D. Card (ATM type/TIN card type with picture);
   • h. PhilHealth I.D. Card (must have the bearer’s name, clear picture, signature and PhilHealth number);
   • i. Company/Office I.D. Card;
   • j. School I.D. Card;
   • k. Police Clearance/Police Clearance Certificate (with picture);
   • I. Postal I.D. Card;
   • m. Barangay I.D. Card;
   • n. NBI Clearance;
   • o. Seaman’s Book;
   • p. HDMF Transaction I.D. Card;
   • q. PWD I.D. Card;
   • r. Solo Parent I.D. Card;
   • s. Senior Citizen’s I.D. Card;
   • t. CSC Eligibility Card; or
   • u. Philippine Identification (PhillD1) Card.Note:
     1. All other I.D. cards not included in the above list shall not be accepted.
     2. As a last resort, expired I.D. card may be presented/submitted during filing of examination application, provided that the expiry date of the I.D. card is within CY 2024.
4. NSO BIRTH CERTIFICATE: if the ID of the applicant doesn’t contain the birth date, he/she shall bring the authenticated birth certificate.

• For applicants without date of birth in their I.D. card/s, original and photocopy of Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office) or the Local Civil Registry printed on Security Paper (SecPa).
• For applicants holding dual citizenship under R.A. 9225, original and photocopy of Certification of Retention/Re-acquisition of Philippine Citizenship issued by the Bureau of Immigration.

5. EXAMINATION FEE: 500 pesos

Where to Get Application Form and How to File Application?

Step 1: Where to get the Application Form

You can find the application form, which is called CS Form No. 100, in a few different ways. It’s designed to be easy to get, and you don’t need to be a genius to do it.

• Option 1: You can get the application form at any CSC Regional or Field Office. They’re easy to find.
• Option 2: If you’re good with technology, you can download the form from the official CSC website, www.csc.gov.ph. It’s easy to use, and you can print it on legal-size paper.

Step 2: How to File the Application

Once you have your application form, you need to know how to submit it. It’s important to understand this process, but don’t worry, it’s not complicated.

• Step 2.1: Contact the CSC Regional Office (CSC RO) or CSC Field Office where you plan to take the exam. They will provide you with all the necessary details and instructions for submitting your application.
• Step 2.2: Each office may have different methods for submitting applications, so you should reach out to them to find out the best option for you. They will guide you through the process.
• Step 2.3: To make things easier, you can find a complete directory of CSC Regional and Field Offices all over the country on the CSC Website (www.csc.gov.ph). This way, you can easily find their contact information and locations.

Transfer of Testing Center

You can ask to change your testing center if you have a good reason, like moving to a new home or job.

The CSC RO/FO will decide if your reason is good enough.

You need to write a letter explaining why you want to change your testing center, and include proof of your reason and a copy of your application receipt.

You must send this letter to the CSC RO/FO where you applied for the exam, either by email or courier, within five working days after the application deadline or by January 10, 2024.

After this deadline, you cannot ask to change your testing center.

So, it’s important to choose the right testing center when you apply for the exam.

Examination Coverage

The March 2024 CSE-PPT, both for Professional and Subprofessional levels covered the following topics:

Passing Grade for CSE

The examinee shall obtain an 80.00% general rating to pass the examination.

Target Release of Test Results

The List of Passers shall be posted on the CSC Website, www.csc.gov.ph, by May 12 2024.

Examinees can generate their examination rating through the OCSERGS or the Online Civil Service Examination Result Generation System, which can also be accessed through the CSC Website by 19 May 2024 or as indicated in the corresponding issuance/advisory.

Professional and Subprofessional Eligibility

The Career Service Professional Eligibility is the eligibility obtained by passing the CSE (Professional) exam.

This eligibility applies to both first-level (clerical) and second-level (technical) positions in the government, including executive/managerial positions in the second level, which do not involve the practice of a profession and are not covered by special or other laws.

On the other hand, the Career Service SubProfessional Eligibility is obtained by passing the CSE (SubProfessional) exam.

This type of eligibility is only appropriate for first-level (clerical) positions in the government that do not involve the practice of a profession and are not covered by particular/other laws.

Frequently Asked Questions for Civil Service Exam 2024

Updates on CSE 2024

To keep updated on the official results of the March 2024 Civil Service Exam CSE-PPT, we advise our visitors to bookmark this page, visit the CSC official website, follow us on our social media pages via Facebook and Twitter or join the member’s discussions at our Facebook Page.

References

1. CSC: When is the exam, Testing Centers, Qualifications for getting CSE, Application Requirements, Where to Get Application Form and how to File Application, Transfer of Testing Center, Examination Coverage, Passing Grade, and Target Release of Test Results (CSC Exam Announcement 05 s. 2023 _ Conduct-of-2024-0303-CSE-PPT ) Retrieved Date: October 16, 2023
2. https://www.csc.gov.ph/examination-advisories/exam-announcements-no-04-s-2023