Los Angeles Civil Service Exam Preparation

When looking for a civil service job in Los Angeles you can either apply for a job in Los Angeles County or LA City. If you live in one of the 88 cities found within LA County, you can apply through your specific city's job posting site. Most jobs are posted on the LA County site. If you are interested in working for your city then you will have to apply through your city's job posting site. Some departments post their job openings on the county or city sites.

The cities sites host positions of local departments. When applying for a civil service position, you will almost always encounter some sort of an exam. The exam is meant to measure skills that are required for the job.

Regardless of your location, job-specific exams will appear similarly across the board. For example, if you are applying for a clerical position in Los Angeles or in Fresno, the exams in both cities will be similar because the position requires the same skills regardless of location.

When applying for a civil service job in Los Angeles County, you will have to go through their online Job Application System. There, you can search for open positions through the county or various departments found within the county. If you meet the requirements for the position you applied for, you will be invited to take assessments that will measure job related competencies. Depending on the position, an exam may be:

• Written Test
• Interview
• Performance Test

The performance test rates your experience and training. If you are successful on the assessments, you will be placed on an eligible list of candidates from which departments can hire.

The written exams are usually multiple-choice. Each written test is geared toward the position to which you are applying. For example, if you are applying for an Administrative Assistant position, the exam will ask questions based on skills needed for the job, such as placing a list in alphabetical order. Preparing for the written exam will help you achieve a better result on the test.

Within LA County there are 88 cities. Each city has their own job posting site. When applying for a job through any of the cities job sites you will need to first meet the minimum requirements. The positions found on the city sites will be for that specific city. Some jobs require you to take an exam. If you need to take an exam you will either be contacted, or it will be state on the job description itself.

The test may consist of any combination of multiple choice, true/false, completion or identification items. They may also require an essay, performance test or an interview.

If you are interested in working for the LAPD or the LAFD you can either apply through the LA City job posting site, or through the department itself.

In order to succeed on the civil service written exam, you need to prepare. JobTestPrep provides an easy preparation process with our online practice packs which include Civil Service written practice tests, complete with answers and detailed explanations to prepare you for the exam. 

Learn more about other California Civil Service Exams

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