While the trade of delivering letters as a form of livelihood is in steep decline, the field of work has become more niched. Postmen are now called mail carriers. The job of a mail carrier is not easy. They require to have spontaneous and good communication skills. They need to possess good teamwork skills as well since they have to work with a lot of people from the same profession. The USPS or the United States postal service conducts a few exams to judge who is eligible for this profession. The 474 exam is one of them. Let us see what is a good score on that 474 Postal exam.
What Is A Good Score On The 474 Postal Exam?
The exam is not easy. The basic cut-off for clearing the exam is 70 out of the total marks. However, according to data collected from the USPS, more than 80% of candidates do not make the cut. The competition is nothing short of cutthroat. Hence, the better score one gets, the faster the USPS reaches out to them for the job. A score of more than 90 can help a candidate do so. Hence, a score of 90 or more than 90 is considered a good score on the 474 Postal exam.
Brief history
While there are many exams like the 475, 476, etc for various kinds of the profession in the postal domain, 474 is specifically designed to screen out mail carrier jobs. The exam used to be held in a different format and was called the 473. However, the 473 exam parameters became irrelevant over time and were replaced by the current exam, the 474. The 473 test only considered a candidate’s ability to quickly recognize addresses and routes. The exam has evolved since then to incorporate various other personality traits required for a harmonious and fulfilling work experience.
Current pattern
The 474 exam has three sections. They are:
- Work scenarios: the number of questions in this section is generally 8 in number. The main focus of this section is to understand how the candidate will work should certain difficulties or scenarios arrive in their work environment.
- Tell us about your story: the number of questions asked here is 20. This section focuses on the personal history, mainly the professional history of the candidate. They are asked about their previous job experience. Questions such as how they gelled within their work group, how their relationship with their superior was etc are frequently asked. The exam also asks about the regularity in the candidates’ showing up to work as a parameter to judge their attendance.
- Your approach: the number of questions in this section is 56, a considerable jump from the previous two. This section mainly focuses on the candidate’s personality. How they would respond to certain situations outside or inside the workplace, and what motivates them to work for the organization are all gauged.
The candidates are given a 72-hour window to complete the exam. Since the exam is held online, they can take it at a time suitable for them. While the three sections do not need more than 15 minutes to be completed, nervousness or some other unprecedented issues may make the candidate take more than an hour to complete them. The total marks in the exam is 100.
The various posts available after clearing the exam are:
City carrier:
The city carrier is responsible for delivering and collecting mail either in a vehicle or by walking. This job becomes especially tough in poor weather conditions.
City carrier assistant:
The city carrier assistant’s job is to assist the city carrier.
Rural carrier:
These employees do the same job as a city carrier in the rural areas. They deliver and pick up mail, sell various postage items on the way, etc. Older citizens or veterans are preferred for this job. This post can essentially be described as a non-career job.
Rural carrier associate:
This is a part-time or a full-time entry-level job for inexperienced candidates. They are responsible for delivering and picking up mail and packages. They do not have any fixed route on which they work. Their work hours are also variable. They generally work as substitutes or fill in for regular rural carriers.
Assistant rural carrier:
This job is very similar to that of the rural carrier associate’s. They get to drive a company-sanctioned vehicle but only for certain routes. In others, they have to use their own vehicles. However, they are not substitute workers like the associates.
Casual city carrier:
These roles are generally taken up by college students. This is not a full-time job. Candidates are hired for periods of 89 days at a time for a maximum of two times a year. Since they do not have any fixed jobs, they can be asked to perform anything. They mostly assist other postal workers.
Conclusion
While the postal service might be looked down upon sometimes as a profession, its importance can never be underestimated. A huge crop of candidates turns out every year for a few limited posts. The competition is so cutthroat that securing the bare minimum of 70 out of 100 might not be enough. To secure a role in the USPS, a candidate should aim for 90-plus scores. The fact that once a candidate fails this exam, they cannot give the exam for another year makes the task at hand even more difficult.
