Postal Service employees are one of the few groups of federal workers with the right to bargain collectively for wages and conditions. The USPS is financially independent from the federal government, generating all its own revenues with no subsidies from American taxpayers. The postal service employs more U.S. workers than GM, Ford, and Chrysler combined. One of the more poplar jobs with the US Postal Service is the postal carrier.
USPS Jobs - Postal Carrier
While you won’t know exactly what will be on the actual test, our free practice questions Postal Service Exam™ can give you a little experience with the type of questions you will need to answer. Then, when you take the actual test, you won’t be surprised and can.
Description: Delivers and collects mail on foot or by vehicle providing customer service in a prescribed area, outdoors in all types of weather. Carriers may be required to carry mailbags on their shoulders. A mailbag full of mail can weigh up to 35 pounds. Carriers have to load and unload trays and containers of mail and parcels weighing up to 70 pounds. Carrier duties require prolonged standing, walking, and reaching. City carrier applicants must have a current valid state driver’s license, a safe driving record, and at least two years of documented driving experience.
After the mail has been processed and sorted, Postal Service mail carriers deliver mail, to residences and businesses in cities, towns, and rural areas. Carriers are classified as either city or rural, depending on their type of route, but both types share similar duties. In the early morning, mail carriers arrange their mail in delivery sequence at the Post Office. The mail carriers then travel established routes, delivering and collecting mail by either foot, vehicle or a combination of both. Mail carriers also collect money for postage-due and COD fees and obtain signed receipts for registered mail. At the end of their routes, mail carriers return to the post office and turn in their collected mail, receipts, and money collected during the day.
Rural carriers perform similar duties to city carriers, but also provide a wider range of postal services such as selling stamps and registering parcels and letters. Both city and rural carriers provide a high level of customer service including answering customers’ questions about postal regulations and services and providing change-of-address cards and other postal forms when requested.
Getting a job with the US Postal Service requires you to pass a postal exam. Post office jobs cover many different responsibilities, including: postal carrier, mail processing clerk, and postal clerk. Other local post office jobs include corporate jobs, sales and marketing jobs, and information technology jobs. Postal jobs often have superior compensation and benefits.
Mail Carriers Salary
In May 2006, the median annual salary of Postal Service mail carriers was $44,350. Earnings ranged from $40,290 to $48,400 for the middle 50 percent. The top 10 percent of Postal Service mail carriers earned more than $50,830.
Sorters/Processors Salary
In 2006, the median annual salary of Postal Service mail processors was $43,900. Earnings ranged from $40,350 to $47,440 for the middle 50 percent. The top 10 percent of mail sorters and processors earned more than $49,570.
Clerks Salary
In 2006 the median annual salary of Postal Service clerks was $44,800. Earnings ranged from $41,720 to $47,890 for the middle 50 percent. The top 10 percent earned more than $49,750.
Benefits
The benefits of Postal Service workers are similar to those enjoyed by Federal Government workers. Employees of the postal service are often members of various unions, such as: The American Postal Workers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.
Our directory of Free Postal Exam 473 Questions is listed below. Practicing with sample questions is an effective way to study for the various Postal Exams in order to get a local post office job. Our free post office sample tests provide you with an opportunity to assess how well you are prepared for the actual Postal Test, and then to concentrate on the areas you need work on.
Post Office Jobs - Go here to Find and Apply for Post Office Jobs
Test-Guide.com provides free postal exam questions to help you prepare for and pass your postal exam 473. To get started with our free postal exam questions, just select one of the USPS exams below:
Free Postal Exam 473 Questions
Postal Exam 473 Part A Practice Tests
USPS Exam 473 Part B Practice Tests
Post Office Exam 473 Part C Practice Tests
Postal Exam preparation requires you to study smart – not hard! To pass your postal battery exam, you need to:- Study when you are the most alert
- Understand what’s on the Postal Exam
- Focus on the material that you don’t know
- Develop a flexible study schedule
Professional postal exam prep products are the best way to prepare for your postal exam. Taking postal practice exams help you get used to what will be on the actual exam.
To obtain a local post office job, you first need to apply for a job with the US Post Office.
USPS Jobs That Require Postal Exams
Many USPS jobs revolve around sorting and delivering mail. The postal battery exam (473) will assess the skills most used in performing these tasks. The most common positions that require passing the postal exam 473 are listed below:
- City Carrier: This is what the public thinks of when they say 'mail man'. The city carrier delivers (and collects) mail by foot or vehicle. The city carrier is given an assigned area and must deliver in all types of weather. The city carrier may be required to carry a 35 pound mailbag on their shoulder. Additionally, carriers are expected to handle mail containers weighing up to 70 pounds. Carriers spend extended periods of time standing, walking and reaching. Applicants are required to have a valid driver's license, including a safe driving record and two or more years of driving experience.
- Mail Processing Clerk: Mail processing involves operating automated mail process equipment or manually sorting mail. Mail processing clerks organize and move processed mail from one area to another. These clearks are required to lift and transport heavy containers.
- Mail Handler: Mail handlers move mail containers and equipment throughout postal facilities. Mail handlers also open and empty containers of mail. Mail handlers are required to handle containers weighing up to 70 pounds.
- Sales, Services, and Distribution Associate: These retail associates work at local post offices and provide customer service to USPS customers.
Postal Exam 473 Content
The details of the postal battery exam are summarized in the following table:
Test Topic | Description | Number of Questions | Time Limit |
Part A: Address Checking | Decide whether two addresses are identical | 60 | 11 min. |
Part B: Forms Completion | Determine how to correctly fill out forms | 30 | 15 min. |
Part C: Coding | Assign the correct code to an address | 36 | 6 min. |
Part C: Memory | Recall codes assigned to addresses | 36 | 7 min. |
Part D: Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory | Job-related experiences and characteristics | 236 | 90 min. |
Postal Exam 473 Test Dates
The postal exams are not scheduled on specific test dates. Applicants schedule their own exams.
After you submit an application for a job with the post office, you will receive an assessment invitation e-mail. Some jobs have a pre-determined maximum number of applicants. If the job's limit has been reached, you will not be invited to take the USPS exam. During the online application process you will be given an onscreen notification whether you will receive an invitation to take the postal exam.
For jobs like rural carrier and city carrier that require the postal exam 473, applicants will have to take and pass two exams. The first USPS exam is an online assessment that will take a maximum of 90 minutes.
If you pass the online postal exam, you will then need to take an exam at an approved location. This on-site exam will be proctored (i.e., monitored) by trained personnel.
For the USPS 473 exam, applicants are typically given 7 days to complete the entire exam process. Further details can be found on the USPS assessment examination PDF.
Postal Exam 473 Scores
Postal exam 473 requires a minimum score of 70. This minimum score of 70 is referred to as a qualifying score. Scores from 70 to 100 are referred to as a basic rating which means you passed the exam. Veterans may be entitled to an addition of 5 or 10 points to their score. Additionally, veterans may receive priority in selection decisions and opportunities to take exams that are not open to the public.
Scoring is handled differently for each of the postal battery exam (USPS exam 473) sections as specified below:
- Part A (Address Checking): Your score is based on the number of correct answers minus one-third of your incorrect answers.
- Part B (Forms Completion): Your score is based solely on the number of correct answers. There is no penalty for guessing (wrong answers).
- Part C (Coding and Memory): Your score is based on the number of correct answers minus one-third of your incorrect answers.
- Part D (Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory): Your score is based on your responses to the questions in the section.
Last Updated: 5/17/2019