NYS Court Officer Exam / Clerical
NYS Court Officer Clerical Checking practice
Compare three near-identical sets of names, numbers and codes — in different fonts — and spot the differences fast.
How to master clerical questions
Clerical checking shows you three sets of names, numbers, letters and codes — sometimes in different fonts — and asks which sets are exactly alike. It is pure accuracy under time pressure. The people who do well are not faster readers; they compare in a fixed, mechanical way that catches single-character differences.
1. Compare set 1 against set 3 first
Do not read all three sets top to bottom. Pick two sets — start with the first and third — and compare them directly, field by field. Then bring in the second. Comparing pairs is far more reliable than trying to hold three versions in your head at once.
2. Read codes digit by digit, not as words
Alphanumeric codes are where the differences hide. Do not read '4821B' as a chunk — read it four, eight, two, one, B, and match each character to its counterpart. Transposed pairs (18 versus 81) and swapped look-alikes (0 and O, 1 and l) only surface when you slow down to single characters.
3. Stop at the first real difference
The moment two sets differ, they are not alike — mark it and move on; there is no need to finish the comparison. Ignore font differences entirely; only the characters matter, not how they are drawn.
Follow the directions exactly, since the answer options for 'which are alike' can vary between questions. A steady digit-by-digit pass beats a fast, careless one every time.