The postal exam 473 is notorious for being increasingly difficult and exceptionally hard to pass. Used to fill in at least 90% of all available postal jobs, the postal exam helps to vet out a large number of applicants. Each year, only 10% of people pass the test with ease.

Despite this fact, you can still improve your chances of passing by focusing on a few things that will make a definite difference in your performance. The following are a few ways in which you can improve your chances of passing the postal exam:

1.Pay Attention to the Sections

The postal exam 473 is divided into 4 different parts that are based on coding, memory, address comparison, postal forms and more. You can expect to answer the following on this basis:

• Part A – Address Checking – You have to compare all the addresses on the two different lists and identify any mistakes.
• Part B – Form Completion – You have to identify whether the form has been correctly completed or not.
• Part C- Section 1 - Coding – You have to identify whether the addresses have the right codes given to them
• Part C – Section 2 – Memory – You have to memorize codes and assign them to the right addresses
• Part D – Personal Characteristics and Personality – You have to answer some questions about your characteristics, skill sets and more.

Each section of the postal exam has a different way to fill in the answers as quickly as possible.

2.Remember the Time Constraints

You don’t just have to remember that each section has different questions to answer; you also have to remember the time constraints that apply for each section. The following are the time constraints:

• Part A – Address Checking – 60 questions to be answered within 11 minutes.
• Part B – Form Completion – 30 questions to be answered within 15 minutes.
• Part C- Section 1 - Coding – 36 questions to be answered within 6 minutes.
• Part C – Section 2 – Memory – 36 questions to be answered within 7 minutes.
• Part D – Personal Characteristics and Personality – 236 questions to be answered within 90 minutes.

The good part is that the test is digitalized which saves you a bit of time but you will still have to focus on answering quickly and correctly each time.

3.Practice with a Study Guide

A major reason why people fail is because they are either underprepared or they are not paying attention to the time constraints. For first time exam applicants, the layout can also be a bit confusing which can hamper their performance. One of the best ways to improve your chances of passing is by practicing with an interactive study guide.

These are specifically designed to address the different challenges that the postal exam has to offer. With the help of the right study guide, you can work out strategies, apply them, and see how you score. The mock exam that an interactive study guide offers also allows you to familiarize yourself with the layout of the postal exam.