Exam Rules and Eligibility
Not publishedof exam
English Language
Not publishedof exam
Mathematics
Not publishedof exam
General Knowledge
Not publishedof exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- Clerk I entrance examination
- Administered by
- Service Commissions Department
- Format
- Multiple choice
- Subjects
- General Knowledge, English, Mathematics
- Questions
- Not published
- Time limit
- Not published
- Pass mark
- Not published
- Weights
- Not published
- Age
- 17-23 at appointment
- Qualifications
- Five O-Levels, English compulsory
- Selection
- Examination plus interview
- Results
- Generally 8-12 weeks
Three Published Subjects
GEM = General knowledge, English, Mathematics
G: General KnowledgeE: English LanguageM: MathematicsNo fourth subject
Before Exam Day
- Told an item count→Treat as unverified(SCD publishes none)
- Told a pass mark→Treat as unverified
- Collecting letter yourself→Bring photo ID
- Someone collects for you→Authorization letter, both IDs
- Aged 24 at appointment→Outside the age band(Reg 5(1))
- No English O-Level→Not yet eligible(Reg 5(2))
- Failed last sitting→Reapply next year(PSC Reg 12(2))
- Passed but no post→Reapply; waiver possible(PSC Reg 12(3))
Published vs Unpublished
- Format
- Multiple choice paperSCD
- Subjects
- General Knowledge, English, Mathematics
- Item count
- Not published
- Time limit
- Not published
- Pass mark
- Not published
- Subject weights
- Not published
- Fourth subject
- None; only three published
- Fee amount
- Not in 2018 notice
- Sitting rules
- Follow your notification letter
Eligibility Rules
- Age band
- 17-23 yearsReg 5(1)
- Age tested on
- Date of appointment
- Reg 5(1A)
- Narrow year-2000 exception
- Academic passes
- Five GCE O-LevelsReg 5(2)
- Compulsory subject
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Listed in ttconnect guidance
- Entry grade
- Clerk I, Clerical Class
- How to apply
- Only when SCD advertises
Notice and ID
- Notification letter
- Carries sitting instructions
- Accepted ID
- Permit, National ID, Passport
- Proxy collector
- Needs your authorization letter
- Proxy also brings
- Your ID copy, theirs
- Dress code
- Applies at SCD offices
- Collection windows
- Trinidad and Tobago separate
- Cycle logistics
- Re-read the current notice
- Official site
- scd.org.tt notices
After the Exam
- Selection basis
- Examination plus interviewPSC 12(1)
- Results timing
- Generally 8-12 weeks
- Pass outcome
- Place on merit list
- Failed candidate
- Reapply a following yearPSC 12(2)
- Passed, no post
- Reapply; waiver possiblePSC 12(3)
- Who marks papers
- Appointed Examination BoardPSC 17(1)
- Exam conduct
- Director is responsiblePSC 17(2)
- Fee exemption
- Re-sit after passingReg 8(1)
- Fee payment
- District Revenue Office receiptReg 8(2)
Noun c, Verb s
C for noun, S for verb
licence / licensepractice / practiseadvice / advise
Licence vs License
Licence
- Noun
- The document itself
- c as in certificate
License
- Verb
- To grant permission
- s as in issue
Noun c, verb s
English Answer Picker
- Two clauses, no conjunction→Semicolon(Not a comma)
- List after full clause→Colon
- Subject plus together with→Singular verb(Phrase is parenthetical)
- neither ... nor→Match nearer subject
- After a preposition→me, him, them(Objective case)
- Opening -ing phrase→Name the actor next(Avoids dangling)
- The permit document→licence(Noun takes c)
- To grant permission→license(Verb takes s)
- Paper and envelopes→stationery(e for envelope)
Commonwealth Spelling
- -our
- labour, honour, favour
- -re
- centre, metre, theatre
- -ise
- organise, authorise, recognise
- Double l
- travelled, cancelled, enrolled
- -ce nouns
- licence, practice, advice
- -se verbs
- license, practise, advise
- programme
- Except a computer program
- -ogue
- catalogue, dialogue
- defence
- Never defense
Commonwealth Endings
our, re, ise, and double l
labour not laborcentre not centerorganise not organizetravelled not traveled
Stationary vs Stationery
Stationary
- Adjective
- Standing still
- a as in stand
Stationery
- Noun
- Paper and envelopes
- e as in envelope
e means envelopes
Confused Word Pairs
- Stationery
- Paper, envelopes, supplies
- Stationary
- Standing still
- Principal
- Chief, or capital sum
- Principle
- Rule or fundamental truth
- Discreet
- Tactful, keeps confidences
- Discrete
- Separate and distinct
- Elicit
- Draw out information
- Illicit
- Unlawful or forbidden
- Council
- An official body
- Counsel
- Advice, or a lawyer
- Ensure
- Make an outcome certain
- Insure
- Cover against financial loss
- Assure
- Give a person confidence
Affect vs Effect
Affect
- Usually the verb
- To influence something
- Cuts affect staffing
Effect
- Usually the noun
- The result produced
- Also means bring about
Influence vs result
Grammar Rules
- together with
- Subject stays singular
- as well as
- Subject stays singular
- and
- Builds a plural subject
- neither ... nor
- Verb matches nearer subject
- Collective noun
- Singular when acting together
- After a preposition
- me, him, us, them
- who
- Test with he
- whom
- Test with him
- Dangling modifier
- Actor follows opening phrase
- Misplaced modifier
- Keep modifier beside noun
Shall vs May
Shall
- Mandatory
- No discretion
- Breach if ignored
May
- Discretionary
- Permission granted
- Judgement allowed
Duty vs discretion
Punctuation Marks
- Semicolon
- Joins two related clauses
- Semicolon in lists
- Items already contain commas
- Colon
- Introduces list after clause
- Comma splice
- Two clauses, comma only
- officer's
- One officer owns it
- officers'
- Several officers own it
- children's
- Irregular plural possessive
- Hyphen
- Compound adjective before noun
- No hyphen
- After an -ly adverb
Comprehension Signals
- shall, must
- Mandatory duty
- may, can
- Discretionary power
- should
- Recommended practice
- Notwithstanding
- Overrides the conflicting provision
- Provided that
- Adds a condition
- Subject to
- Subordinate to another rule
- Without prejudice
- Existing rights preserved
- EXCEPT, NOT
- Pick the false statement
- always, never
- Rarely true in policy
Office Vocabulary
- Expedite
- Speed up processing
- Promulgate
- Officially bring into effect
- Supersede
- Replace an earlier directive
- Substantive
- Held permanently, not acting
- Acting
- Temporarily performing higher duties
- Requisition
- Formal request for supplies
- Remittance
- Money sent as payment
- Statutory
- Required by an Act
- Ratify
- Formally approve
- Adjourn
- Suspend to another time
- Provisional
- Temporary, pending confirmation
- Minute
- Note recorded on file
Order of Operations
BODMAS: Brackets, Orders, Divide, Multiply, Add, Subtract
Divide, multiply: left to rightAdd, subtract: left to rightBrackets always first
Gross vs Net Pay
Gross
- Basic salary
- Plus overtime
- Plus allowances
Net
- After deductions
- Take-home pay
- Computed last
Add before deducting
Maths Method Picker
- Percent rise or fall→Change / old x 100(Old value below)
- Price before increase→Divide by 1 + rate
- Two discounts running→Multiply the factors(Never add rates)
- Split by ratio→Total / parts, then multiply
- Adding to an average→Rebuild the total(Then divide again)
- Table totals disagree→Cross-foot both ways
- Gap divides by 9→Hunt transposed digits
- Cash book vs bank→List timing items
- Mixed units given→Convert before calculating
Order and Fractions
- BODMAS
- Brackets, orders, divide, multiply
- Same rank
- Work left to right
- 1/8
- 12.5%
- 1/6
- 16.67%
- 1/4
- 25%
- 1/3
- 33.33%
- 3/8
- 37.5%
- 5/8
- 62.5%
- 3/4
- 75%
- Fraction to decimal
- Divide top by bottom
Transposition Check
Difference divides by 9 = swapped digits
9, 18, 270, 90063 written as 36Check digits before recounting
Calendar vs Working Days
Calendar days
- Every day counts
- FOIA allows 30
Working days
- Weekends excluded
- Public holidays excluded
Read the wording
Percentage Formulas
- Percent of amount
- Rate / 100 x amount
- Percent change
- Change / old x 100
- Increase by rate
- Multiply by 1 + rate
- Decrease by rate
- Multiply by 1 - rate
- Reverse percentage
- Divide by 1 + rate
- Total after 15% rise
- Divide by 1.15
- Two 10% discounts
- 19% off, not 20%
- Percentage share
- Part / grand total
- Sanity check
- Shares total about 100%
Ratio and Averages
- Ratio 3:2:1
- Six equal parts
- One part
- Total / number of parts
- Each share
- Its parts x one part
- Mean
- Total / number of items
- New mean
- Rebuild total, then divide
- Median
- Middle of ordered list
- Mode
- Most frequent value
- Range
- Highest minus lowest
- Weighted mean
- Multiply each by weight
Tables and Checking
- Cross-foot
- Row totals equal columns
- Grand total
- Must agree both ways
- Difference / 9
- Suspect transposed digits
- Out by 270
- Classic digit transposition
- Gap equals an entry
- Suspect an omitted line
- Rounding
- Shares may miss 100%
- Column share
- Divide by grand total
- Trend
- Compare like periods only
Office Word Problems
- Gross pay
- Basic, overtime and allowances
- Net pay
- Gross minus deductions
- Overtime pay
- Hourly rate x multiplier x hours
- Unpresented cheque
- Written, not yet cleared
- Deposit in transit
- Lodged, not yet credited
- Cash book gap
- Timing, not always error
- Working days
- Weekends and holidays excluded
- Calendar days
- Every day counted
- Four steps
- Read, plan, compute, check
Units and Conversions
- 1 inch
- 2.54 cm exactly
- 1 foot
- 0.3048 m
- 1 mile
- About 1.609 km
- 1 kg
- About 2.205 lb
- 1 US gallon
- About 3.785 litres
- 1 litre
- 1000 millilitres
- 1 tonne
- 1000 kilograms
- 1 hour
- 60 minutes
- National system
- Metric SI units
Senate Split
16 PM, 6 Opposition, 9 Independent
Senate: 31 appointedHouse: 41 electedPresident makes the appointments
PSC vs SCD
PSC
- Constitutional commission
- Selects and appoints
- Sets selection policy
SCD
- Administrative department
- Runs the examinations
- Issues public notices
Decides vs administers
General Knowledge Picker
- Who appoints clerks→Public Service Commission
- Who runs the examination→Service Commissions Department
- Who marks the papers→Examination Board(PSC Reg 17(1))
- Who heads a ministry→Permanent Secretary(Accounting Officer)
- Who gives policy direction→The Minister
- Independence asked→31 August 1962
- Republic asked→1 August 1976
- CARICOM founding→Treaty of Chaguaramas 1973
- Document request deadline→30 calendar days(FOIA Chap. 22:02)
Public Service Structure
- PSC
- Appoints civil service officers
- SCD
- Administers the Commissions' work
- DPA
- Director of Personnel Administration
- Four Commissions
- Public, Police, Teaching, Judicial-Legal
- Examination Board
- Sets and marks papers
- Minister
- Political head of ministry
- Permanent Secretary
- Administrative head, Accounting Officer
- Clerical ladder
- Clerk I to IV
- Civil Service Act
- Chap. 23:01
Angry Citizen
LAST = Listen, Apologise, Solve, Thank
Listen fullyApologise onceSolve or escalateThank the citizen
Minister vs Permanent Secretary
Minister
- Political head
- Sets policy direction
- Changes with government
Permanent Secretary
- Administrative head
- Accounting Officer
- Career public officer
Politics vs administration
Conduct and Ethics
- Political neutrality
- Serve any government impartially
- Confidentiality
- No unauthorised disclosure
- Gifts
- Refuse personal benefits
- Integrity Commission
- Monitors declarations and conduct
- Chap. 22:01
- Integrity in Public Life
- Chap. 22:02
- Freedom of Information Act
- FOIA response
- Within 30 calendar days
- Exempt records
- Cabinet notes, defence, advice
- Discipline
- PSC follows natural justice
Senate vs House
Senate
- 31 members
- Appointed by President
- 16, 6 and 9 split
House
- 41 members
- Elected by voters
- One per constituency
Appointed vs elected
National Facts
- Independence
- 31 August 1962
- From
- The United Kingdom
- Republic
- 1 August 1976
- Republic Day
- 24 September
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Tobago capital
- Scarborough
- First Prime Minister
- Dr Eric Williams
- First President
- Sir Ellis Clarke
- Currency
- Trinidad and Tobago dollar
- National flower
- Chaconia
- National birds
- Scarlet Ibis, Cocrico
- Coat of arms
- Scarlet Ibis and Cocrico
Independence vs Republic
Independence
- 31 August 1962
- From the United Kingdom
- Governor-General remained
Republic
- 1 August 1976
- President replaced Governor-General
- Republic Day 24 September
Two dates, two events
Government Structure
- Head of State
- The President
- Head of Government
- The Prime Minister
- Parliament
- Senate and House
- House of Representatives
- 41 elected members
- Senate
- 31 appointed senators
- Senate split
- 16 PM, 6 Opposition, 9 Independent
- President chosen by
- An Electoral College
- Tobago
- Tobago House of Assembly
- Judiciary
- Headed by Chief Justice
- Supreme law
- The 1976 Constitution
CARICOM and Region
- Treaty of Chaguaramas
- Signed 4 July 1973
- In force
- 1 August 1973
- Founding members
- Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, T&T
- Secretariat
- Georgetown, Guyana
- Membership
- 15 Member States
- Associate members
- Eight territories
- Revised Treaty
- Established the CSME
- CSME
- Single market and economy
- CCJ seat
- Port of Spain
- CXC
- Caribbean Examinations Council
Registry and Service
- Alphabetical filing
- By name or subject
- Numerical filing
- By assigned file number
- Chronological filing
- By date order
- Subject filing
- Grouped by topic
- Charge-out
- Records who holds file
- Minute sheet
- Running notes inside file
- LAST
- Listen, Apologise, Solve, Thank
- Counter conduct
- Courteous, accurate, prompt
Common Traps
Published vs rumoured
Three subjects are published ≠ Count and timing unpublished
Subjects vs job skills
Only three tested subjects ≠ Filing speed not published
Stationery vs stationary
Stationery is paper ≠ Stationary is still
Affect vs effect
Affect is the verb ≠ Effect is the result
Adding discount rates
10% then 10% gives 19% ≠ Adding gives a wrong 20%
Wrong percentage base
Divide by the old value ≠ Not by the new value
Averaging averages
Rebuild the total first ≠ Never average two means
Age test timing
Age counted at appointment ≠ Not at application date
Pass vs appointment
Pass earns a merit place ≠ Appointment still needs interview
Commission vs Department
PSC decides appointments ≠ SCD administers examinations
Senators vs Representatives
Senators are appointed ≠ Representatives are elected
Last Minute
- 1.Three subjects: GK, English, Mathematics
- 2.Count, time, pass mark unpublished
- 3.Format is multiple choice
- 4.Age 17-23 at appointment
- 5.Five O-Levels; English compulsory
- 6.Pass, then interview (PSC Reg 12)
- 7.Commonwealth spelling: labour, centre, organise
- 8.licence = noun; license = verb
- 9.stationery = paper; stationary = still
- 10.Percent change divides by old
- 11.Reverse percentage: divide by 1.15
- 12.Cross-foot: rows equal columns
- 13.Difference by 9 = transposition
- 14.Rebuild totals before new averages
- 15.Independence 1962; Republic 1976
- 16.Senate 31 appointed; House 41 elected
- 17.CARICOM: Chaguaramas 1973, Georgetown seat
- 18.FOIA reply: 30 calendar days
- 19.Bring photo ID for letter
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