Ohio Civil Service Exam Clerical Aptitude 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clerk must enter data from a form that lists a date as '08/06/2026.' In a system requiring the format YYYY-MM-DD, how should this be entered?
- 06-08-2026
- 2026-08-06 (Correct answer)
- 2026-06-08
- 08-2026-06
Correct answer: 2026-08-06
The YYYY-MM-DD format places the four-digit year first, then month, then day: 2026-08-06.
Question 2: Which sentence contains a grammatical error?
- The clerk submitted the report on time.
- Each of the employees are required to sign in. (Correct answer)
- The supervisor reviewed all documents carefully.
- The new policy takes effect next Monday.
Correct answer: Each of the employees are required to sign in.
'Each of the employees' is a singular subject and requires the singular verb 'is,' not 'are.'
Question 3: A typist makes 3 errors per 200 words typed. If a document is 800 words long, approximately how many errors should be expected?
- 9
- 10
- 12 (Correct answer)
- 15
Correct answer: 12
800 ÷ 200 = 4 segments × 3 errors = 12 expected errors.
Question 4: When organizing a numeric filing system, where would case number 10-2245 be filed relative to 10-2254?
- After 10-2254
- Before 10-2254 (Correct answer)
- In the same folder
- In a separate alphabetical section
Correct answer: Before 10-2254
10-2245 comes before 10-2254 because 2245 is numerically less than 2254.
Question 5: A clerk is asked to send a memo to 'all department heads.' Which action is most appropriate?
- Send to only the supervisor
- Post the memo on the public bulletin board
- Distribute the memo to each person who holds a department head title (Correct answer)
- Email the memo to all staff in the building
Correct answer: Distribute the memo to each person who holds a department head title
The instruction specifies department heads, so the memo should go only to individuals in that role.
Question 6: Which of the following is the correct way to abbreviate 'Ohio Department of Administrative Services' in a document after writing it out in full?
- O.D.A.S.
- ODAS (Correct answer)
- OhDAS
- O-DAS
Correct answer: ODAS
Standard practice for government agency abbreviations is to use capital initials without periods: ODAS.
Question 7: A clerk receives a stack of 150 applications and must separate them into approved and denied piles. After sorting, she has 90 approved. What percentage were denied?
- 30%
- 40% (Correct answer)
- 45%
- 60%
Correct answer: 40%
60 denied ÷ 150 total = 0.40 = 40% were denied.
Ohio Civil Service Exam Clerical Aptitude 3
A clerk must enter data from a form that lists a date as '08/06/2026.' In a system requiring the format YYYY-MM-DD, how should this be entered?