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Beat the 2024 Postal Exam 475 With Quick Guides and Accurate Practice

  • Overview
  • Practice Test
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  • FAQ
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Individuals applying for a mail handler position with the US Postal Service will need to take the Postal Exam 475.

The table below shows which sections you’ll be taking as part of your Postal Exam 475:

 Postal Exam 474Postal Exam 475Postal Exam 476Postal Exam 477
Tell Us Your Story🗸🗸🗸🗸
Describe Your Approach🗸🗸🗸🗸
Interpersonal Skills🗸🗸🗸🗸
Situational Judgment Test🗸🗸🗸🗸
Finding Duplicatesx🗸🗸🗸
Work Your Registerxxx🗸

If you want to stand a chance of beating the competition and landing the job, you need to prepare thoroughly to perform well in every section of this exam – coming up short in just one section can and will cost you this opportunity. The best way to secure your success on this exam is with Prepterminal’s Postal Exam Master Course. The modular curriculum of this course will walk you step-by-step through this challenging exam and help you land the job with ease. Get started today and kickstart your new career with the US Postal Service!

What is the Postal Exam 475?

Postal exam 475 is one of the four new Virtual Entry Assessment exams launched recently. Advanced exam preparation is highly recommended, as you will need to take this test within 72 hours of applying for a mail handler job.

The 475 VEA assessment is used in the process of recruiting for the following job positions:

  • Mail Handler
  • Mail Handler Assistant
  • Casual Mail Handler

The Virtual Entry Assessment – MH (475) for Mail Handlers features the following sections:

  • Work Scenarios – 9 questions
  • Tell Us Your Story – 22 questions
  • Describe Your Approach – 79 questions
  • Check for Errors – 12 questions

Free Postal Exam 475 Practice Test

Let’s take a look at a short Postal Exam practice test to get to know the test a bit better.

Why Take the Postal Exam 475?

The USPS administers tests that assess the qualifications and knowledge of a candidate for a post office job. The competition for these jobs is quite fierce as there are often more candidates than job openings. This is why it is so important to do well on the 475 postal exam. Using all the resources available, such as the course material and practice tests offered by PrepTerminal, is advisable.

The postal test 475 is the exam you should take when you want to land a job as a: mail handler, mail handler assistant, or casual mail handler.

In a nutshell, the mail handler VEA will focus on what a mail handler does in the USPS.

What is Included in Postal Exam 475?

The USPS VEA 474 Postal Exam features the following 3 sections:

Section #1. Tell Us Your Story

this section in the mail handler VEA asks questions about different aspects of any previous jobs you may have had in the past. Don’t fret if this is your initial job, as you can just indicate that this is your first job position. You will also be asked about your job attendance record, how your superiors could assess you, and how you work together with colleagues.

Section #2. Describe Your Approach

 in this section, you will be presented with questions about how you relate to others, your attitudes towards various features of your work, and how you would respond on a personal level in specific circumstances.

Section #3. Work Scenarios (Work Situations)

this section presents statements that give an account of potential work scenarios and then asks you what you would do or not do, in those given work scenarios.

Section #4. Check for Errors

 this section measures your ability to identify differences in sets of numbers and tests if you can notice whether sets of numbers are different or the same.

Postal Exam Prep Master Course Content

Sample Questions for the Virtual Entry Assessment – MC (475)

SJT/Work Scenario Question:

While at the sortation center, you notice that a coworker of yours is having trouble getting parcels to the delivery area even with the help of a pallet jack. After asking him, he says he lifted a heavy box incorrectly a few minutes ago and now his back is hurting.

Question: Which of the following courses of action are you least and most likely to take?
Options:
  • A:
    Remind him of the protocol for lifting heavy packages before offering your help.
  • B:
    Tell him to head to the clinic while you take the parcels to the delivery area
  • C:
    Tell him to rest and have another coworker take the parcels to the delivery area.
  • D:
    Tell him to head to the clinic so that his back can be checked.
Answer: D (least likely) and B (most likely)

Explanation:

Notice that the question is asking which of the choices you are least likely to make, which means you have to choose the worst or least effective choice.

From here, Option D can be classified as the worst choice in this situation, not because you are telling a coworker to make sure that he is not injured, but because the choice doesn’t include what to do with the parcels that have to be taken to the delivery area. It can only be inferred that you just left it there after telling your colleague to go to the clinic, which can mean delays in the delivery of the parcels.

Option B can be considered the choice to select most likely because this minimizes the time needed for the parcels to be taken to the delivery area. If you have to look for another coworker to take the parcels, this will take some time, and the vehicle assigned for the parcels may have to leave in a few minutes.

Checking for Error Question:

Question: Is Parcel 4 a match?
Options:
  • A:
    Match
  • B:
    Error
Answer: A

Explanation:

The Input ID is a perfect match with the one in the Database.

How Long is Postal Exam 475?

The mail handler VEA is self-administered and should take approximately 45 minutes to complete and focuses on what a mail handler does. However, there is no official time limit for any section of this test. Yet, you should try to work as quickly as you can without compromising on accuracy, as your score will reflect the amount of time it took you to finish the exam.

The 475 postal exam must, however, be completed within 72 hours (3 days) of applying for a postal job. With such limited time available once you have applied, it is highly recommended to start preparing for your assessment in advance.

What is the Passing Score for the 475 Postal Exam?

The maximum score you can achieve is 100, and 70 is a passing score. It is essential that you attain the highest score possible if you pass but don’t get the high score needed to land a job you must wait two years before you can retake the 475 exam. If you fail the test you need to wait 1 year before you can take the test again. The score you achieve is key to landing the job you want. Tailored exam preparation is thus imperative.

This scoring mechanism also works for the USPS 474 Exam for Mail Carriers, the USPS 476 Exam for Operators and Clerks, and the USPS 477 Exam for Customer Service Representatives.

Who this Course is for

  • USPS applicants who want to prepare and succeed in the Virtual Entry Assessment – MH (475) for Mail Handlers.
  • Previous USPS applicants who were not able to succeed the first time around but want to do better and secure their application with renewed confidence and more knowledge.

Postal Exam 475 FAQs

What basic requirements must I satisfy when applying for a job with the USPS?

– Be 18 years of age at the time of employment or have a high school diploma and be 16 years of age.
– Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or be a citizen of another territory of the U.S.
– Provide your recent employment history.
– Pass a medical assessment, criminal background check, and drug screening.
– Have a safe driving record, where relevant.
– Be registered with the Selective Service, if required.

How do I apply for a vacancy at the postal office?

You must apply for a postal job directly from the USPS website. After you have completed your resume you should fill out the job application, as well as your employment history. After you have done this, you will be able to see all the open positions in your region.

Why is it important to prepare for the 475 postal exam?

You must attain a score of at least 70% on the USPS test you take just to qualify for employment. However, top scores are more seriously considered, so you should put in your very best effort. There will be a set number of candidates selected to test and/or interview for every position advertised. Higher scoring candidates will, in all likelihood, get first job preference. Furthermore, if you don’t pass the 475 test the first time, you cannot sit the exam again for 1 year. You can, however, sit a different VEA test, however, this may mean that you end up applying for a job that isn’t exactly what you want.

What is the passing score for VEA 475?

You need to achieve a score of 70 in order to pass the VEA 475. If you score anything below 70 you will receive a message stating that you are ‘ineligible’. This means that you will not be considered for the selection process.

As competition is serious and all candidates are ranked based on the marks they achieve, it is best to try and score as high a mark as you can. This will help to increase your chances of going through to the next part of the recruitment process.

Can I resit the 475 postal service exam?

If you don’t manage to pass the 475 postal service exam in a given attempt, you will have to wait 1 year before you can take the 475 test again.

How do I know if I passed the postal exam 475?

You can access your exam results directly from the USPS website after you have finished your exam. Be aware that if you scored lower than 70 points you will be presented with a message that reads ‘ineligible’.

Am I promised the job after I pass the 475 exam?

In short, no. You will not be promised a job if you pass the 475 exam. If you do manage to attain one of the top three exam scores required by the USPS, you will be able to move on to the next part of the hiring process.

How long will my score remain valid?

Your USPS exam score will remain valid for a period of two to six years, according to whether you managed to pass the exam and depending on the job role you applied for.

What are the challenges of passing the 475 exam?

There are four sections on the postal exam 475. Three of them – Work Scenarios, Tell Us Your Story and Describe Your Approach – feature unusual questions which are answered in a really strange manner. It is not uncommon for candidates to fail because they didn’t really grasp the questions in these sections or didn’t understand how they were meant to answer them. It is essential that you prepare for these sections so that you know what to watch for, and so you won’t be unsettled by their strangeness.

How Prepterminal can Help with your Postal Exam

According to the USPS, around 80-90% of all candidates will not pass their postal exam. Thus, the passing score implemented for all U.S. Postal Service exams is considerably high. If you want to pass this test you need to achieve a score of at least 70 out of a possible 100. Practicing leading up to the day of your exam will help you refine your test-taking skills and know-how and maximize your chances of passing this difficult exam.

At PrepTerminal we are here to help you optimize your 475 postal exam score. Our tailor-made preparatory postal exam course will help you familiarize yourself with the structure and format of this tricky exam. Our prep course is modular and features both text and video-based material. As such, you can easily follow along, stay engaged and learn the strategies you need to ace your postal test. Don’t hesitate! Give yourself the best possible chance of landing your USPS job and start practicing with us today.

*Note: USPS and other trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with PrepTerminal or this website.
Matthew Appleyard

Created by: Matthew Appleyard

Psychometric Tutor, Prepterminal Test Expert

1426 students,
4.3
, 260 Reviews

I’m Matt, Prepterminal’s Postal Exam Test Prep expert. Any questions about the course? Let me know at [email protected]

Postal Exam 475 Prep Course
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