A Guide to the USPS Postal Exam 955 – Examples & Tips
Updated November 18, 2023
This guide to the USPS postal exam 955 will take you through the different sections of the test, including example questions, provide tips on how you can prepare for the exam and answer several frequently asked questions.
The USPS postal exam 955 is used to screen applicants for mechanic and technician positions, such as electronic technicians or motor vehicle mechanics. It also sometimes referred to as the postal maintenance 955 exam, USPS maintenance mechanic 955 test or the 955 maintenance exam.
It tests applicants’ suitability by assessing personal characteristics, work experience, and electronic and technical knowledge and skills.
The USPS postal exam 955 replaced the previous 931, 932 and 933 exams.
The USPS postal exam 955 is free of charge, but you will need access to the internet and an email address.
The passing score for the technical section of the exam is 70%. A successful overall result will progress your job application to the next stage.
Passing the USPS postal exam 955 does not automatically lead to employment. You will also be required to meet the USPS eligibility requirements. These are:
- If you are under 18 years old, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent
- If you will operate power-driven machinery or drive a vehicle at work, you must be at least 18 years old
- You must pass a criminal background check, drug screening and medical assessment
- If relevant to the job, you must have a full driving license
You must be one of the following:
- A US citizen
- A lawful permanent resident alien in possession of a green card
- A citizen of American Samoa or another territory that owes permanent allegiance to the US
The Sections of the Postal Exam 955
There are three sections of the USPS exam 955. Generally, these will take place in two sittings:
- Section one on its own
- Sections two and three together
The sections of the postal exam 955 are:
Personal Characteristics and Experience
This section jointly assesses your personal traits and life and work experience.
Its purpose is to discover whether your personality, experience and attitude towards work are a good fit for the role and the USPS. This is a self-administered online test.
In this section, you will face 120 questions to answer within a time limit of 75 minutes. These are multiple-choice questions largely asking you to agree or disagree with a statement.
The questions in this section will build a personal profile of who you are as a person and as an employee.
There are no right or wrong answers and no pass score. Instead, you will be assessed in comparison to the profile the USPS will have already established for the ideal candidate.
Please select how strongly the following statements apply to you.
'I enjoy working as part of a team.'
a) Agree strongly
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Disagree strongly
'I am happy to work with little supervision.'
a) Agree strongly
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Disagree strongly
'When I find a task boring, I can easily become distracted.'
a) Agree strongly
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Disagree strongly
Multicraft
This section assesses your mechanical and electrical skills and knowledge.
The Multicraft section of the 955 exam is challenging, covering 21 technical fields, and extensively tests your knowledge of practical technical skills, technical theory, and related scientific formulae.
Due to the wide range of topics that may be covered in the Multicraft section, it is difficult to predict what will be included, but generally questions will be relevant to the specific role you have applied for, for instance, machinery mechanic or electrician.
You will be asked to answer 60 multiple choice questions in one hour.
Unlike the previous part of the postal exam 955, the Multicraft section must be taken at a USPS-authorized test center.
1. Which of the following are applications of a single phase induction motor?
a) Pump
b) Compressor
c) Drilling machine
d) All of the above
2. What does a pitot tube measure?
a) Flow velocity
b) Pressure
c) Difference in pressure
d) Something else
Spatial Relations
This section assesses your visualization skills – in other words, how well you can look at a schematic and visualize how the parts combine to create the whole and how well you can read a set of instructions and visualize how those instructions will lead you through the construction or repair of an item.
This section must also be administered at a USPS-authorized test center.
The Spatial Relations section is split into two smaller sections:
- Matching Parts
- Figures and Spatial Visualization
1. Matching Parts and Figures
In this section, you will be asked to visualize the result when a number of 2D shapes are combined.
Which of the options combine to form the top shape?
How to Prepare for the USPS Postal Exam 955
As with any test, research, familiarity and practice are your best friends when preparing for the USPS postal exam 955.
Step 1. Research the Role and USPS
Whenever you apply for a job, one of the easiest ways to get into the right mindset is to research your prospective employer and find out what the job entails.
You can find plenty of information on USPS by visiting its website, such as its company culture, employee benefits and the wide variety of career paths you can follow.
Take your time to investigate the role you are applying for and how it fits into the USPS structure too. You can begin by closely examining the job description.
Step 2. Use Paid For or Free Postal Exam 955 Practice Test Resources
One of the easiest ways to prepare for the postal exam 955 is to build your familiarity with the type of questions you will face on the day.
This is where practice tests, postal exam 955 sample questions and study guides come in handy.
USPS postal exam sample questions, such as the ones mentioned in this article, can be sourced online from a variety of sources.
However, full practice papers for the postal exam 955 are more difficult to find.
JobTestPrep provides 955 exam practice papers that cover mechanics, electronics, workshop and tools, spatial reasoning and oral technical interview skills.
You can also find free exam 955 practice test questions on WikiJob's website.
Postal exam 955 study guides are rare, mainly because of the extensive range of topics that may be covered in the Multicraft element of the exam.
Nevertheless, it is always recommended that you refresh your knowledge on basic machine functions, hydraulic and pneumatic principles and Ohm’s law.
One other aspect of the postal exam 955 is the time limit.
To reduce exam nerves and improve your time management skills, perform timed practice where you complete the paid for or free postal exam 955 practice test against the clock.
This will make you more capable when it comes to hitting all the questions in the real thing.
Step 3. Try Your Hand at Personality Tests
Whether it is talking about yourself, needing time to think about your answer or the format of the question, the personality test element of the USPS 955 test may cause you some discomfort.
It is therefore in your best interests to practice this part of the assessment before you face the real thing.
Get started on JobTestPrep.
You must meet the USPS eligibility criteria to take any of the postal exams:
- If you are under 18 years old, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent
- You must be aged at least 18 years if you will operate power-driven machinery or drive a vehicle at work
- You must be able to pass a criminal background check, drug screening, and medical assessment
- You must hold a full driving license, if relevant to the job
You must be either:
- A US citizen
- A lawful permanent resident alien in possession of a green card
- A citizen of American Samoa or another territory that owes permanent allegiance to the US
Should you fail the USPS postal exam 955, you must wait one year before you can re-take the test.
However, in the meantime, you may take other postal exams for different roles within the USPS, such as the 474, 475 and 476 exams.
The USPS postal exam 955 is entirely free to take, as are all the USPS postal exams.
If a company claims to be an agent for the USPS and asks for a fee to provide access to any part of the application process, do not use them.
Once you have taken the USPS postal exam 955, you can view your scores in your eCareer profile. Your results will show that you are either eligible or ineligible to continue with your application.
Should you be ineligible, your application has been unsuccessful.
If you are eligible, meaning that you have passed the USPS postal exam 955, the next step will be candidate screening. This includes a medical assessment, drug screening, and background check.
Should you progress past candidate screening, you will generally be invited to interview.
When you have found a job to apply for, the next step is to create an eCareer profile with the USPS. This is where your application will be stored. You can also view your application progress here.
Once set up, you can use your profile to apply for any USPS job you are interested in.
The postal exam 955 is used to assess the personality, work experience and technical skills and knowledge of applicants who wish to work in electrical or mechanical roles for the USPS.
The USPS 955 exam has three sections:
- Personal Characteristics and Experience
- Multicraft
- Spatial Relations
The Personal Characteristics and Experience section is a self-administered test. The Multicraft and Spatial Relations sections are administered at a USPS authorized test center.
Final Thoughts
With a workforce of over 500,000, the USPS is one of the biggest employers in the country and offers:
- A vast range of career paths
- Job security as an employee of a well-known national organization
- A career development program
- Great employee benefits, including health insurance and retirement savings plans
It is, therefore, no surprise that the USPS is such a popular employer, attracting a vast quantity of applications year after year. In such a competitive scenario, the most intelligent approach is to provide yourself with the best chance possible of success.
While it is impossible to revise for the Personal Characteristic and Experience section of the postal exam 955, you may find it useful to take a personality test before you face the real thing so that you can build a familiarity with the format of the questions.
The Multicraft and Spatial Relations sections of the USPS postal exam 955 are difficult and extensive in the topics that they cover. Preparation for these sections of the exam is essential.
Use USPS 955 sample exams, source sample questions, and brush up on your technical skills and knowledge.
