Guide

What's covered on the Civil Service Exam in 2026.

Last reviewed June 2026

Short answer

Professional: 170 items across Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Analytical Ability, and General Information. Subprofessional: 165 items across Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Clerical Ability, and General Information. You need a general rating of at least 80.00 to pass either level.

The CSE-PPT coverage has been stable for the past several years and we expect 2026 to follow the same structure. The CSC publishes the official subtests and the topics each one covers on its website; this guide summarizes them with a focus on what the items actually look like. One thing the CSC does not publish is a per-subtest item count or percentage weight, so any specific split you see online is an estimate, not an official figure.

Quick facts

Professional items: 170
Subprofessional items: 165
Subtests (Professional): 4
Passing rating: At least 80.00

Key takeaways

Professional: 170 items across Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Analytical Ability, and General Information.
Subprofessional: 165 items across Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Clerical Ability, and General Information.
The CSC does not publish a per-subtest item count or weight, so any specific split you see online is an estimate.
General Information is the most studyable area. Read R.A. 6713 and the 1987 Constitution once.
No calculator, no essay, no specialized field knowledge. It's a general-aptitude exam.

Professional level: the four subtests

The Professional paper is 170 items across four subtests. Analytical Ability is the one that rewards method the most. The CSC does not publish how many items fall under each subtest, so this guide lists the official subtests and the topics each one covers rather than a made-up item split.

CSE-PPT Professional coverage (170 items total)
Subtest	Official scope
Verbal Ability	Word meaning, sentence completion, error recognition, sentence structure, paragraph organization, reading comprehension (English and Filipino)
Analytical Ability	Word analogy, symbolic logic and abstract reasoning, identifying assumptions and drawing conclusions, data interpretation (English)
Numerical Ability	Basic operations, number sequence, word problems (English, no calculator)
General Information	Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct (R.A. 6713), Peace and Human Rights Issues and Concepts, Environment Management and Protection (English)

Subprofessional level: same idea, different mix

The Subprofessional paper is 165 items. The big difference from Professional is Clerical Ability replacing Analytical Ability. As with the Professional level, the CSC does not publish a per-subtest item count, so the table lists the official subtests and their topics rather than a fabricated split.

CSE-PPT Subprofessional coverage (165 items total)
Subtest	Official scope
Clerical Ability	Filing, spelling (English, Subprofessional only)
Numerical Ability	Basic operations, number sequence, word problems (English, no calculator)
Verbal Ability	Word meaning, sentence completion, error recognition, sentence structure, paragraph organization, reading comprehension (English and Filipino)
General Information	Philippine Constitution, Code of Conduct (R.A. 6713), Peace and Human Rights Issues and Concepts, Environment Management and Protection (English)

What's NOT on the exam

Knowing what you can skip saves as much time as knowing what to study. None of the following appear on the CSE-PPT:

Calculator-required mathematics. Items use round numbers and clean fractions. If you're doing long arithmetic, you've missed a shortcut.
Recent news cycles. The CSC tests structural civic knowledge (Constitution, R.A. 6713), not headlines.
Specialized field knowledge. No accounting, nursing, or engineering content. It's a general-aptitude exam.
Essay writing. The CSE-PPT is multiple-choice throughout. There is no writing portion.

Coverage changes year to year

The CSC has kept the subtest structure stable for over a decade. Item-by-item difficulty varies between administrations (the March paper is often slightly easier than the August paper in any given year), and the transmutation table compensates for those variations.

If a structural change to coverage is announced, the CSC posts it on its official website and gives at least one full administration cycle of notice.

Good news for 2026. As of the latest CSC guidance at this guide's last update, no structural changes have been announced for 2026. The coverage above still holds. Check the CSC website close to your exam date to be sure.

Source: the CSC's official examination coverage

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 coverage different from 2025?

Not according to the most recent CSC guidance. Verify with the CSC website close to your exam date in case any changes are announced.

How much time do I get?

Three hours and ten minutes for Professional (170 items), two hours and forty minutes for Subprofessional (165 items). This is a single overall allotment for the whole paper, not a per-subtest limit. Time is tight but not punishing if you're not stuck on individual items.

Are Professional and Subprofessional papers given on the same day?

Yes. Both papers are administered on the same testing day at the same testing centers. You choose your level when you register.

Can I bring scratch paper?

No. You use the test booklet margins. Plan your scratch work accordingly, especially on numerical items.

Is the exam given in English or Filipino?

Both languages appear, but only in Verbal Ability, which is tested in English and Filipino. Every other subtest (Numerical Ability, Analytical Ability, Clerical Ability, and General Information) is in English only.

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