How to register for the Civil Service Exam

Passing the civil service exam or career service examination is important for government employees who want to get promoted beyond salary grade 9. Well, says my mom. Having a government employee for a mother, I was greatly encouraged to take the exam. Even though my mother doesn't exactly encourage me to work for the government while I'm young. That said, I spent my whole day today completing all the necessary requirements. So here goes.

A. Requirements

1. Accomplished CS form no. 100 (Revised 2012)

-or if you are reading this after year 2012, then get the revised form for the current year. A part of the document must be filled in front of a civil service personnel, so read it carefully. Here's a link to the pdf document: http://excell.csc.gov.ph/FORMS/CSForm100rev2012.pdf.

There are 2 modes for taking CSE: (1) paper and pencil test -PPT, (2) computer assisted test -CAT. I was told that it's hard to get a slot for CAT so I opted for PPT instead.

CSE is also available in 2 levels: (1) subprofessional, (2) professional. Again, I was told that you have to pass the professional level to get promoted beyond salary grade 9 (assuming that you're a government employee).

2. Four (4) copies of ID pictures with the following specifications:

i. philippine passport size

ii. with hand written name tag in the format of: First name, Middle initial, Last name, extension name (if any)

iii. in white background

iv. visible ears, no earrings 

v. taken within the last 3 months prior to registering

3. One (1) original and photocopy of any (of your) ID from the following: Driver’s License, SSS ID, GSIS ID, Philhealth ID, current Company/Office ID, current School ID, Postal ID, BIR ID, Barangay ID, Voter’s ID, Valid Passport, or Police Clearance (name, picture, signature, birthdate, and the authority's official signature/mark should be present in the ID)

B. Process

1. Just submit the requirements to any field office of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Here is a directory that might help you: http://excell.csc.gov.ph/cscweb/dir_fo.html#fo. I suggest you call its office first to make sure that it's open for submission. 

2. Pay 500php examination fee, get your receipt and keep it, and show up for your scheduled exam with the necessary documents and items. You'll be given the list once you've paid the exam fee. 

Note that the applicant himself/herself should be the one to answer the cs form, and also the one to submit the requirements to the CSC office. That's it! 

Keep hydrated, applicant!

Life is not meant to be crammed

I. Doing nothing is very hard to do; you don't know when you're finished.

Long before I graduated, I had already decided that I will take some time off after finishing college. Like most of the youths out there, I needed the time to find myself and recharge my soul. HAHAHA yes, it is so cliche, but that was necessary for me to keep moving forward. I have this constant need to pause (or even step back) once in a while, so I can detach myself from the issues at hand, and hopefully think clearly. I usually do this when I'm sorting out my priorities.

And now, the recharging-and-finding-myself period is over.

It turns out that I was not really lost, but I just needed a rest. I needed to goof around, to oversleep and wake up as the day ends, to watch movies, to draw what I wanted to draw, to learn something new-no matter how mundane, to have a trip with people I don't know, to attend a concert, to volunteer, to drink out of celebration, to spend time with my family, to finally meet with my old friends, to attend anime conventions, to visit museums and bazaars, to read books and articles just because I want to, to have a favorite movie, to spend time with my sister, to swim for fun, and to stop when I'm satisfied.

And those things I did, just like old times.

Perhaps I'm lucky because I can easily afford to not work right away, and I'm grateful for that. So here goes my next mission, to look for a job-starting in 3,2,..