Clerical Ability Reviewer - Part 5

Practice 20 Clerical Ability questions for the Civil Service Exam (CSE), each with the correct answer and an explanation.

20 questions80% passing markFree

Part 5 of our Clerical Ability reviewer has 20 practice questions in the style of the Civil Service Exam. Answer them in order, read the explanation after each one, and check your score against the 80% passing mark at the end. Questions and choices are reshuffled every time you retake the part.

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Sample questions from Part 5

Here are a few questions from this part. Take the full test to answer all 20 and get your score.

Sample question 1

Which sequence shows the correct filing order of the following file numbers?
A. 29-11-75326
B. 92-11-75326
C. 92-11-73526
D. 29-11-57326
E. 28-11-57326
F. 29-11-73562

  • D, E, F, A, C, B
  • E, D, F, A, C, B
  • E, D, C, F, A, B
  • B, C, A, F, D, E
Answer: E, D, F, A, C, B
Compare group 1; only if equal compare group 2; then group 3.
Correct order: 28-11-57326 < 29-11-57326 < 29-11-73562 < 29-11-75326 < 92-11-73526 < 92-11-75326.
Letters in that order: E, D, F, A, C, B.

Sample question 2

A drawer contains the following file numbers: 69845, 49396, 12896, 23761, 65681, 88619. When arranged in ascending order, which one comes immediately after 23761?

  • 12896
  • 49396
  • 65681
  • 69845
Answer: 49396
Compare the values; a number with more digits is larger.
Ascending order: 12896, 23761, 49396, 65681, 69845, 88619.
Right after 23761 comes 49396.

Sample question 3

Among these file numbers, how many are filed before 0.85356?
9.83536
0.85363
0.58335
0.58363
0.83536
0.85356
0.85336
0.58337

  • 6
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Answer: 5
Compare whole parts, then tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on (pad with zeros mentally).
Correct order: 0.58335 < 0.58337 < 0.58363 < 0.83536 < 0.85336 < 0.85356 < 0.85363 < 9.83536.
0.85356 is in position 6, so 5 file numbers come before it.

Sample question 4

Which of the following should be filed between 0.543 and 0.785?

  • 0.911
  • 0.549
  • 0.533
  • 0.930
Answer: 0.549
Compare whole parts first, then tenths, hundredths, thousandths. A number of more digits after the point is not necessarily larger.
Ascending order: 0.533, 0.543, 0.549, 0.785, 0.911, 0.930.
Only 0.549 lies between 0.543 and 0.785.

Sample question 5

When the following file numbers are arranged in filing order, which one occupies the 3rd position?
862158
861258
826157
852158
863185
862418
863158

  • 862158
  • 861258
  • 852158
  • 826157
Answer: 861258
Compare the numbers digit by digit from the left; the first position where they differ decides.
Correct order: 826157 < 852158 < 861258 < 862158 < 862418 < 863158 < 863185.
Position 3: 861258.

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