Civil Service Exam (Subprofessional) Clerical Ability — Alphabetizing & FilingCheat Sheet
Cheat sheet for Civil Service Exam (Subprofessional) Clerical Ability — Alphabetizing & Filing. Compact, printable, and organised around the concepts Civil Service Commission (CSC) tests most frequently in the Civil Service Exam (Subprofessional) 2026. Perfect for the week before exam day.
Exam context
The Career Service Examination — Subprofessional Level is conducted by Civil Service Commission (CSC) and is scheduled for Bi-annual — March and August 2026. The Clerical Ability subtest is marked as "~25% weightage" in the official pattern, and Alphabetizing & Filing appears in position 1st of 3 in the Civil Service Exam (Subprofessional) Clerical Ability review rotation. Passing mark: 80%. Recent Civil Service Exam (Subprofessional) 2026 papers have drawn roughly 17 questions from this subject.
Alphabetizing & Filing - Cheat Sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering alphabetizing rules and filing systems - everything you need for the CSE exam
Sections
Section Title
Basic Rules for Names of Persons
Important Facts
- Disregard ALL spaces and symbols (hyphens, apostrophes)
- Ang-Sy becomes Angsy, O'Neal becomes Oneal
- Dela Cruz becomes Delacruz
- Spell out ALL abbreviations: Dr. = Doctor, Hon. = Honorable, Atty. = Attorney, St. = Saint
- If surnames are identical, alphabetize by first name
- Names with only initials come BEFORE full names starting with same letter
- Names WITHOUT middle initials come BEFORE those with middle initials
- Shorter names come BEFORE longer names when first letters match
Key Definitions
Term
Filing Structure for Persons
Example
Hon. Juan A. Dela Cruz Jr. → Dela Cruz, Juan A. Jr., Honorable
Definition
Last Name, First Name, Middle Name/Initial, Suffix, Title
Term
Alphabetizing Priority
Example
Santos, Ana comes before Santos, Ben
Definition
Surname first, then first name, then middle name, then suffix, title last
Diagrams To Know
- Filing structure hierarchy diagram
- Decision tree for same surname sorting
Section Title
Business Names and Establishments
Important Facts
- Drop ALL symbols from business names
- Spell out ALL abbreviations: Corp. = Corporation, Inc. = Incorporated
- If business contains person's full name, use person filing rules
- Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and
- Names with initials are separate units: N-C-V Review School
- Spell out ALL numerals: 5th Element = Fifth Element
- Same business names: alphabetize by location/branch
- Government departments: file by main purpose/function
Key Definitions
Term
Business Filing Rule
Example
ABC Company stays ABC Company; Juan Dela Cruz Law Firm → Dela Cruz, Juan Law Firm
Definition
File businesses as officially written, unless they contain a person's full name
Term
Articles Rule
Example
The Amazing Shop → Amazing Shop
Definition
Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and when alphabetizing
Diagrams To Know
- Business name processing flowchart
- Government department filing hierarchy
Section Title
Special Cases and Exceptions
Important Facts
- Hyphenated surnames treated as ONE unit
- Prefixes (De, Dela, Mac, Mc, San, O') kept as written
- Middle initial comes BEFORE middle name with same starting letter
- Titles have LOWEST priority in alphabetizing
- Numbers spelled out: 101 = One Hundred One
- Government agencies filed by main department name first
Key Definitions
Term
Title and Name Only
Example
Mayor Binay, St. Mark, Fr. O'Hara
Definition
File as written when only title and one name present
Term
Branch Locations
Example
McDonald's Manila before McDonald's Quezon City
Definition
Same business name with different locations sorted alphabetically by location
Diagrams To Know
- Exception handling flowchart
Must Remember
- Last Name ALWAYS comes first for persons
- Disregard ALL spaces and symbols (hyphens, apostrophes)
- Spell out ALL abbreviations without exception
- Initials come BEFORE full names with same starting letter
- Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and in business names
- Business with person's full name follows person rules
- Titles have LOWEST priority in alphabetizing
- Numbers must be spelled out completely
- Same business names sorted by location alphabetically
- Government departments filed by main purpose
Last Minute Tips
- When in doubt about symbols, always remove them completely
- If you see Dr., Hon., Atty., St. - immediately think 'spell it out'
- For identical surnames, work through the hierarchy: first name → initial vs full → middle initial → length
- Business names with people's names are tricky - apply person rules to the name part only
- Numbers in names are ALWAYS spelled out - no exceptions
Comparison Tables
Rows
Values
- Last, First, Middle, Suffix, Title
- As officially written
Property
Structure
Values
- N/A
- Use person filing rules
Property
Full Name in Business
Values
- Not applicable
- Ignore: a, an, the, of, and
Property
Articles
Values
- Spell out all
- Spell out all
Property
Abbreviations
Values
- Disregard all
- Disregard all
Property
Symbols
Values
- Spell out
- Spell out
Property
Numbers
Columns
- Aspect
- Person Names
- Business Names
Table Title
Person vs Business Filing Rules
Rows
Values
- First name alphabetically
- Santos, Ana before Santos, Ben
Property
1st
Values
- Initial before full name
- Santos, A. before Santos, Albert
Property
2nd
Values
- No middle initial first
- Santos, Ed before Santos, Ed H.
Property
3rd
Values
- Middle initial before full middle
- Santos, Ed A. before Santos, Ed Albert
Property
4th
Values
- Shorter name first
- Santos, Ed before Santos, Edward
Property
5th
Columns
- Priority
- Rule
- Example
Table Title
Same Surname Resolution Order
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