If it is intended to make application for admission to civil service examination it is wise to make preparation by taking up a regular course of study in the branches which your examination will come.

The best course of study and the most practical knowledge can be gained by having a friend read a newspaper paragraph, allowing you to write it down while it is being read. This exercise is particularly effective as it gives you a knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and rapid and improved penmanship.

The spelling of the names of the various states and territories and their proper abbreviations is also necessary.

Other abbreviations in common use should also be studied and understood, such as: inst., prox., ult., P. M., Ont., Can., P. Q., N. F., Man., etc. A general idea of the history and Government of the United States is also required. The rapidity with which you can read copy and correct business letters or other papers in which the writing is not particularly good will also be a help to you.

One of the most important branches in many of the departments is arithmetic, and a systematic course of studies should be taken up before the time of the examination.

There is no danger of knowing too much, and care in studying systematically will amply repay the time it takes. It is almost impossible for anyone who has been out of school for two or three years or more to pass an ordinary school examination, however much they may have gained in general practical knowledge.

The examination given is comparatively simple and does not require a college education, but can easily be passed by anyone who is a graduate of a grammar school, if a little time and care is devoted to preparation for the examination.

A position of this kind is profitable and permanent, with reasonable hours; it is worth trying for.