📎 Clerical Exam Study Guide

Overview

Clerical Associates are the backbone of a city office: they file and retrieve records, sort and distribute mail, enter data, answer phones, and keep the paperwork moving so the rest of the agency can do its work. This track covers the Clerical Associate title, and the skills here are also tested on many other office-support examinations.

The exam tests accuracy and speed more than memorized facts. Expect questions on filing order, alphabetizing, checking names and numbers, coding, and spotting errors in typed text. DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark.

Use this guide to learn the filing and checking rules, drill them until they are automatic, and then test yourself with timed practice questions. Work through the checklist below and mark off each skill only when you can do it quickly and without errors.

What the exam typically tests

Topic checklist

Work through this list honestly — drill the items you cannot do yet.

• ☐ File surnames alphabetically, including names beginning with Mc, Mac, O', and hyphenated names
• ☐ Sort numbers in ascending numeric order without being fooled by digit-by-digit string order
• ☐ Sort dates chronologically, earliest first
• ☐ Apply a given coding rule to build a file code from a name and a number
• ☐ Compare a copied name or number against the original digit by digit and letter by letter
• ☐ Spot a misspelled word in a typed sentence at a glance
• ☐ File a record by surname rather than by first name
• ☐ Decide where a file belongs when two names are nearly identical
• ☐ Follow a multi-step written filing procedure in the correct order
• ☐ Check a full address — house number, street, borough, and ZIP code — for errors

How to prepare

Common mistakes to avoid

• ✕ Reading numbers as text: 12 sorts before 9 alphabetically, but 9 comes first in numeric filing order — always use the numeric value.
• ✕ Filing by first name instead of surname: a file for Mary Jones goes under J, not M.
• ✕ Skimming instead of checking digit by digit: transposed digits such as 48217 and 48271 look identical at a glance.
• ✕ Ignoring apostrophes and prefixes in surnames: O'Brien, McDonald, and hyphenated names follow the same letter-by-letter order as any other name.
• ✕ Guessing the code instead of following the stated rule: the rule is always given in the question — apply it step by step.
• ✕ Proofreading for meaning instead of spelling: a sentence can make perfect sense and still contain a misspelled word.

Exam day strategy

• ✓ Read the filing rule in the question before looking at the answer choices.
• ✓ Compare names and numbers character by character — cover the original, then check one character at a time.
• ✓ On alphabetizing items, write the order out on scratch paper instead of doing it in your head.
• ✓ Do the easy checking items first to bank points, then return to the harder coding items.
• ✓ Mark hard questions, move on, and return to them at the end.
• ✓ Save a few minutes to check that every question has an answer.

Sample questions

Try these 3 sample questions from the practice bank. The correct answer is marked — read the explanation even when you get one right.

Official sources

The exam announcement (Notice of Examination) is the final authority for the exam you are taking; check it for the exam number, eligibility, subjects tested, and instructions. DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark.