Practical Study Guide in Taking Civil Service Exam and Different Type of Test

Table of Contents at a glance

WARNING & DISCLAIMER

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INSIGHTS

OBSTACLES OF PASSING THE EXAMINATION

STUDY TIPS

STUDY STRATEGIES

Macro & Micro Study Strategies

Active Study Strategies

Common Sense Strategies

Pre-Testing Yourself

EXAM PREPARATION TIPS

EXAMINEE’S DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE

A BRIEF GRAMMAR REVIEW

LESSON 1: SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

Rule 1 – A subject and its verb must agree in number

Rule 2 – Compound Subjects

Rule 3 – Indefinite Pronouns are subjects

Rule 4 – Collective Nouns as Subjects

Rule 5 – Mass and Abstract Nouns as Subjects

Rule 6 – Nouns ending in S as subject

Rule 7 – Titles as Subject

Rule 8 – Words of Amount and Time as Subject

LESSON II: AGREEMENT OF NOUN AND ADJECTIVE

Rule 9 - Each, every, either, neither and the words they modify always singular and demand a singular verb

Rule 10 - Many and few are used with plural nouns and demand a

plural verb. Much and little are used only with singular nouns and demand a plural verb.

LESSON III: AGREEMENT OF PRONOUN AND ANTECEDENT

Rule 11 - Use a singular pronoun to refer to a singular antecedent.

Rule 12 - Use singular Pronouns to refer to indefinite

pronouns singular  in meaning.

Rule 13 - Indefinite pronouns plural in meaning demands

plural pronouns to refer to them.

Rule 14 - Who – refers to a person used as Subject or Predicate

Rule 15 - A plural object is used with the prepositional of

phrase after superlative expressions and after each of, one of, etc

LESSON IV: FORMATION OF TENSES WITH HELPING VERBS

Rule 16 - The present form (simple form) of the verb

after the following verbs; may, might, shall, will,

would, must, do, does, did.

Rule 17 - The past participle form is used after have, has, had in

the perfect tense.

Rule 18 - The past participle form is used in the passive voice after

all forms of the verb to be.

LESSON V: USES OF SIMPLE, PERFECT, AND PROGRESSIVE

Rule 19 - The present tense express general truths, present fact,

permanent condition and habitual or frequent action.

Rule 20 - The present perfect tense expresses indefinite past action,

action just completed and action in the past and still going on in a period of time not yet ended.

Rule 21 - The past tense express time past and gone

Rule 22 - The past perfect tense express the time prior to some

other past action in the same sentences or paragraph.

Rule 23 - The future tense expresses time yet to come

Rule 24 - The future perfect tense expresses the first of

two future actions or action that will be completed before a very definite time in the future.

Rule 25 - The progressive tenses emphasize the continuation of the

action of the verb

LESSON V: USES OF PREPOSITIONS

Rule 26 - Use to - for motion

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE.

COMMON ERRORS IN SENTENCE STRUCTURES

SENTENCE ERRORS

A.  Sentence Fragments

B. By Comma Fault/Splice

C. The Fused Sentence

D. Dangling Modifiers

E. Misplaced Modifiers

F. Parallelism

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF COMMON ERROR IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

VOCABULARY

ROOT WORDS

THE USES OF AFFIXES

SYNONYM AND ANTONYMS

VOCABULARY-IN-CONTEXT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF VOCABULARY

VERBAL ANALOGY

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF VERBAL ANALOGY

(Single Word Approach)

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF VERBAL ANALOGY

(Double Word Approach)

SENTENCE COMPLETION

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF SENTENCE COMPLETION

READING COMPREHENSION

Getting the Main Ideas

Understanding the Author’s Intent & Purpose

Distinguishing Fact from Opinion

Reasoning from the Writers Idea and Predicting Outcomes or

Conclusions

Making Comparisons and Contrasts

Understanding Confusing Negatives

Implication and Inference

Study Reading

Reading Outline

Skimming

EXERCISE TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSION

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF READING COMPREHENSION

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF LOGICAL ANALYSIS,

ASSUMPTIONS.

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF LOGICAL ANALYSIS,

CONCLUSIONS.

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION

BASIC MATHEMATICS

I.  The Number System

II.  The Whole Number System

III.  Integers

IV. Fractions

V.  Decimal Numbers

VI. Percent, Percentage, Base, Rate

VII.  Discount

VIII.  Interest

IX. Ratio and Proportion

PROBLEM SOLVING

Short refresh on Mathematical Language or Expression

NUMBER PROBLEMS

AGE PROBLEMS

WORK PROBLEMS

COIN PROBLEMS

MIXTURE PROBLEMS

MOTION PROBLEMS

BUSINESS PROBLEMS

GEOMETRY

UNIT OF MEASURES

POLYGON

PERIMETER

AREAS OF TRIANGLE & QUADRILATERAL

ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE AND SERIES

ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE

ARITHMETIC SERIES

GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE AND SERIES

GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE

GEOMETRIC SERIES

PRACTICE EXAMINATION OF BASIN MATHEMATICS,

PROBLEM SOLVING,  SEQUENCE & SERIES.

NUMBER ANALOGY

ANSWER KEY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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WARNING & DISCLAIMER

While every effort has been made to provide complete, correct information, and to assure the information provided herein, the author cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy and completeness. The information provided is on as-is basis.

The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book.

The author and the publisher is an independent entity from any Civil Service Commission, and not affiliated with Civil Service Commission or any governing bodies in any manner.

DON’T just study the questions and answers. The questions on the actual will be different from the practice drills or practice exams included in this book. The Practice Drills or the Practice Exams is designed to test your knowledge of a concept or objective. This book is designed to learn the objective behind the questions.

INTRODUCTION

It was all started ten years ago, after I passed my civil service exam that I tried to help my brothers, friends, and colleagues to overcome their hurdles in taking the Civil Service exam with a success rate only to 0.1% - 0.3%. By making simple handouts—as study guide for I still remember the outline and the objective of the exam.

Most of the reviewers available in the bookstores are commonly having the practice exam sets only. But without containing the objective of the subject areas and the different techniques, processes, and learning strategies. That’s why, I tried to make a handouts—as intensive reviewer and complete study guide with a purpose that I could help others to boost their learning potentials and their passing rate in taking the said exam.

I’m keeping this manuscript for more than 10 years long, then suddenly I learned that I could published my handouts as a book and I could help all the examinee’s around the world with the same intentions as before in taking their personal war against the Civil Service Exam.

This book contains adequate materials that will help the examinee to acquaint with the different type of test or examination that will likely be given in the Civil Service Examination, Career Service Examination, Professional and Sub-Professional, and the different directions for every test type.

This book was specially designed and prepared to familiarize the examinee with the format of the different type of test, the way the test questions are to be answered and where the answers are to be written or indicated so that it will assist them to hurdle the passing grade of 80%.

It also serves as a study guide for effective instrument for SPECIAL Reviews.

It is suggested that the Practice Drills/Exercises be answered under time pressure, and also the Practice Examination that analogous to the format of the actual Career Service Examination to help the examinee gain self-confidence in taking the exam.

The topic and test items includes on communicative skills, English, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, General Information’s.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, my deep appreciation to the Almighty God who give me enough courage to research more, and to utilize his valuable methods to HELP OTHERS despite of criticisms.

To my brother, Noel, who generously letting me to use his equipment’s to produce my work and made it possible.

My younger brother, Jay-R, who also gives me encouragement, his continued belief in my capability sustains my eagerness to share whatever knowledge and experience I have accumulated.

And to my parents, Mr. Teodoro Golle Sr. and Dahlia Golle for their unending love and supports to me regardless of my slip-up lately.

And most of all, to my children, Sean Gabriel, Saedrix Gabriel, & Shia Gabrielle. They provided me with the inspiration and utmost zeal to launch my advocacy, their evermore support makes me complete.

And to all the examinee that are using this book, we wish you success and hoping that someday all my hard works will be a key towards your dreams and I hope my efforts would not be in vain.

INSIGHTS

IS WISDOM SOMETHING YOU CAN LEARN OR ACQUIRE—OR DO YOU HAVE TO BE BORN WITH IT?

PROVERBS 4:1-13

Wisdom can be acquired through diligent search and obedience to God.

1 Kings 3:5-14

Solomon made wisdom and understanding the priorities of his life with God.

HOW DOES ONE GAIN OR GROW IN WISDOM?

JAMES 1:5

We receive wisdom when we seek its source, God.

PSALM 119:96-106

God’s Word is an unending source of wisdom for those who apply themselves to study.

DOES SPIRITUAL WISDOM GUARANTEE SUCCESS?

1 CORINTHIANS 1:19-21

Spiritual wisdom allows us to avoid the folly of the world’s wisdom.

PROVERBS 5:1-6

Wisdom protects the wise from evil.

MATTHEW 7:24-27

Wisdom allows us to build our lives on a firm foundation.

We cannot control the wind but we can adjust our sails 

-  Anonymous

You alone can chart the course of achieving your goals. However it is easier said than done! There are several obstacles to achieve your aim. You need to recognize these and more importantly, you have to accept them and then take action.

OBSTACLE OF PASSING THE EXAMINATION

YOURSELF – Negative values can hinder us from achieving the goal of passing the exam as well as from succeeding in other areas of life. Negatives, bad study habits can keep us from achieving our goal.

Fortunately, all it takes is determination, decisiveness and desire to overcome these and they are all within your power.

Don’t be a loser. Be guided by winners. As the say; Loser criticizes. Winners analyze.

FEAR OF FAILURE – Most people are so afraid to make mistakes that they end up not doing anything. They only see why they are bound to fail and not how they can succeed. You should be guided by the fact that failure is a part and parcel of success.

You cannot succeed unless you once failed. There is nothing to fear about failure. What is important is what you learn from the painful experience.

Pain is very powerful tool to move you in to action. It is a great motive. And in any endeavor, motivation is fundamental requirements of success.

LAZINESS – Many of us developed the habit of too much laziness. Some of us have too much dependence on others and it lead to indolence and promote laziness.

When we study we seem to take it for granted and we usually think that we could do it later. We didn’t realize that TIME is our greatest allies in preparing for the examination. All of us, rich or poor, have the same amount of time. Twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days a week, twelve (12) months a year. And most of us when facing a crisis, someone, something, somewhere will appear to help us out.

Taking an examination is like a personal war. It has to be fought individually. We cannot let somebody else to take an exam for us or to fight for us. We only win it if we prepare ourselves for it and then take action on our own.

So, what are you waiting for? Study more to achieve your goals.

STUDY TIPS

This handbook provides you with some general guidelines for preparing for the exam. It is organized into three sections. The first section addresses your pre-exam preparation activities, covering general study tips.

This is followed by a Practice Drills, including a number of specific tips. Finally, it addresses a Practice Examination that applies examination formats.

To better understand the nature of preparation for the test, it is important to understand learning as a process. You probably are aware of how you best learn new material. Maybe outlining works best for you, or maybe you are a visual learner who needs to see things.

Whatever your learning style, test preparation takes time. While it is obvious that you can’t start studying for these exams the night before you take them, it is very important to understand that learning is a developmental process. Understanding the process helps you focus on what you know and what you have yet to learn. Thinking about how you learn should help you recognize that learning takes place when we are able to match new information to old.

Using this book and other supplementary materials will not just add incrementally to what you know. As you study, you actually change the organization of your knowledge to integrate this new information into your existing knowledge base. This will lead you to a more comprehensive understanding of the tasks and concepts outlined in the objectives and related to computing in general. Again, this happens as an iterative process rather than a singular event.

Keep this model of learning in mind as you prepare for the exam, and you will make better decisions on what to study and how much to study.

STUDY TIPS

There are many ways to approach studying, just as there are many different types of material to study. However, the tips that follow should work well for the type of material covered on this handbook.

STUDY STRATEGIES

Although individuals vary in the ways they learn information, some basic principles of learning apply to everyone. You should adopt some study strategies that take advantage of these principles. One of these principles is that learning can be broken into various depths. Recognition (of terms, for example) exemplifies a surface level of learning: You rely on a prompt of some sort to elicit recall. Comprehension or understanding (of the concepts behind the terms, for instance) represents a deeper level of learning. The ability to analyze a concept and apply your understanding of it in a new way or to address a unique setting represents further depth of learning.

You’re learning strategy should enable you to know the material a level or two deeper than mere recognition. This will help you to do well on the exam(s). You will know the material so thoroughly that you can easily handle the recognition-level types of questions used in multiple-choice testing. You will also be able to apply your knowledge to solve novel problems.

MACRO & MICRO STUDY STRATEGIES

One strategy that can lead to this deeper learning includes preparing an outline that covers all the objectives and sub-objectives for the particular exam you are working on. You should then delve a bit further into the material and include a level or two of detail beyond the stated objectives and sub-objectives for the exam. Finally, flesh out the outline by coming up with a statement of definition or a summary for each point in the outline.

This outline provides two approaches to studying. First, you can study the outline by focusing on the organization of the material. Work your way through the points and sub points of your outline with the goal of learning how they relate to one another. For example, be sure you understand how each of the main objective areas is similar to and different from one another.

Then do the same thing with the sub-objectives. Also, be sure you know which sub-objectives pertain to each objective area and how they relate to one another. Next, you can work through the outline and focus on learning the details. Memorize and understand terms and their definitions, facts, rules and strategies, advantages and disadvantages, and so on.

In this pass through the outline, in attempt to learn detail as opposed to the big picture (the organizational information that you worked on in the first pass through the outline). Research shows that attempting to assimilate both types of information at the same time seems to interfere with the overall learning process.

Separate you’re studying into these two approaches, and you will perform better on the exam than if you attempt to study the material in a more conventional manner.

ACTIVE STUDY STRATEGIES

In addition, the process of writing down and defining the objectives, sub-objectives, terms, facts, and definitions promotes a more active learning strategy than merely reading the material does.

In human information processing terms, writing forces you to engage in more active encoding of the information. Simply reading over it constitutes