Postal Exam 916 case studies
Postal Exam 916 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Postal Exam 916 is the assessment used in hiring for the Mail Handler Assistant role, an entry-level, hands-on position that sorts, loads, unloads and moves mail inside postal facilities. Candidates encounter it after applying through the USPS careers site, as one step in the application process rather than a stand-alone license or certification. The Postal Exam 916 case studies are 5 cases and about 2,824 words.
1The Jammed Belt and the 22:15 Trailer
You are a mail handler on the evening tour at a sorting facility. At 21:40 a parcel jams the belt at the load station, where the interlock guard has been propped open with a plastic tote - a shortcut a coworker uses to save time.
597 words, about 3 min2The Verbal Handoff on Route 42
You are finishing the swing shift at a delivery unit. During handoff, the outgoing carrier tells you verbally that Route 42 is "all set except one hold mail." But the scanner still shows 17 undelivered stops, and a customer hold is set to expire today.
545 words, about 3 min3The ZIP That Matched the Barcode
You are keying address corrections from a batch of 250 returned mailpieces. Your quota for the hour is 200 pieces.
546 words, about 3 min4The 04:00 Shift and the Backup Who Got Sick
You are a part-time flexible clerk scheduled 04:00–12:30, six days this week. At 21:15 the night before your fifth shift, your sister - your only backup childcare - calls to say she has a fever and cannot take your two children tomorrow.
550 words, about 3 min5Sixty-One Stops and a Catching Knee
It is 13:20 on a hot, humid day; the heat index posted at the station is 38°C (100°F). You are six hours into an eight-hour walking route with 240 stops.
586 words, about 3 min