What is the Civil Service Exam Subprofessional level?
The Career Service Examination, Subprofessional level, is the Civil Service Commission (CSC) exam for first-level government posts such as clerical, trades, crafts and custodial work. Pass with a general rating of at least 80.00 and you earn subprofessional eligibility. Filipino citizens aged 18 or over may apply, and no degree is required.
The exam format
| Body | Civil Service Commission (CSC) |
|---|---|
| Mode | Paper-and-pencil test at CSC testing centres |
| Passing rate | General rating of at least 80.00 |
| Fee | ₱500 |
| Who can apply | Filipino citizens at least 18 years old on the filing date |
| Length | Commonly reported as 165 items in about 2 hours 40 minutes. The CSC announcement does not state it. |
| Language | General information in English. Verbal ability in English and Filipino. |
What the exam covers
- General information: the Philippine Constitution, RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards), peace and human rights, and environment management and protection.
- Verbal ability (English and Filipino): vocabulary, grammar and correct usage, and reading comprehension.
- Clerical ability: filing (alphabetical, numerical and chronological order) and spelling. This part appears only at Subprofessional level.
- Numerical ability: basic operations, number sequences and word problems.
The August 2025 Subprofessional exam had 29,647 examinees, and 14.73% passed, according to the CSC.
Free official resources, and what we add
The CSC publishes the exam announcement, coverage and results, and the Constitution and RA 6713 can be read free online. There is no official question bank. Our 102 original questions follow the official coverage, give clerical filing and spelling their own sections, include Filipino items, and explain every answer with its rule or source.
How to prepare
- Read the latest CSC examination announcement for dates, requirements and testing centres.
- Learn the filing rules: surname first, letter by letter, and 'nothing before something'.
- Drill commonly misspelled words such as accommodate, necessary and separate.
- Review the Bill of Rights, Article IX-B on the civil service and the eight norms of conduct in RA 6713.
- Practise numerical items by hand, including fractions, percentages and number sequences.
- Take timed sets and review every explanation for the questions you missed.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
The Supreme Court is composed of:
- a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices
- fifteen Associate Justices who elect a Chief
- a Chief Justice and fourteen Associate Justices
- a Chief Justice and twelve Associate Justices
Answer: C, a Chief Justice and fourteen Associate Justices. Article VIII, Section 4(1) provides that the Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and fourteen Associate Justices. Source: 1987 Constitution, Art. VIII, Sec. 4(1).
COURTEOUS most nearly means:
- proud
- polite
- punctual
- brave
Answer: B, polite. A courteous person is polite and respectful. Source: standard English usage.
The list of applicants ______ posted on the bulletin board.
- are
- were
- is
- have
Answer: C, is. The subject is 'list', which is singular; 'of applicants' only describes it. So the verb is 'is'. Source: subject-verb agreement.