CSC junks 4-strike policy for government exams

MANILA, Philippines – The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has junked the four-strike policy on taking the civil service examinations for those who would like to work in the government or earn a promotion.

The new rule states that there shall be no limit to the number of times one can take the examination, both for the professional and sub-professional levels.

The CSC announced yesterday that it recently amended its policy on the frequency of taking the tests in light of numerous requests from the public for the rule to be scrapped.

Before, individuals can only take the examinations – whether via the paper and pencil test (PPT) or the computer assisted test (CAT) modes – only once in three months and up to four times only.

The old rules provide that an examinee failing the same level of examination for the fourth time can only apply for that level after two years from the date of the fourth failed examination.

With the amended policy, the CSC said that an individual may now continuously take the examination, regardless of the number of times he or she failed and even without the previously imposed two-year rest period.

The CSC clarified, however, that an examinee is still limited to taking the same level of examination once every three months, which means that one who has taken the professional level on Sept. 1 can only apply for that examination level after Dec. 1, but can still apply for the sub-professional level within such three-month period.

The amended policy on the frequency of taking the CSE takes effect beginning with the conduct of the CSE-PPT on May 22, 2011 and of the CSE-CAT in April 2011.

The CSC said applicants for the CSE-PPT should not have taken the same level of examination since Feb. 22, 2011, while applicants for the CSE-CAT should not have taken the same examination level since Jan. 1, 2011.

The CSE-PPT will be conducted nationwide twice this year: May 22, 2011 and Oct. 16, 2011 while the CSE-CAT is administered at least three times a week at the CSC Central Office, and six times a month at the CSC-Cordillera Administrative Region. –Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star)