NYC Sanitation Worker Exam Online Preparation – 2024

Job seekers looking for a job with the Department of Sanitation New York will likely be required to take the NYC Sanitation Worker Exam. This exam is unlike other types of civil service exams, as it is only held every 4 to 6 years and is extremely competitive in nature. This article will guide you through the best ways to prepare for this difficult exam and will teach you everything you need to know about what the exam entails.

What Is the NYC Sanitation Worker Exam?

The New York City Sanitation Worker Exam is a type of aptitude assessment that is administered by the Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY) every 4 to 6 years. During the exam periods, thousands of applicants are invited to take part in the exam, but only a few will score high enough that they will be invited to move on in the hiring process. The NYC Sanitation Worker Exam is a multiple-choice written test that requires a minimum passing score of 70. Applicants who receive a high enough score on the exam will be further invited to take the “superman” exam, which is a type of rigorous physical exam meant to test the physical strength of the candidates. However, in order to make it to the “superman” exam, applicants will first need to pass the written exam. The NYC Sanitation Worker Exam includes 7 individual subsections that are designed to test the knowledge of the applicants in a wide range of topics.

• Language Proficiency – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s English language abilities. The questions will instruct each candidate to read through a sentence and identify any errors within the sentence, to include punctation, grammatical, or spelling errors. Additionally, the questions may also instruct the candidates to read through an incomplete sentence and complete the missing sections. Finally, this subsection could also include sentence rearrangement questions that require candidates to arrange several sentences in a logical order. This subsection is meant to identify candidates that have exceptional language abilities, as sanitation workers will be expected to be able to communicate in a clear and understandable manner.
• Reading Comprehension – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s reading comprehension abilities. The applicants will be instructed to read through several short passages and answer questions based off of the passages. Candidates should answer the questions strictly based off of the information provided in the passages and should not answer questions based off any background knowledge, as the questions are designed to be fair for candidates who have zero prior knowledge of the topic at hand. This subsection is meant to identify candidates that are able to read and follow simple directions that they may encounter on the job.
• Problem Analysis – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s ability to identify situations that could potentially be problematic. The questions will instruct the candidates to read through a presented scenario, identify any problematic aspects, and discern the causes for those problems. This subsection is meant to identify candidates that are able to recognize when a problem is occurring, as sanitation workers will likely encounter problematic scenarios on a regular basis.
• Information Arranging – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s ability to follow simple directions. Candidates will be instructed to read through a set of rules that has been presented to them. Then, the candidates will need to arrange a variety of numbers, pictures, letters, statements, etc. into a logical order. This subsection is used to ensure that each candidate will be able to follow simple directions that may be presented to them on the job.
• Deductive Reasoning – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s ability to apply specific rules to certain situations. The questions in this subsection could look like a presentation of a set of rules/orders that also include relevant questions. Based on the set of rules, candidates should handle the imaginary scenario using the information provided to them.
• Object Visualization – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s ability to visualize concepts in their head. The questions in this subsection will include a presentation of an image followed by a description of an alteration that the image will undergo. Candidates will be provided with four potential options portraying what the final image would look like. Candidates will be expected to be able to conceptualize how an image would look after following several imaginary manipulations.
• Spatial Reasoning – This subsection includes questions designed to test each candidate’s ability to understand map visualizations. The questions in this subsection could include a presentation of a map, along with questions regarding the quickest or shortest routes from specific points. This subsection is especially important for this role, as sanitation workers will be expected to be able to travel across the city and will need to be able to read a map in a quick manner.

NYC Sanitation Worker Exam Tips

1. Don’t become overwhelmed with the number of subsections. The NYC Sanitation Exam includes multiple subsections, which can be easily overwhelming for an applicant who has never taken the exam before. However, applicants can and should become familiar with the different types of questions that may be asked on the exam. This is accomplished by regularly studying with online practice exams. Practice exams provide sample questions that mimic questions found on the real exam.
2. Answer explanations will serve as your guide. At the completion of a practice exam, you will typically be provided with an in-depth explanation that will serve as your guide. These explanations will instruct you on how to answer questions that are seemingly difficult. If you struggle with a certain topic, make sure you read through the answer explanations multiple times, or until you understand how to answer the questions accurately.
3. Create a studying schedule to alleviate procrastination. It’s easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget about studying. To avoid this from happening, create a simple studying schedule that allocates 1 to 2 hours a day strictly for studying and preparing. This will provide you with a solid plan for preparing for the exam, and will prevent you from waiting until the day before the test to start studying.

How to Prepare for the NYC Sanitation Worker Exam?

Because the NYC Sanitation Worker Exam is only held every 4 to 6 years, it is important that you ace the exam the first time you take it. Otherwise, you run the risk of having to wait years before you are awarded a second chance. Preparing for this exam is accomplished by taking practice exams found online. Practice exams typically include a variety of questions that will mimic actual questions found on the real exam. By becoming familiar with the question formats, you will feel more confident on the actual exam day, as you will know what to expect. Moreover, practice exams provide you with a rare opportunity to repeat questions as many times as you feel necessary. This means that you can focus on any area that you find particularly troublesome. Continue repeating any difficult sections until you completely understand what the instructions are telling you to do, and you feel confident in answering those types of questions. After completing the exam, make sure you read through every explanation. Explanations typically include useful tidbits of information that will help you on the actual exam. The use of online practice exams will undoubtedly help prepare you to achieve the highest score possible on the NYC Sanitation Worker Exam.