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Civil Service General Information: 20 Practice Questions with Explained Answers

Practise the four official general-information areas with 20 original questions and explained answers. Both Professional and Subprofessional takers can use this set to find gaps before returning to the source material.

By Dodo Academy · Published

Answer first, then explain your choice

Write one answer per question before reading the explanation. Each question has one best answer. The five questions per topic are an editorial balance for this lesson, not an official CSC question distribution. These are original practice questions, not leaked, recalled, or official examination items.

Use two passes: first answer from memory, then return to the cited provision for any uncertain choice. Record confidence beside correctness. A lucky guess deserves review too. This exercise checks selected concepts; it is not a complete legal summary or a full examination.

Philippine Constitution

Source: 1987 Constitution: Articles V, VI, VII, VIII, and XI.

1. Which institution consists of the Senate and House of Representatives and exercises legislative power, subject to the Constitution?

  1. The Supreme Court
  2. Congress
  3. The Cabinet
  4. The Civil Service Commission

Answer: B. Congress is the legislature under Article VI, section 1. The Court exercises judicial power; the Cabinet and CSC are not the two legislative chambers. Match the stated function to the institution.

2. Under Article VII, section 1, in whom is executive power vested?

  1. The Senate President
  2. The Chief Justice
  3. The President of the Philippines
  4. The Commission on Elections

Answer: C. The provision vests executive power in the President. The other offices have different constitutional responsibilities. Holding a senior position does not make an official the constitutional holder of executive power.

3. Which answer correctly identifies where judicial power is vested under Article VIII, section 1?

  1. The Supreme Court and lower courts established by law
  2. Congress alone
  3. The Cabinet alone
  4. Every local government office

Answer: A. Judicial power belongs to the Supreme Court and the lower courts established by law. Congress, the Cabinet, and local offices do not replace that constitutional arrangement. Watch the complete wording of the option.

4. What is the minimum voting age in Article V, section 1, assuming the other qualifications are met?

  1. Sixteen
  2. Seventeen
  3. Twenty-one
  4. Eighteen

Answer: D. The minimum age is eighteen. Citizenship, residence, and other qualifications still matter; reaching this age alone does not establish every qualification. The question asks only for the constitutional age threshold.

5. Which statement best captures Article XI, section 1 on the nature of public office?

  1. Office is a personal reward
  2. Office is a public trust
  3. Office belongs to a family
  4. Office removes accountability

Answer: B. Public office is a public trust. Officials remain accountable to the people. Personal reward, family ownership, and exemption from accountability conflict with that principle rather than describe a lawful benefit of office.

R.A. 6713 and public-service ethics

Source: R.A. 6713: sections 4, 5, and 7.

6. An employee considers using office supplies for a private business. Which principle should guide the decision?

  1. Personal profit comes first
  2. Unused supplies have no owner
  3. Public interest takes priority
  4. Permission from a friend is enough

Answer: C. Section 4(a) prioritizes public interest and responsible use of government resources. A private benefit is not justified because supplies appear unused. Informal permission does not turn public resources into personal business assets.

7. A clerk serves qualified applicants equally, regardless of their political party. Which norm is most directly demonstrated?

  1. Political neutrality
  2. Simple living
  3. Personal loyalty
  4. Partisan preference

Answer: A. Section 4(d) concerns service without unfair discrimination based on party affiliation or preference. Simple living concerns lifestyle. Personal loyalty and partisan preference do not explain equal treatment across political groups.

8. Under section 5(a), within what period should officials respond to public letters and communications, stating the action taken?

  1. Three calendar months
  2. Only at year-end
  3. Whenever convenient
  4. Fifteen working days from receipt

Answer: D. The provision specifies fifteen working days from receipt. It requires a response stating the action taken, not a promise that every underlying application will be approved within that period. Keep those duties distinct.

9. A supplier offers an official a paid holiday in exchange for favorable handling of a government transaction. What should the official do?

  1. Accept after office hours
  2. Decline the offered benefit
  3. Accept through a relative
  4. Accept if kept private

Answer: B. Section 7(d) prohibits soliciting or accepting gifts or benefits connected with official duties or affected transactions. The explicit exchange for favorable treatment matters here; secrecy or an intermediary does not remove the connection.

10. Which example most directly reflects the simple-living norm in section 4(h)?

  1. Displaying extravagant wealth to clients
  2. Buying status symbols to impress applicants
  3. Living appropriately within lawful income
  4. Requiring visitors to fund celebrations

Answer: C. Simple living means a lifestyle appropriate to position and income, without extravagant display. The alternatives emphasize ostentation or private demands on visitors. The norm concerns conduct, not a requirement that every employee own identical possessions.

Peace and human rights

Source: Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Articles 1, 2, 5, 11, and 20.

11. Which statement reflects the declaration’s starting principle about human beings?

  1. People have equal dignity and rights
  2. Dignity depends on wealth
  3. Rights depend on popularity
  4. Only officials possess dignity

Answer: A. Article 1 recognizes equal dignity and rights. Wealth, popularity, and office do not determine a person’s human worth. Equal dignity does not mean that everyone has the same job or identical responsibilities.

12. A service desk rejects an otherwise qualified applicant solely because of religion. Which principle is directly undermined?

  1. Office scheduling
  2. Inventory control
  3. Record retention
  4. Nondiscrimination

Answer: D. Article 2 rejects distinctions such as religion in the enjoyment of the declaration’s rights and freedoms. The scenario describes unequal treatment on that ground, not a neutral scheduling or records-management decision.

13. Which treatment is expressly rejected by Article 5 of the declaration?

  1. Respectful questioning
  2. Torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
  3. A fair public hearing
  4. Peaceful discussion

Answer: B. Article 5 addresses torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. The other options do not describe that prohibited treatment. Read the actual conduct instead of assuming all questioning is abusive.

14. Residents hold a peaceful meeting to discuss a community dispute. Which freedom most directly relates to this activity?

  1. Forced association
  2. Automatic appointment to office
  3. Peaceful assembly and association
  4. Freedom to threaten opponents

Answer: C. Article 20 recognizes peaceful assembly and association. Meeting peacefully differs from threatening opponents, and participation does not confer public office. The same article also says nobody may be compelled to join an association.

15. How should a person charged with a penal offence be regarded before guilt is proved according to law?

  1. Presumed innocent
  2. Automatically guilty
  3. Guilty if criticized online
  4. Guilty unless popular

Answer: A. Article 11 recognizes the presumption of innocence until guilt is proved according to law. An accusation, online criticism, or unpopularity does not itself establish guilt. Distinguish a charge from a lawful determination.

Environment management and protection

Source: R.A. 9003: definitions and sections 21, 32, and 48.

16. Which office practice best illustrates segregation of waste at source?

  1. Mixing everything before collection
  2. Separating waste where it is generated
  3. Moving mixed waste to another room
  4. Burning mixed waste outdoors

Answer: B. Section 21 requires segregation at source, including institutional premises. Separating waste where it arises fits this approach. Moving a mixed pile does not segregate it, and burning is a different, prohibited practice.

17. Which process turns suitable biodegradable material into a soil-conditioning product through controlled biological decomposition?

  1. Littering
  2. Open dumping
  3. Composting
  4. Plastic lamination

Answer: C. Composting uses controlled biological decomposition. It is different from dumping waste without management or processing plastic. Identify the material and process together; not every item placed in a bin is suitable for composting.

18. What does MRF mean in the solid-waste framework of R.A. 9003?

  1. Materials recovery facility
  2. Mixed refuse fire
  3. Municipal road fund
  4. Mandatory rubbish fee

Answer: A. MRF means materials recovery facility. Section 32 provides for an MRF in every barangay or cluster of barangays. Its role concerns recovering and handling materials, not simply burning waste or collecting a named fee.

19. Which activity is listed as prohibited under section 48 of R.A. 9003?

  1. Reusing a sound container
  2. Separating recyclables
  3. Proper composting
  4. Open burning of solid waste

Answer: D. Section 48 includes open burning of solid waste among prohibited acts. Reuse, segregation, and appropriate composting support waste management. An open fire does not become an acceptable disposal method merely because waste disappears from view.

20. An office uses a sturdy delivery box again for storage without reprocessing it. Which concept best describes this?

  1. Incineration
  2. Reuse
  3. Open dumping
  4. Littering

Answer: B. Section 3 defines reuse as recovering materials for the same or a different purpose without changing their physical and chemical characteristics. The box stays useful in its existing form; the other options describe disposal or damage.

Common mistakes and your next study step

Do not replace the exact rule with something that merely sounds fair. Watch qualifiers such as “working days,” “peaceful,” and “at source.” Identify whether a question asks about an institution, a principle, or an action before comparing the choices.

Choose your weakest topic and write a three-line correction: the rule, the clue you missed, and a new example. Revisit those notes tomorrow, then try the linked subject quiz. Count improvements in reasoning as well as correct answers; this small practice score does not predict an official CSC rating.