5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Postal Exam 473E

Postal Exam 473E is the gateway to working at entry level positions at United States Postal Service. Many candidates apply each year for the posted vacant USPS jobs and they have to pass the assessment exam before their applications can be processed further. As such having the basic information about the test—which vacant positions does it cover, how the test is structured, how the test is graded—can help candidates with their preparations for the postal exam. This blog aims to provide this fundamental information.    

1) How is Postal Exam 473E Different from Postal Exam 473?

They both are basically same. Postal Exam 473E is a modern, electronic variant of the traditional paper based 473 Postal Exam. The former has completely replaced the latter as an established form of assessment.  

2) Which USPS Jobs are Filled Through Postal Exam 473E?

The Postal Exam 473E is used for filling following job positions at USPS:

• US Postal Sales, Service and Distribution Associate.
• US Postal Mail Carrier (City Carrier Associate and Rural Carrier Associate)
• US Postal Service Clerk
• US Postal Mail Handler Assistant
• US Postal Data Conversion Operator

3) How is Postal Exam 473E Characteristically Different from Other Postal Exams?

Postal Exam 473E is characteristically structured to assess job-related criteria, whereas other postal exams are designed to evaluate the aptitude of a candidate.  

4) How is Postal Exam 473E Structured?

The Postal Exam 473E is divided into four sections, with each section being scored individually. It includes:

i) Section A: Section A is known as “Address Checking”. This section contains questions which require candidates to determine if two addresses are identical or not. A total of sixty questions need to be answered within a time limit of 11 minutes.

ii) Section B: Section B is known as “Forms Completion”. In this section candidates are provided a set of information and based on the details provided, they have to fill a form – one that is used by postal service workers. It comprises of thirty questions which need to be answered in 15 minutes.

iii) Section C: Section C is known as Coding and Memory and it is divided into two subsections. In the first subsection, the candidate has to identify a delivery route based on the given address ranges. You will be provided with a chart to assist you. It consists of thirty six questions that need to be answered in 6 minutes.  

In the second subsection you will have to utilize your memory and remember different routes for different address ranges. Here, you won’t have any chart to assist you in finding the solution to the given question. You will have a total of thirty six questions that need to be answered in 7 minutes.   

iv) Section D: Section D is known as Inventory of Personal Experience and Characteristics. This section is used for evaluating the personality traits of an individual and help the examiner in determining if the appearing candidate is the right fit for the job or not. It comprises of two hundred and thirty six questions that need to be answered in a time window of 90 minutes.

5) How the Test is Graded?

Candidates are scored on a scale from 0 to 100. 70 points is the minimum score required to pass the test. Each section of the Postal Exam 473E is graded individually and the scores are then added together as per a complex formula that is not disclosed by USPS. 

• For section A, you get one point for answering a question correctly, while one-third points are deducted for each incorrect answer.
• For section B, you score one point for each correct answer. There is no negative marking for the incorrect answers.
• For section C, the scoring scheme is identical to Section A.
• For section D, the grading scheme is not disclosed by USPS.

We hope that the provided information will prove to be a valuable resource for our readers. If you believe we failed to address an important topic, please leave your questions in the section below and we will make sure that we answer it.