Postal Exam 476: Free Practice Questions & Tips - 2024 - Practice4Me (2024)

Have you received an invitation to take the USPS Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476)? If you have, you may feel nervous about the type of questions you will be asked. This article will provide you with detailed information about the questions you will be asked, how to answer them, and the best way to prepare for the assessment.

What is the Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476)?

Job seekers and recent graduates that are looking to be hired as a mail processor or mail processor assistant at USPS will be required to take the Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476). If you took this exam prior to 2019 and passed, your scores are unfortunately obsolete, meaning you will have to retake the assessment in order to be considered for a position. This exam is scored out of 100 points, and in order to pass you must score 70 points or higher. If you have submitted your application and made it through the pre-employment screening, you will receive an email with a link to this assessment. Although this is a non-proctored test and can be taken online at home, you must complete the assessment within 72 hours, otherwise you will be disqualified and removed from the recruitment process.

In order to do well on this exam, you will need to provide yourself with ample amount of studying time. Although USPS states that you only need 70 points to pass the exam, you will need a substantial amount of points to catch the attention of the hiring team. USPS receives an overwhelming amount of applications every day, so you must find a way to stand out from the crowd. By seeking out and utilizing online test preparation materials, you will be able to become familiar with questions you may see on the test. The USPS Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476) will include the following subjects:

Work Situations

This portion of the exam consists of 9 questions that cover real-word working scenarios. You will be provided with a hypothetical situation that you would likely encounter on the job. Then, you will have to choose one option that represents the action you would most likely take, and choose a different option that represents the action you would least likely take. This section can be difficult for some candidates. Some questions might have obvious answers, while others might have one or two answers that both seem like good options. In order to be able to confidently choose the correct option, you have to become accustomed with the topics and test structure by using online test preparations that include answers and explanations. The explanations will provide you with valuable reasoning that will help you become familiar with the job role. Here is an example of a question you might see on the assessment:

Sample Question: You will be presented with a hypothetical situation that you may encounter at work, as well as four potential responses. Please choose one action that you would most likely take, and one action that you would least likely take.

You notice your co-worker has started taking more breaks than usual. His time spent away from work has caused you and your other co-workers to take on more work and slowed down production. How would you react?

1. Do not react, how your co-worker handles his work is none of your business.
2. Approach your co-worker and explain how you have been affected by his breaks. Ask them if there is anything they need to talk about or if they need help with something.
3. Approach your co-worker and remind him of his hourly obligation, while also explaining how you’ve been affected by his breaks.
4. Go straight to your supervisor and report the co-worker.

Answer: In this scenario, the best option would most likely be option 2. With this type of response, you are confronting your co-worker in a polite manner while also offering them assistance. The worst option would be option 1. This type of response does not accomplish anything and allows the issue to continue to occur. With this type of question, some applicants may be stuck between choosing option 2 or 3 because of their similarities. Online testing material can help you avoid this confusion by offering detailed responses and explanations.

Error Recognition

The error recognition part of the exam will be comprised of 12 questions. Each question will include 4 rows and 3 columns of information. Your job will be to search through the information and identify which rows have matching information and which ones do not. Your performance on this section will help the test proctors assess your aptitude for catching small mistakes quickly. USPS will be looking to hire a detail-oriented person. This means that you need to complete this section as quickly as possible. This is what the table may look like:

Sample Question: Identify which sections have matching numbers and which sections contain errors.

Answer: In order to do well in this section, you need to be able to recognize that the third row contains an error within a few seconds of looking at it.

Background Information

The background information section of the exam consists of 22 questions. USPS will use this portion of the exam to get to know you and compare your responses with your resume. The hiring managers will review your responses to the exam questions with the information you provided on your resume. They will then determine if your responses match and if you have sufficient experience for the role you applied for. In this section, you will be asked questions about your professional experiences, such as how a co-worker would describe you, whether your boss would describe you as a team player, or whether you believe you are a motivated individual. Then, you will be asked to choose a response that matches closely with your beliefs. This is what these questions may look like:

Sample Question: If we contacted your previous supervisor, how would they say your leadership skills are compared to your co-workers? Choose the option that most accurately reflects your beliefs.

1. Superior
2. Slightly Better
3. Average
4. Slightly Worse
5. Subpar

Answer: The best answer to this question would be option 1. Sometimes individuals may feel awkward talking about themselves or promoting their skills. In these sections, you have to be confident in your abilities and choose options that will give you an edge up on other candidates. Online testing material can help you boost your confidence and explain to you how you should handle these types of questions.

Situational Approaches

The situational approaches portion of the exam is by far the longest, consisting of 79 questions. The USPS hiring committee will use this section to measure your ability for conflict resolution as well as learn more about your personality. These types of situational judgements tests are becoming increasingly common in the hiring process. This may be one of the most important parts for you to do well on. Unfortunately, this section can contain awkward questions possibly meant to confuse the applicant. If you are not paying attention, you could easily choose the wrong answer by not completely reading the options. You may see a question resembling the following example:

Sample Question: Please choose an option that best represents your level of agreement with the following statements.

A: I know where my future is heading and I know what I need to do to achieve my goals.

B: Sometimes I question what my future looks like.

1. Mostly relate to A
2. Mostly relate to B
3. Somewhat relate to A
4. Somewhat relate to B

Answer: Option 1 would be the best choice for this question. This response shows the hiring managers that you are a motivated individual who will work hard to achieve their goals. Even though these questions are asking for your opinion, they do have wrong answers. If you chose option 2, you would be admitting to the hiring managers that you lack solid goals and may need additional motivation to get the job done. In these scenarios, it is important to think back on the position you applied for and compare the answer you plan to choose with the job description. Then, choose the option that you believe fits your character and will appeal to the hiring managers.

Postal Exam 476 Assessment Tips

1. Go in confident: Avoid becoming tripped up on questions that are worded in a bizarre manner, especially if you are someone who becomes easily anxious while taking a test. Preparation is absolutely essential. The more familiar you are with the layout of the test, the less likely you are to come across a question that confuses you. This is why study guides and practice exams are the perfect tool, they not only help you become oriented with the assessment design, but also with a huge variety of questions you may see on the actual exam.
2. Learn to identify “right” and “wrong” answers: Some portions of these psychometric assessments might have you wondering why the hiring managers are judging your personality. The answer is, they are not. They are comparing your personality traits to the needs of the position. Some people are a good fit, others are not. In order to make sure you are the perfect fit, practice online tests that will explain why some answers are more beneficial than others, and why some answers could give off the wrong impression.
3. Answer the questions quickly: Even though this assessment does not have a time limit, that does not mean you should take your time answering the questions. The USPS hiring committee will compare your test time with other candidates. If you receive a similar score to other candidates, you need to have a faster completion time in order to prove that you can conduct your work in a quick and efficient manner.

How to Prepare for the Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476)?

For some individuals, preparing for the Virtual Entry Assessment-MP (476) can be a daunting task. If you do not pass this exam the first time around, you will have to wait one year before you can re-take it. Subsequently, if you pass the test the first time, but receive a comparatively low score, you will have to wait two years to retake it. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to do everything in your power to not only pass the test on your first try, but also receive the highest score possible.

Online test preparation, study guides, and practice tests will undoubtedly assist you during your studying process. Practice exams can be retaken as many times as you like, meaning you can take the test in its entirety, and then focus on your weakest sections. The study guides will usually include testimonials from people who have already taken the exam, which will allow you to gain inside knowledge on what to expect. Additionally, you need use a practice test that will provide you with detailed explanations. This is where you can figure out whether you are answering the questions correctly. The responses will allow you to learn more about where you have gone wrong in answering your questions or confirm your train of thought if you answer them correctly.

Learn about the other common USPS Postal Exams.