This is a sample test for the Supervising Clerical Assistant Examination. This test illustrates the types and formats of questions you will encounter on the exam. The actual Examination will consist of 95 multiple-choice questions and applicants will have three (3) hours to complete the examination. The examination will assess the following:
I. UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING WRITTEN MATERIAL
These questions assess applicants’ ability to understand brief written passages. Applicants will be provided with short written passages from which words or phrases have been removed. Applicants will be required to select, among four alternatives, the word or phrase that best fits in each of the spaces. Applicants will not be required to have any prior knowledge relating to the content areas covered in the selections.
II. APPLYING FACTS AND INFORMATION TO GIVEN SITUATIONS
These questions assess applicants’ ability to use the information provided and apply it to a specific situation defined by a given set of facts. Applicants are presented with a regulation, policy or procedure similar to what a Court Assistant may encounter on the job. Applicants must use this information to answer questions about specific situations. All of the information required to answer the questions is contained in the passages and in the description of the situation.
III. COURT RECORD KEEPING
These questions assess applicants’ ability to read, combine, and manipulate written information organized from several sources. Applicants will be presented with different types of tables, which contain names, numbers, codes and other information, and must combine and reorganize the information to answer specific questions.
IV. PREPARING WRITTEN MATERIAL
Format A: These questions assess applicants’ ability to present information accurately and clearly and to organize written information logically and comprehensibly. Applicants will be presented with several sentences and must select the sequence that most effectively organizes them into a coherent and logical paragraph.Format B: These questions assess applicants’ ability to apply the rules of English grammar and usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. Applicants will be presented with a series of sentences and must select the sentence that best conforms to standard English grammar and usage, punctuation, and sentence structure.
V. LEGAL TERMINOLOGY
These questions assess applicants’ knowledge of basic legal terminology Supervising Court Office Assistants encounter in their daily work.
VI. SUPERVISION AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT
These questions assess applicants’ supervisory and management skills to direct activities of a clerical operations unit is such areas as: organizing and planning work assignments, orienting and training employees, communicating in an office setting, performance evaluation, dealing with the public and resolving problem situations encountered by a supervisor. Applicants will be presented with hypothetical situations that court assistants typically encounter in their daily work. Applicants will be required to select the best alternative to address each situation.