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Exam orientation lesson

Exam Day: Rules, Scoring and the Examinee Descriptive Questionnaire (EDQ)

What the test covers, how many items count, the Examinee Descriptive Questionnaire (EDQ), what to bring, how to fill out the answer sheet, the 80.00 passing mark and the anti-cheating law.

20 min read · Professional and Sub-Professional

What it is

This lesson is about the exam itself, not a subject: what the CSE-PPT covers, how long it runs, which items are scored, what to bring, how to mark the answer sheet, and what happens after.

These are facts from the CSC Examinee's Guide, not rules you reason with. They are not asked as exam items, but knowing them protects your score.

Why it matters on the exam

Many examinees lose points, or the whole exam, for reasons that have nothing to do with knowledge: arriving after the gate closes, forgetting the right ID, using a gel pen, or erasing an answer. Knowing the procedure removes these risks and lowers your stress.

Important: procedures can change for each exam. Always read the CSC Examination Advisory for the March 2027 exam, which comes out about two weeks before.

Rule 1 of 8What each level covers
Both levels test Verbal Ability (English and Filipino), Numerical Ability and General Information. Professional adds Analytical Ability; Sub-Professional adds Clerical Ability.
Worked example 1 of 3Which items count?
A Sub-Professional examinee wonders how many of her answers are actually graded.
  1. 165
  2. 150
  3. 145
  4. 125
Step 1 · Start from the bookletThe Sub-Professional booklet has 165 items.
Read the full lesson

The rest of this lesson, and every other lesson, is part of ReviewTayo.

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In the full lesson

  • How to recognize it on the test
  • What to look for (4 checks)
  • All 8 rules and tools
  • 3 worked examples, every step explained
  • 5 common mistakes and how to fix them
  • 2 exam techniques
  • Remember: 6 key points
  • Practice questions with explanations, and your progress saved