Part 4

3. Penmanship.

4. Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.

5. Geography of the United States.

6. Knowledge of the Local Post Office Delivery.

7. Physical Tests.

MESSENGER EXAMINATION.

1. Spelling.

2. Copying.

3. Penmanship.

4. Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.

5. Physical Tests.

This examination shall also be used for applicants for positions of piler, stamper, junior clerk or other places requiring chiefly manual labor.

General Rules.

No person now serving in the army or navy shall be examined for admission to the classified service until the written consent of the head of the department under which he is enlisted shall have been communicated to the commission.

The commission may refuse to examine an applicant who would be physically unable to perform the duties of the place to which he desires appointment.

No question in any examination shall be so framed as to elicit information concerning the political or religious opinions or affiliations of competitors; and no discrimination in examination, certification or appointment shall be made by the commission, the examiners, or the appointing or nominating officer in favor of or against any applicant, competitor, or eligible because of his political or religious opinions or affiliations. Any appointing or nominating officer who shall make inquiries concerning, or in any other way attempt to ascertain, the political or religious opinions or affiliations of any eligible, or who shall discriminate in favor of or against any eligible because of the eligible’s political or religious opinions or affiliations, shall be dismissed from office.

Every applicant for examination for the classified departmental service must support the statements of his application paper by certificates of persons acquainted with him, residents of the state, territory, or district in which he claims bona fide residence; and the commission shall prescribe the form and number of such certificates.

A false statement made by an applicant, or connivance by him with any person to make on his behalf a false statement in any certificate required by the commission and deception of fraud practiced by an applicant, or by any person on his behalf with his consent, to influence an examination, shall be good cause for refusal to examine such applicant, or for refusing to mark his papers after examination.

All examinations shall be prepared and conducted under the supervision of the commission; and examination papers shall be marked under rules made by the commission, which shall take care that the marking-examiners do not know the name of any competitor in an examination for admission whose papers are entrusted to them.

Any person not under twenty years of age may make application for admission to the classified departmental service, blank forms for which purpose shall be furnished by the commission.

Suggestions for Study.

If it is intended to make application for admission to civil service examination it is wise to make preparation by taking up a regular course of study in the branches which your examination will come.

The best course of study and the most practical knowledge can be gained by having a friend read a newspaper paragraph, allowing you to write it down while it is being read. This exercise is particularly effective as it gives you a knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and rapid and improved penmanship.

The spelling of the names of the various states and territories and their proper abbreviations is also necessary.

Other abbreviations in common use should also be studied and understood, such as: inst., prox., ult., P. M., Ont., Can., P. Q., N. F., Man., etc. A general idea of the history and Government of the United States is also required. The rapidity with which you can read copy and correct business letters or other papers in which the writing is not particularly good will also be a help to you.

One of the most important branches in many of the departments is arithmetic, and a systematic course of studies should be taken up before the time of the examination.

There is no danger of knowing too much, and care in studying systematically will amply repay the time it takes. It is almost impossible for anyone who has been out of school for two or three years or more to pass an ordinary school examination, however much they may have gained in general practical knowledge.

The examination given is comparatively simple and does not require a college education, but can easily be passed by anyone who is a graduate of a grammar school, if a little time and care is devoted to preparation for the examination.