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Exam Overview
An Overview of the Exam
The Virtual Entry Assessment is the Postal Service's pre-employment test for its largest entry-level job families. It replaced the older Postal Exam 473 and similar legacy tests, and it is administered by USPS through its online eCareer hiring system.
The Four VEA Versions
| Exam | Official name | Positions | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 474 | VEA – MC (Mail Carrier) | City Carrier, Rural Carrier, City Carrier Assistant (CCA), Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) | Work Scenarios · Tell Us Your Story · Describe Your Approach |
| 475 | VEA – MH (Mail Handler) | Mail Handler, Mail Handler Assistant (MHA) | The three shared sections + Check for Errors |
| 476 | VEA – MP (Mail Processing) | Mail Processing Clerk, PSE Mail Processing Clerk | The three shared sections + Check for Errors |
| 477 | VEA – CS (Customer Service) | Sales and Services Associate, PSE Sales and Services/Distribution Associate | The three shared sections + Work Your Register |
Format and Timing
Key Facts
- Delivery: online and unproctored — you test at a time and place you choose, on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
- Completion window: you have 72 hours (3 days) from the invitation email to finish. An assessment not completed in time is marked ineligible for that posting.
- Length: USPS estimates about 30–45 minutes to complete.
- Question types: situational judgment (Work Scenarios), structured multiple-choice work history (Tell Us Your Story), paired-statement work style items (Describe Your Approach), plus timed-pressure Check for Errors (475/476) or Work Your Register (477).
- Accommodations: a link at the start of the assessment explains how to request a reasonable accommodation; USPS lists Examadmin@usps.gov as the contact.
The Sections
Work Scenarios
Realistic job situations, each with four possible responses. You choose the response you would be MOST likely and LEAST likely to take.
Tell Us Your Story
Multiple-choice questions about your work history, school, attendance, and how others would describe you.
Describe Your Approach
Pairs of statements about work style. You pick the statement more like you and how strongly it fits.
Check for Errors (475, 476)
Compare an original and a copy — ID numbers or addresses — and mark each pair as a match or an error. Speed and accuracy both count.
Work Your Register (477)
Simulated counter transactions: give correct change using the fewest bills and coins, as quickly as you can.
Job Preview
Many versions open with a short, unscored preview of the job's realities (weather, physical work, schedules).
Scoring and Results
The VEA has no published number of questions per section and no single answer key you can memorize. Responses are scored against the profile of employees who succeed in the job. USPS does not publish a numeric passing score for the VEA. Your result appears on the Assessments page of your eCareer candidate profile as eligible (passed) or ineligible (did not pass, or did not finish within 72 hours).
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Result | Eligible or ineligible, shown on the Assessments page of your eCareer profile; USPS publishes no numeric passing score for the VEA |
| Veterans' preference | Eligible veterans receive preference in the hiring process |
| Score reuse | Your result is used for other postings that require the same VEA version until the expiration date on your Notice of Results |
| Retesting | If you do not pass, you can retake the same VEA version after one year (12 months) from your most recent attempt |
| Selection | Postings accept a limited number of applicants and invite them on a first-come, first-served basis — apply early |
Basic Eligibility
- At least 18 years old, or 16 with a high school diploma (some positions require 18).
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien (citizens of American Samoa and other U.S. territories also qualify).
- Pass a criminal background check and a pre-employment drug screening; male applicants must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
- Driving positions (carriers): a valid state driver's license, a safe driving record, and at least two years of unsupervised driving experience.
Before You Click Start
Because the VEA is unproctored, it begins with an honesty certification: you agree to complete it yourself, without help. Treat it like a proctored exam — quiet room, charged device, stable connection, and one uninterrupted block of time.Finished reading?
Next, start the first chapter.