NYC - Civil Service Exam Civil Service Reading Comprehension Skills 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the following passage: 'The New York City Human Resources Administration provides assistance to eligible residents, including food stamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and provide documentation of income and household size.' According to this passage, which of the following is required to apply for assistance?
- Proof of employment from the past five years
- Documentation of income and household size (Correct answer)
- A referral from a licensed social worker
- A valid New York State driver's license
Correct answer: Documentation of income and household size
The passage states that applicants must provide documentation of income and household size to demonstrate financial need.
Question 2: Read the following notice: 'City Hall offices will be closed on all designated municipal holidays. Employees who are required to work on a holiday will receive compensatory time off, to be scheduled at the discretion of the department head.' What do employees receive if they are required to work on a municipal holiday?
- Double their regular hourly pay
- A cash bonus added to their next paycheck
- Compensatory time off scheduled by the department head (Correct answer)
- An automatic promotion consideration
Correct answer: Compensatory time off scheduled by the department head
The notice clearly states that employees required to work on a holiday will receive compensatory time off, scheduled at the department head's discretion.
Question 3: Read the following policy statement: 'All city employees must complete mandatory diversity and inclusion training within 90 days of their hire date. Failure to complete the training within the required timeframe may result in suspension of system access privileges until the requirement is fulfilled.' What happens if an employee does not complete the training within 90 days?
- The employee is immediately terminated
- The employee's system access may be suspended (Correct answer)
- The employee must repeat their new-hire orientation
- The employee is placed on unpaid leave indefinitely
Correct answer: The employee's system access may be suspended
The policy states that failure to complete training within 90 days may result in suspension of system access privileges until the requirement is fulfilled.
Question 4: Read the following memo: 'Effective the first of next month, all requests for overtime must be submitted in writing to the direct supervisor at least 48 hours in advance. Verbal requests will no longer be accepted. Requests submitted less than 48 hours before the overtime shift will require approval from the division director.' An employee submits a written overtime request 24 hours before the shift. Whose approval is now required?
- The direct supervisor only
- The department commissioner
- The division director (Correct answer)
- No approval is needed since it was submitted in writing
Correct answer: The division director
The memo states that requests submitted less than 48 hours in advance require approval from the division director, regardless of whether they are submitted in writing.
Question 5: Read the following announcement: 'The Civil Service Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to examination eligibility requirements. Members of the public may submit written comments no later than 30 days before the hearing date. Comments received after the deadline will not be entered into the official record.' According to this announcement, what must members of the public do to have their comments entered into the official record?
- Attend the hearing in person and speak during the public comment period
- Submit written comments no later than 30 days before the hearing (Correct answer)
- Email comments directly to the Civil Service Commission chairperson
- Submit comments within 10 business days after the hearing concludes
Correct answer: Submit written comments no later than 30 days before the hearing
The announcement specifies that written comments must be submitted no later than 30 days before the hearing date to be entered into the official record.
Question 6: Read the following workplace policy: 'Employees are required to report any workplace injury, no matter how minor, to their supervisor within four hours of the incident. A formal incident report must then be filed with the Office of Human Resources within 24 hours. Injuries not reported within these timeframes may not be eligible for workers' compensation coverage.' Why is it important for an employee to report a workplace injury promptly?
- To ensure the injured employee receives a day off with pay
- To allow the supervisor to reassign the employee's duties immediately
- To maintain eligibility for workers' compensation coverage (Correct answer)
- To notify coworkers so they can avoid the same hazard
Correct answer: To maintain eligibility for workers' compensation coverage
The policy warns that injuries not reported within the required timeframes may not be eligible for workers' compensation coverage, making timely reporting critical.
Read the following passage: 'The New York City Human Resources Administration provides assistance to eligible residents, including food stamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need and provide documentation of income and household size.' According to this passage, which of the following is required to apply for assistance?