San Francisco Civil Service Exam Preparation

There are various types of Civil Service written exams that you may encounter when applying for a job. Preparing for these exams will help you achieve a higher score on the test. The following is a list of written exams you may be required to take in order to be considered for a job:

Management Test Battery

The Management Test Battery is comprised of a work simulation, which is designed to measure your ability to effectively handle a variety of management-level situations. You will be asked to assume the role of a manager in a fictitious organization. You will be provided background information regarding the organization, along with memoranda and letters, to review.

You will have up to 30 minutes to review this material, after which, you will answer multiple-choice test questions on a computer.

The test questions are comprised of issues, tasks, situations, etc., associated with the role as a manager in the fictitious organization. The test covers areas in Problem Solving, Leadership, Decision-Making, Interpersonal Skills, Human Resource Management, Communication, Team Building, and Conflict Management.

You will have 2 hours and 30 minutes to answer 79 questions.

Supervisory Test Battery

The Supervisory Test Battery is a computer-administered examination that is designed to simulate a "day-in-the-life" of a supervisor. You will be asked to assume the role of a supervisor in a fictitious organization and to handle a variety of situations that a supervisor is likely to face. You will be provided background information about this organization at the time of the test, along with various in-basket items (e.g., memos and letters) that a typical supervisor might receive.

You will be given 50 minutes to review the material before the test begins. You will be permitted to keep the material with you throughout the entire examination and may refer to it at any time.

The tests are designed to measure competency areas in Problem Solving, Leadership, Decision-Making, Interpersonal Skills, Human Resource Management, Communication, Team Building, and Conflict Management.

You will have 2 hours and 30 minutes to answer 120 questions.

Our supervisor test preparation includes some additional materials that will not appear on your exam (for example, mathematical reasoning); therefore, we recommend that you focus on the personality and situational judgment sections.

Prepare for the STB with our general supervisory PrepPack™.

Multiple-Choice Test

A multiple-choice test item covers subjects such as math and reading comprehension. The test may present an introductory statement, either a direct question or an incomplete sentence. It will be followed by four or five response options, of which only one is correct. You must select the one best answer from among the options given.

Sometimes a multiple-choice item will refer to other material in the test. This may be a reading passage, chart, graph, table, report, situation, etc. You will have to refer to the material in order to answer such questions. The test is comprised of basic skills and abilities that are required for the job to which you are applying.