The PSC manages testing requirements across the country and is the managing organization for federal government staffing/recruitment programs and processes. The largest testing requirement stems from the Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR) program.
The PSR program is a targeted recruitment campaign to attract post-secondary graduates for positions within the federal government.The PSR campaign generally begins in early fall, though additional job opportunities may be advertised throughout the year. The testing program can involve upwards of 15,000 tests on select dates at different sites across Canada. Locations for testing may include major metropolitan areas as well as smaller cities. The number of candidates and the number of tests to be administered on a given day are not known until a few weeks before the testing date. The number of candidates participating in writing the exams at a single location can range from a few candidates to several hundreds.
The average duration of tests varies from 90 to 210 minutes, with an additional 30 to 60 minutes for check-in, location administration and reading of the instructions. Several different tests could be administered in the same location, in a prescribed sequence. At some locations, testing sessions begin early in the morning and go to late afternoon; in other situations, the “testing day” is not as long, with testing occurring either during the day or early evening. There may be a requirement for day or evening testing on any day of the week. The importance of these services makes it imperative that the tests be conducted smoothly, competently and with probity.
More information about the PSR campaign can be found at the following Web site:
Post Secondary Recruitment Program
