The Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE) is the first screening test provided in the Post Secondary Recruitment Campaign. The Public Service Entrance Exam – Unsupervised Internet Test 370 (PSEE UIT 370) is taken online anywhere where candidates can connect to the internet. If candidates are successful, they are then invited to take the Public Service Entrance Exam 371 (PSEE 371) in the nearest Government testing location.
The PSEE assesses reasoning and judgement skills. Although the exam is not easy, with a clear strategy, candidates can highly improve their chance of being successful. Below I will outline tips and strategies for each portion of the exam to assist you at improving your chances at the PSEE and getting ahead of the competition.
Given that both the PSEE Unsupervised Test and the PSEE Supervised Test have the same format, I will divide the tips and strategies for the Test of Reasoning [(TOR UIT 372) and (TOR 373)] and the Test of Judgement [ (TOJ UIT 374) or (TOJ 375) ] portions of the exam separately.
Test of Reasoning
- The Arithmetic Reasoning and the Number and Letter Reasoning portions of the PSEEs are very similar to the Graduate Recruitment Test (GRT) given in prior years. Strategy: I highly recommend finding old GRT practice exams and reviewing these questions. The more you do, the more agile you will become at identifying important information and identifying the various types of number and letter series that exist and will be asked on this portion of the test.
- For the Logical Reasoning questions, it is important not to assume what the answer may be. Strategy: While determining your response, eliminate all answers that do not provide the exact information given in the original paragraph. If necessary, underline or write down key words in the text provided and ensure that these words are repeated in the answer provided.
- In the Analytical Reasoning questions, it is imperative to remember that you will be asked to answer three types of sub questions: 1) Using your knowledge of the relationship between the given nouns to choose the correct answer. 2) Reversing your knowledge of the relationship between the given nouns to choose the correct answer. 3) Ignoring your knowledge of the relationship between the given nouns to choose the correct answer. Strategy: There is a three point strategy to this portion. One: If you do not have a strong vocabulary, become familiar with common nouns used in standardized tests such as the GMAT and the SAT. The nouns provided on the real tests will not be as simple as those provided on the practice test. Two: Underline the instructions given on each example to ensure that you are using the correct analytical skills that are needed. Three: Place the nouns in order on a separate piece of paper in the order provided in the question. By visualizing the nouns on the piece of paper, it is easier to determine the relationship between all the nouns and the final question.
Test of Judgement
This portion of the test requires candidates to use their judgement skills to determine the correct solution for solving problems in work-related situations. For each situation, the candidate is required to choose between five potential answers:
- Very Ineffective– will make the situation worse
- Ineffective– while it may not worsen the situation, it will not contribute to solving the problem
- Somewhat Ineffective– may not contribute to solving the problem
- Somewhat Effective– may contribute to solving the problem
- Effective– will contribute to solving the problem
- Very Effective– will solve the problem or make a very important contribution to solving the problem
Strategy: Take the information as it is. Do not read too much into each question as it is not a productive use of your judgement or your limited time. Also, avoid the extremes “Very Ineffective” and “Very Effective” unless you have a strong conviction to choose one of these answers. Remember that there are partial points given in this portion of the test, so the closer you are to the correct answer, the higher your possibility is of gaining partial points.
The Insider’s Guide is proud to offer two resources for the Public Service Entrance Exams. For more information please click here.
Best of luck!