The Career Service Examination or more commonly known as the Civil Service Exam is a professional qualifications exam in the Philippines for people planning to become civil servants. On this page, we will talk about everything you need to know about the exam such as:
What is the Philippine Civil Service Exam?
The Civil Service Exam is a qualification exam that Filipinos must pass if they want to work for the Philippine Government. It is held two times a year and managed by the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines.
Civil Service Exam Passing Rate
The Philippine Civil Service Exam is one of the professional exams with the lowest passing rate. This is due to the complexity of the exam, the diversity of the background of the test takers, and the sheer number of examinees that take the exam every year. In March 2022, out of the 70,833 test takers, only 12,179 passed the CSE. This means that the March 2022 exam only had a 17.19% passing rate. This passing rate is lower than both the previous LET and the Bar exams.
- March 2022: 17.19%
- June 2022: To Be Announced
Types of Civil Service Exam
The Philippine Civil Service Exam is of two types. The type of exam that you need to pass will depend on the job type you want to apply for in the Philippine Government. Most clerical jobs require only the Sub-professional CSE. These types of jobs are officially called Level 1 jobs.
In contrast Level 2 jobs are the ones that require higher levels of decision-making. If you want to apply and be promoted to these types of jobs, you may need to take the Professional CSE.
Professional CSE versus SubProfessional CSE
Aside from the types of jobs that you can get after passing the exam, these two types of exams also differ in their coverage. Here are their difference in terms of coverage:
Professional Civil Service Exam Coverage:
- Verbal Ability
- Numerical Ability
- Analytical Ability
- General Information
SubProfessional Civil Service Exam Coverage:
- Verbal Ability
- Numerical Ability
- Clerical Ability
- General Information
When is the next Civil Service Exam?
There are two Pen-And-Paper-Test Civil Service Exams held every year in the Philippines. For 2023, the march exam has just concluded last March 26.
The next scheduled CSE is on August 13, 2023. The application will start in May 2023, and end by June 2023. To be alerted when the next exam is announced, please follow our Facebook Page.
Schedule of CSE Exam and Application for 2025:
March Civil Service Exam Schedule:
- Next Exam: March 2, 2025
- Start of Application Period: November 19, 2025
- End of Application: January 3, 2025
- Releasing of Results: July 13, 2025
August Civil Service Exam Schedule:
- Exam Date: August 10, 2025
- Start of Application Period: May 12,2025
- End of Application: June 11, 2025
- Releasing of Results: October 18, 2025
What are the Civil Service Exam (Career Service Exam) Requirements and Application Steps?
How to Apply:
- Go to the nearest Civil Service Commission Office You may go to their office from Mondays to Friday between 8AM and 5PM
Who are allowed to apply?
- Filipino Citizen, at least 18 years old, and of good moral character.
- Has no criminal record, or has not been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude.
- Has not been dishonorably discharged from military service, or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government.
- Has not taken the same level of career service examination within three (3) months from the last examination taken.
2. Submit the Requirements
- 4 Philippine Passport Size Photos
- Original and Photocopies of one of the following IDs:
- Passport
- Driver’s License
- SSS ID
- GSIS ID
- Philhealth ID
- Current Company/Office ID
- Current School ID
- Postal ID
- BIR ID (TIN)
- Barangay ID
- Voter’s ID
- Police Clearance
- Registration CS Form 100 (Available Here)
- Do not affix your signature on the form above until told to do so by the CSC officer.
3. Pay the Registration Fee at the Cashier
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