Minnesota Merit System Civil Service Exam - Online Preparation

The MN Civil Service Exam is the source of the single eligibility list for 73 out of the 87 counties in Minnesota. While each county establishes its own hiring process, the bottom line for all member counties is that the name of the person being hired must be contained on the state’s eligibility list.

There are three basic formats within the Merit System exam process. One or more of these formats may be used in determining a candidate’s score:

• Written Exam – This test is generally administered in St. Paul on weekdays during normal working hours. However, for special recruitments, the exam is taken in the county that has advertised the vacancy.
• Rating of Education and Experience – A Questionnaire regarding the candidate’s prior relevant experience may be used as the basis for the applicant’s score.
• Oral Examination – A standardized interview comprised of job-related questions often follows a successful written exam or Questionnaire.

You can expect that the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will administer all Merit System tests.

The Minnesota civil service exam contains a multiple-choice format, and all Merit System exams are scored on the basis of a passing threshold of 70. Keep in mind that only the top 15 scorers will be recommended by the state DHS to fill agency vacancies.

Three scoring categories determine the eligibility list rank of each applicant:

• Best Qualified: 90-100
• Well Qualified: 80-89
• Qualified: 70-79

Research has proven that exam preparation for cognitive tests can raise the potential for exam success. JobTestPrep has worked to provide a comprehensive preparation program geared to optimizing your Minnesota Civil Service test result through practice exams, study guide, question and answer analysis and helpful testing strategies.

The content of the Minnesota state jobs exam varies in accordance with the specific position being filled. Some of the jobs that are under the umbrella of the Merit System, along with their corresponding written exam content, include:

• Staff Services Analyst I & II – Reasoning aptitude, interpersonal skills, math and statistics, written communication
• Social Worker I & II – Interpersonal skills, interviewing principles, analytic aptitude, written communication
• Social Services Aide – Reading comprehension, interpersonal skills, clerical skills, teamwork, written communication
• Secretary – Correspondence skills, reading comprehension, interpersonal skills, written communication, English usage
• Secretary Case Worker I - Customer service principles, reading comprehension, benefit calculations, interviewing, written communication
• Employment and Training Worker – Analytic aptitude, customer service skills, general office skills, interviewing principles, social services aptitude, written communication
• Eligibility Worker I – Benefit calculations, reading comprehension, interpersonal skills, interviewing, written communication
• Clerical, Entry Level – Code, alphabetize and file information, filing and coding speed and accuracy, vocabulary, numerical skills, reading comprehension, grammatical editing, customer service skills
• Clerical, Advanced Level – All aptitudes covered at Entry Level Clerical, with emphasis on bookkeeping practices and benefits calculations
• Child Support Specialist – Interpersonal skills, interviewing, reading comprehension, English usage, numerical skills
• Accounting Technician – Written communication, accounting and auditing principles and practices, analytic aptitude, teamwork, interpersonal skills, accounting problems
• Account Clerk, Entry Level – Reading comprehension, speed and accuracy with data and numbers, fundamental knowledge of accounting and bookkeeping, written communication, data analysis, math and numerical skills, spelling and vocabulary, ability to follow directions
• Account Clerk, Advanced Level – Bookkeeping practices, teamwork, accounting problems, ability to follow directions, office practices and procedures, benefits calculations, data analysis

MN Civil Service Exams assess each candidate’s aptitude, knowledge and skills that are needed in the performance of specific jobs. By practicing on sample tests and studying an analysis of similar questions and answers, you can gain a solid familiarity with the actual test format and questions, along with increased testing speed and confidence. Exam preparation is the road to greater testing comfort and success. The affordable opportunity to optimize your exam potential is open to you through JobTestPrep.