The passing score for the Civil Service Exam is a general rating of at least 80.00.
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Short answer
A general rating of at least 80.00, the same for Professional and Subprofessional. No curve, no partial pass, no make-up for one weak subtest. You either clear 80.00 overall or you don't.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) sets the passing score for the Career Service Examination, Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) at a general rating of at least 80.00. That bar is fixed and applies to both the Professional level (170 items) and the Subprofessional level (165 items). The 80.00 is a standardized general rating, not a raw percent of items you answered correctly: the CSC converts your raw score through a transmutation table. There is no curve. There is no separate passing threshold per subtest: only the overall rating matters. And there is no partial pass. A rating of 79.99 does not give you eligibility for clerical positions while denying you professional ones. You either hit 80.00 or you don't.
Quick facts
- Passing score
- General rating of at least 80.00
- Applies to
- Professional + Subprofessional
- Curve
- None
- Subtest minimums
- None. Overall rating only
Primary keyword: passing score civil service exam
Key takeaways
- The passing score is a general rating of at least 80.00 overall, identical for Professional and Subprofessional.
- There is no curve, no partial pass, and no per-subtest minimum: only the overall rating counts.
- The 80.00 is a standardized general rating, not a raw percent-correct; the CSC converts your raw score through a transmutation table, so it does not map to a fixed number of correct items.
- A 79.99 is a fail, but a near-miss is the easiest gap to close on a retake by drilling your two weakest subtests.
Why 80.00 is a rating, not a raw percent of items
A common misread is to treat 80.00 as 'answer 80 percent of the items correctly'. It does not work that way. The CSC converts your raw count of correct answers into a standardized general rating through a transmutation table, and that rating is what must reach 80.00. The CSC does not publish a fixed number of correct items that guarantees a pass, and it does not publish per-subtest item counts.
The mechanics of that conversion (the transmutation table, why there's no penalty for a wrong answer, how to read each line of your score report) are worth understanding in their own right. We cover them step by step in our companion guide on how the Civil Service Exam is scored. This page focuses on what the 80.00 bar means for you: what counts as passing, and what happens if you fall short.
| Level | Total items |
|---|---|
| Professional | 170 |
| Subprofessional | 165 |
What if I score a 79 rating? Am I close to passing?
No. The CSC does not award partial credit, conditional eligibility, or near-pass status. A rating of 79.99 is a fail in the same way a 50.00 is. You're not eligible for civil service appointment.
However, a near-miss rating on one attempt tells you something: you can pass on the next attempt with focused drilling. The candidates who improve most between attempts are the ones who failed by a small margin on their first try and used their score report to target their two weakest subtests.
A 79 rating is a fail. There is no rounding up and no conditional eligibility. But a near-miss is the cheapest gap to close: a single weak subtest is usually what pulled the overall rating under 80.00.
Are there any subtest minimums?
No. The 80.00 is an overall general rating, computed across the whole paper. A candidate who is strong on Verbal Ability but weak on Numerical Ability can still pass, as long as the overall rating clears 80.00.
In practice, though, it's hard to clear an overall rating of 80.00 while doing badly on any single subtest. The CSC does not publish how the subtests are weighted, but a clearly failing area will tend to pull the overall rating below the line.
No per-subtest cutoff. Only the overall rating decides your result. But don't treat any subtest as disposable: one weak area usually drags the overall rating under 80.00.
Where to find your score after the exam
Score reports are released through the CSC's official online portal after the exam administration. Check the CSC's official channels for when results for your administration are posted.
Once it's live, the score report shows:
- Your overall general rating (the number that decides pass or fail).
- A clear pass/fail indicator.
If you passed: You can download your Certificate of Eligibility from the same portal.
Frequently asked questions
Is the passing score the same for Professional and Subprofessional?
Yes, a general rating of at least 80.00 for both. The two levels have different item counts (170 vs 165) and slightly different content, but the passing threshold is identical.
Does the CSC ever lower the passing score?
The CSC has long set the passing mark at a general rating of at least 80.00, and it applies to every administration of the CSE-PPT covered here.
Can I retake the exam if I fail?
Yes. There is no waiting period between attempts. The CSE-PPT is administered twice a year (typically March and August), and you can register for the next administration immediately after a failed attempt.
Does the score expire?
No. Career Service eligibility from the CSE-PPT does not expire. Once you pass, the eligibility is yours for life and is valid for any qualifying government position.
Is there a Career Executive Service Exam with a different passing score?
Yes. The CES Exam, administered by the Career Executive Service Board (not the CSC), has its own passing standards. The CSE-PPT covered here is the entry-level Career Service exam for most government positions.
Related guides
Guide
Professional vs Subprofessional Civil Service Exam
Professional is for college graduates targeting most government roles. Subprofessional is for non-graduates and clerical positions. Both use the same passing score (a general rating of at least 80.00) but differ in content and eligibility scope.
Guide
Civil Service eligibility benefits
Eligibility is the legal qualification to be appointed to government positions. It does NOT guarantee a job; you still have to apply, qualify by degree and experience, and be selected. It does not expire.
Guide
When are Civil Service Exam results released?
Results come out about 60-75 days after the exam date. Check on the CSC's official online portal. Passing candidates can then download a Certificate of Eligibility from the same portal.
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Forty questions across all four subtests. Forty minutes. No signup required. See exactly where you stand against the 80% pass mark.