ASSESSMENT INFORMATION PACKAGE – EXAM 473
Copyright © 2010 U. S. Postal Service

Contents
• Preparing for the Examination
• What to Expect in the Exam Room
• Obligation to Provide Reasonable Accommodation for Qualified Applicants with a Disability
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sample Test Questions
Preparing for the Examination
Read all the information in this package. Come to the test physically and mentally prepared. Get a good night’s sleep.
On the day of the test, you will need to arrive at the testing center 15 minutes prior to the beginning of your appointment to allow time for the check-in process. Be sure to leave yourself enough time for traffic, finding the test center location, parking, and getting to the exam room.

What to Expect in the Exam Room
Upon arrival, you will be required to present one piece of state or U.S. Federal Government issued photo ID as specified in your appointment confirmation email. If you are a current USPS employee, you may bring your USPS ID badge.
You will not be permitted to take the assessment if you do not present an ID meeting the stated requirements. Personal items are not allowed in the testing room. This includes all electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and PDAs. Please do not bring any unnecessary personal items to your assessment appointment as storage may not be available. We also ask that you not have anyone accompany you into the test center as there is not adequate space for visitors.
You will need your Login ID and Password to access the testing website. Please bring this information with you to the testing center.
When you are ready to begin, the examiner will provide you with ear plugs or headphones and assist you with logging in to start the test.

The assessment is designed to be taken without interruptions or breaks. Please be sure to take care of any personal needs before appointment check-in. Please bring with you to the testing center:
Government-issued Photo ID
Assessment site Login ID and Password
If you are more than 15 minutes late for your assessment appointment, you will not be permitted to test.

The test will be entirely administered and timed by the computer. All of the testing instructions will be provided by the computer. Before the test starts, you will see several practice and instruction screens. These screens explain how to use the computer to take the test and guide you through practice test items.
Other candidates might begin or end their exams at different times than you. In addition, the proctor is required to monitor the session frequently, so will be entering and leaving the test room as needed. All reasonable efforts will be taken to keep distractions to a minimum.
At the end of your exam, you will have the opportunity to complete an online exit survey where you can provide feedback regarding your testing experience.
You must check out with the examiner before leaving the Testing Center.
The examiner will not have access to any information related to your assessment results or your next step. You will receive an e-mail message with instructions on how to access your test results.

Last Modified 7/26/2011

Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Obligation to Provide Reasonable Accommodation for Qualified Applicants with a Disability
The United States Postal Service is obligated under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended, found in 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq. to provide accommodations to a qualified applicant with a disability that will enable the individual to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process and to be considered for a job.

You will be asked to specify the nature of the disability and the accommodation needed.
Supporting documentation to verify the existence of a protected disability or the need for accommodation may be required.
The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. If you have a disability that will require a special testing arrangement, please make your request when scheduling your exam through the
Assessment website.

Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule my proctored testing appointment? You can schedule yourself for the examination after receiving scheduling information via an email. To schedule a testing appointment, log into your assessment account and click on the
Schedule Assessment link. If there are no seats available, you may request a seat by clicking on the Request a Seat link. Seat requests usually take a minimum of 3-5 business days to process.
Please make sure to allow enough time for your request to be fulfilled. You will be notified via email once a seat is available at a test center near you. The system will not allow you to schedule an appointment within 24 hours of a testing session or request a seat within 48 hours of your expiration date.

How long will it take to get the assessment results? A Notice of Result will be available on the
Assessment site after you have been checked out from the testing center. You will receive an e-mail message with instructions on how to access your Notice of Result.
How is my score calculated?
Your final exam score is calculated based on your answers to both the non-proctored and the proctored portions of the exam.
What is a passing score?
You must attain a minimum score of 70
(excluding Veterans’ Preference points) on the examination to be considered for any of the positions for which you applied.

What if I need to reschedule (or cancel) my appointment? You may only cancel or reschedule your appointment up to 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. To cancel and reschedule your appointment, log onto the assessment website and click on the appointment date/time link.

How long are the results of the test valid?
Your examination result is valid through the expiration date shown on your Notice of Result.
If you are an applicant, your results will be maintained in your eCareer Candidate Profile and will be automatically included with your application if you apply for other USPS vacancies requiring this exam.

If you are within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment, you are not permitted to reschedule your appointment.

If you are an employee, your test result may be valid for longer, based on your situation and in accordance with Postal policy.

If you fail to attend your scheduled appointment, you will not be allowed to reschedule and will receive an incomplete test result for that job vacancy.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Test Instructions
During the test session, read all instructions very carefully. One of the purposes of the test is to see how quickly and accurately you can work. Therefore, each part of the test will be timed. Where appropriate, a countdown clock will be displayed on your computer screen. When time runs out for a particular part, the test will automatically advance to the next part. If you finish a part before the timer runs out, you will have an opportunity to review your answers for that part. Once a timed part has ended, you will not be allowed to return to that part.
There are 3 parts to this examination: o Address Checking o Forms Completion o Coding and Memory
Each part contains several multiple-choice questions. During the actual test session, you will select your response to each question by clicking the button (small circle) next to your answer.
The total time for the assessment is approximately 90 minutes. Again, please be sure to take care of any personal needs before you check in to the test.
The table below lists the contents of Exam 473.

Number of
Items

Time
Allowed
(minutes)

Address Checking

60

11

Determine whether 2 addresses are the same

Forms Completion

30

15

Identify information for correctly completing forms

Coding and Memory
Section 1

36

6

Identify the correct code to assign for an address

Coding and Memory
Section 2

36

7

Memorize codes to be assigned to a range of addresses Test Part

Description

On the following pages are sample questions like the ones that will be on the test. Study these carefully.
This will give you practice with the different kinds of items on the test. You will have an opportunity to view sample questions and complete practice tests during the actual test session.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Address Checking
In this part of the test, you will have to compare two lists quickly and accurately. You will be shown a
Correct List that contains addresses and ZIP codes. A List to be Checked will appear next to the
Correct List. The List to be Checked also contains addresses and ZIP codes. It should be exactly the same as the Correct List, but it may contain errors.
Your task is to compare the information in each row of the List to be Checked with the Correct List.
Decide if there are no errors, an error in the address, an error in the ZIP code, or an error in both the address and the ZIP code. Each row of information is an item.
This part of the test consists of 60 items to be completed in 11 minutes. There is a penalty for guessing on this test part. Your score on this part of the actual test will be based on the number of items you answer correctly minus 1/3 of the number of items that you answer incorrectly. It will NOT be to your advantage to guess randomly. However, if you can reject one or more responses as clearly incorrect, it will generally be to your advantage to guess from among the remaining responses. You may not be able to finish all items before time runs out, but you should do your best to answer as many as you can with a high degree of accuracy.
Now, determine your answers to the following sample questions below. Notice that the answer to sample question 1 already shows the correct response selected.

For sample question 1, the List to be Checked contains an error in the address. It shows “125 Morgan St.”, but it should be “125 Morgan Blvd.”, as shown in the Correct List. The ZIP code in the List to be Checked is exactly the same as the ZIP code in the Correct List. Therefore, the correct answer for sample question 1 is “B) Address Only”.

The correct answers to Sample Questions 2 through 4 are: 2D, 3A, and 4C.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Forms Completion
In this part of the test, you will have to identify information needed to complete forms similar to those used by the United States Postal Service. You will be shown several forms on this part of the test, along with several items about what information is required to complete each form. Each part of the form is labeled
(e.g., 7, 7a). Study each form carefully before selecting your responses.
This test part consists of 30 items to be completed in 15 minutes. Your score depends on how many items you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing on this part of the test. It is generally to your advantage to respond to each item, even if you have to guess. Please study the sample form below and determine your answers to the sample questions.
Please study the sample form below and determine your answers to the following sample questions. Notice that the answer to sample question 1 already shows the correct response selected.

In the Form, Box 1 is labeled "Last Name." Therefore, the correct answer for sample question 1 is "A."

The correct answer to Sample Question 2 is: 2C.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Coding and Memory
This part of the test consists of two sections. The Coding section consists of 36 items to be completed in 6 minutes. The Memory section consists of 36 items to be completed in 7 minutes.
This part tests your ability to use codes quickly and accurately, both with a coding guide visible and from memory without using a guide. You will be shown a coding guide, along with several items that must be assigned a code. To the best of your ability, you must look up the correct code for each item and select your response accurately and quickly. During the first section of the test, you will be allowed to look at the coding guide while you assign codes. During the second section of the test, you must assign codes based on your memory of the same coding guide.
While the coding guide is visible, try to memorize as many of the codes as you can. These are the same codes that will be used in the Memory section of the test. Keep in mind that during the actual test, you are not permitted to refer to the codes when answering the items in the Memory section or write any addresses down during the memorization period.
Your score for this part will be based on the number of items that you answer correctly minus 1/3 of the number of items you answer incorrectly. You may not be able to assign a code to all of the items before time runs out, but you should do your best to assign codes to as many items as you can, with a high degree of accuracy. There is a penalty for guessing on this test. It will NOT be to your advantage to guess randomly. However, if you can reject one or more responses as clearly incorrect, it will generally be to your advantage to guess from among the remaining responses.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Explanation of the Coding Guide

The first column of the Coding Guide shows Address Ranges. The second column of the Coding Guide shows a one-letter code for the Delivery Route that serves the Address Ranges listed in that row. For example, Delivery Route A serves all addresses in each of three ranges: 1 to 99 Anywhere Lane, 10 to
200 Calico Ave, and 5 to 15 N 42nd Street. You may assume that addresses run in order between the lowest and highest address listed.
Some of the street names appear twice, each time with a different range of address numbers associated with a different Delivery Route. For example, Anywhere Lane is served by Delivery Route A for address numbers ranging from 1 to 99, and Anywhere Lane is served by Delivery Route B for address numbers ranging from 100 to 200.
Also notice that Delivery Route D serves all addresses that do not fall in one of the address ranges listed for Delivery Routes A, B, or C. For example, the address 100 N 42nd Street does not fall in any of the address ranges served by Delivery Routes A, B, or C; therefore it is served by Delivery Route D. Your task is to assign a Delivery Route code to each address.
Next you will see sample coding questions, followed by memory sample questions.

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Sample Coding Questions
Look at the sample questions shown below. Each sample question is an Address. Use the Coding Guide on page 7 to assign each sample address to a Delivery Route Code. Work as quickly and as accurately as possible to determine your responses.

The correct answer for sample question 1 is “A.” In the Coding Guide, the Address 82 Calico Ave. falls in one of the address ranges in the same row as Delivery Route “A.”
The correct answer for sample question 2 is “B.” In the Coding Guide, the Address 20 N 42nd Street falls in one of the address ranges in the same row as Delivery Route “B.”
The correct answer for sample question 3 is “D.” In the Coding Guide, the Address 29 Rural Route 1 does not fall into any of the address ranges for Delivery Routes A, B, or C.
The correct answer for sample question 4 is “D.” In the Coding Guide, the Address 11000 Graves Ave. does not fall into any of the address ranges for Delivery Routes, A, B, or C.
The correct answer for sample question 5 is "A". In the Coding Guide, the address 5 Anywhere Lane falls in one of the address ranges in the same row as Delivery Route "A".

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Assessment Information Package – Exam 473

Sample Memory Questions
In this section of the test, you will assign codes based on your memory of the Coding Guide you used as part of the coding sample questions. Take five minutes to memorize the Coding Guide on page 7 and then determine your responses to the sample questions below.
Move through the items and assign codes to each based upon your memory of the Coding Guide. Work as quickly and as accurately as possible. Do NOT refer back to the Coding Guide as you work through this exercise. The Coding Guide should not be visible while you complete the sample questions.

The correct answers to sample questions 1 through 5 are: 1A, 2C, 3B, 4D, and 5D

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