Acing the Canada Post Assessment Test: Tips and Strategies

by Sarah Duncan

The Canada Post Assessment Test is an assessment that is conducted during the hiring process for Canada Post.

It can be daunting to apply for a job at the Canada Post and then have the pressure of studying for a test – especially if you don’t know what to expect!

The assessment is in place just to ensure there is a standard of person who is employed by Canada Post, making sure you’re qualified for the job.

It is a little different than your average pre-employment check, but that doesn’t mean you should be more nervous about it!

This article will break it down for you so you’re prepared for it, eliminating those pre-test nerves. We’ll discuss:

• What the Canada Post Assessment Test is
• The Canada Post Assessment Test Process
• Preparation strategies and sections to focus on
• Understanding your results.

Let’s get into it!

What is the Canada Post Assessment Test?

The Canada Post Assessment Test assesses candidates’ suitability for jobs at the Canada Post, whether this be mail carriers, sorters, clerical workers, or other positions.

To be employed in any of these positions, you’ll need to pass the assessment.

The General Aptitude Test was replaced on January the 2nd 2023 with the General Competency Test Level 2. It’s a multiple-choice test with 90 questions, and it takes about two and a half hours to complete.

The assessment is a fairly standard competency test, and it assesses your ability to solve problems and handle information relevant to the job.

Canada Post Assessment Test Process

If you are selected for the second step in employment after submitting your application, you will be invited by email to participate in the assessment.

The assessment goes over five main topics of focus: Vocabulary, analytical reasoning, figural relations, number and letter series, and numerical problems.

These questions are all multiple-choice. Your results will be released within 48 hours; you must have a minimum of 51 out of 90 to pass it, but you should of course strive for the best score possible! There is a stand-down period of 180 days before you can retake the test.

If you score well on the assessment, you will likely be asked to sit for an interview.

Preparation Strategies for the Assessment

The most crucial thing when preparing for the assessment is to familiarize yourself with the content that is likely to be on the assessment.

This means brushing up on your literacy and numeracy, practicing your problem-solving and reasoning skills, and sharpening your ability to detect errors and mistakes.

It’s important to get enough rest and prepare yourself physically before the test, as with any assessment. Be sure your mind is primed to perform well by eating well and taking care of your body!

Getting familiar with the test format is also very helpful in preparing for the assessment.

There are practice tests available from JobTestPrep which help greatly in giving you a solid idea of what to expect going into the assessment.

There’s nothing that works better to defuse those nerves before a test than knowing that you’ve practiced and know what’s ahead of you!

Specific Sections to Focus on

When you go into the test, it is timed – so it’s important to allocate your time wisely depending on the difficulty of each section.

Sections such as the sorting, sequencing, and memory exercises may require a bit more time to get right, so be sure to allocate enough time to ace these sections.

The memory section is timed; you’ll be given 3 minutes to answer a question based on a paragraph of text that you will have been presented with beforehand. Make sure you leave plenty of time for sections such as these.

Remember that all the questions are multiple-choice, so you can expect questions such as ‘Choose the correct answer to continue the pattern: 5,7,9,?’ With an array of answers to choose from.

Test Day: Best Practices and What to Expect

As with any test, it’s important to be punctual and organized beforehand.

Planning the amount of time you’ll need approximately for each section and keeping track of the time you have left is always helpful to minimize the amount of stress and pressure you feel during the exam.

Remember you can always go back if you’re unsure and answer a question later. Always try to leave a little extra time at the end of the test to go over your answers (especially with the more difficult sections) so you can double-check.

Overall, the most important thing to remember is to prepare as thoroughly as you can including using practice tests, and do your best on the day.

After the Test: Understanding Your Results

After the test, you’ll receive your results within 48 hours. Your score will be out of 90; the passing score is 51 out of 90, but the higher your score is, the better your profile looks to potential employers.

If you’ve scored high enough to pass this stage of the employment process, you’ll be advanced to the interview stage.

If you need to retake the test, there is a period of 180 days which must pass before you can do so. If you retake the test before the 180 days have passed, your results will not be valid or recorded.

Final Thoughts

Acing the Canada Post Assessment Test isn’t hard if you prepare well and know what to expect.

It can be daunting when you’re confronted with a test that needs to be passed in order to progress in your job application, but this assessment is really just testing for competency in things such as logic and literacy. It doesn’t involve super difficult, specialized knowledge.

With this guide and the resources in it, you should be well equipped to take the Canada Post Assessment and do well in it.

It’s important to prepare well before the exam, manage your time well during the exam – and above all, do your best!

FAQs

What changed with the introduction of the GCT2 test?

The GAT, which was used previous to the GCT2 test, was a little bit shorter in length with a 90-day stand-down period, instead of 180 days.

The minimum pass score for this test was 35/65, as opposed to 51/90. The GAT tested the ability to perform basic administrative tasks, rather than competency like the GCT2 does.

How are the results of the Canada Post test used in the hiring process?

The results of the Canada Post Test directly correlate to the hiring process; the higher your score, the more likely you are to get an interview.

There is of course a minimum pass score for screening (51 out of 90). The results of this test are also retained in the Public Service Commission’s system.