CSE General Information: Practice Guide & Sample Questions
CSE General Information is the smallest category on the Professional-level exam — just 20 of 170 items — but it's also the most finite and memorizable, which makes it one of the highest-leverage categories to study well. It draws from four areas: the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Republic Act No. 6713 (the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees), environmental management, and peace and human rights concepts. Unlike Verbal or Analytical Ability, there's no technique to practice — the content is fixed and factual, so preparation is mostly a matter of reading the source documents (or a good summary) and reviewing them repeatedly.
This page covers the core facts most commonly tested in each of the four areas, the mix-ups that trip up otherwise well-read examinees, and worked sample questions with explanations. Below the study material, a full practice quiz pulls General Information questions from Pasa's question bank.
Pasa is an independent study aid, not affiliated with the CSC or AFP.
What's tested
The 1987 Constitution portion focuses on foundational structure and rights: the three branches of government and their basic powers, the Bill of Rights (Article III), the national territory (Article I), and basic principles from the Declaration of Principles and State Policies (Article II) — such as the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, and civilian authority being supreme over the military.
R.A. 6713 sets out the norms of conduct expected of public officials and employees — commitment to public interest, professionalism, justness and sincerity, political neutrality, responsiveness to the public, nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy, and simple living. It also covers the requirement for public officials to file a Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Environmental management items typically cover sustainable development, the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources, and major Philippine environmental laws by name and general purpose. Peace and human rights items cover the basic framework of human rights (civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights) and peace-building concepts relevant to the Philippine context.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1987 Constitution | Government structure, Bill of Rights, national territory, state policies |
| R.A. 6713 | Norms of conduct for public officials, SALN requirement |
| Environmental management | Sustainable development, resource types, major environmental laws |
| Peace and human rights | Human rights categories, Philippine peace-building context |
Because this content is fixed rather than skill-based, the highest-value preparation is simply reading the actual text of Article II and III of the Constitution and R.A. 6713 at least once, then reviewing a summary repeatedly — recognition of a correct paraphrase is what's tested, not recitation from memory.
Sample Questions
1. Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which right specifically protects a person from being compelled to testify against themselves in a criminal case?
- A. Right to due process
- B. Right against self-incrimination
- C. Right to counsel
- D. Right against unreasonable searches and seizures
Correct answer: B — Right against self-incrimination
The right against self-incrimination, found in Article III (Bill of Rights), specifically states that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. Due process, the right to counsel, and protection against unreasonable searches are each distinct, related-but-separate provisions in the same Bill of Rights — a common trap is picking any Bill of Rights provision that sounds generally protective without matching the SPECIFIC protection described.
2. Under the 1987 Constitution, which branch of government is primarily responsible for interpreting laws and the Constitution itself?
- A. Legislative
- B. Executive
- C. Judicial
- D. Constitutional Commissions
Correct answer: C — Judicial
The Judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, is constitutionally tasked with interpreting laws and determining their constitutionality. The Legislative branch makes laws and the Executive enforces them — this three-way division is a foundational structure question. The Constitutional Commissions (COMELEC, COA, CSC) are independent bodies with specialized mandates, not the general law-interpreting body.
3. Which principle is explicitly stated in Article II of the 1987 Constitution?
- A. The Philippines adopts a policy of aggressive expansion of its territory.
- B. The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy.
- C. The military has supreme authority over civilian government.
- D. The Philippines does not recognize international law.
Correct answer: B — The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy.
Article II, Section 2 explicitly states that the Philippines "renounces war as an instrument of national policy." Option C directly contradicts the Constitution, which instead establishes civilian authority as supreme over the military (the reverse of C). Options A and D are not principles found in the Constitution — a common trap is an option that inverts an actual constitutional principle.
4. Which term describes a natural resource that can be replenished naturally over a relatively short period of time, such as solar energy or timber from a managed forest?
- A. Non-renewable resource
- B. Renewable resource
- C. Fossil resource
- D. Finite resource
Correct answer: B — Renewable resource
A renewable resource naturally replenishes within a relatively short timeframe relative to human use, such as solar energy or sustainably managed timber. Non-renewable and finite resources (coal, oil, minerals) exist in fixed quantities that don't replenish on human timescales. "Fossil resource" is a subset of non-renewable resources, not a separate category.
5. Which Philippine law primarily governs the segregation, collection, and disposal of solid waste, including the promotion of recycling programs?
- A. Clean Air Act
- B. Clean Water Act
- C. Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
- D. National Building Code
Correct answer: C — Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (R.A. 9003) specifically governs solid waste segregation, collection, disposal, and mandates recycling programs. The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act address air and water pollution specifically, not solid waste — a common trap is a real, correctly-named environmental law that governs a DIFFERENT specific issue than the one asked about.
6. Freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial belong to which broad category of human rights?
- A. Civil and political rights
- B. Economic, social, and cultural rights
- C. Collective/solidarity rights
- D. Property rights
Correct answer: A — Civil and political rights
Freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial are classified as civil and political rights — protections concerning individual liberty and civic participation. Economic, social, and cultural rights (like the right to education or healthcare) form a separate, commonly tested category.
7. According to Article I of the 1987 Constitution, the national territory of the Philippines includes the Philippine archipelago and —
- A. only the islands explicitly named in the Treaty of Paris.
- B. all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction.
- C. only territories with a permanent civilian population.
- D. no maritime waters beyond the twelve-mile limit.
Correct answer: B — all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction.
Article I defines the national territory as the Philippine archipelago "and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction," along with the territorial sea, seabed, and other maritime zones. The other options each impose a restriction not actually stated in the article.
8. What is the primary purpose of R.A. 6713?
- A. To regulate campaign finance for elected officials.
- B. To promote a high standard of ethics and accountability in public service.
- C. To establish the retirement benefits of government employees.
- D. To create the Civil Service Commission.
Correct answer: B — To promote a high standard of ethics and accountability in public service.
R.A. 6713, the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees," exists to promote a high standard of ethics, accountability, and professionalism in public service. Campaign finance, retirement benefits, and the creation of the Civil Service Commission (established by the Constitution itself) are each governed by different, separate laws or provisions.
9. Under R.A. 6713, public officials and employees are required to file which document, disclosing their assets, liabilities, and net worth?
- A. Certificate of Good Standing
- B. Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)
- C. Personal Data Sheet
- D. Oath of Office
Correct answer: B — Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)
R.A. 6713 requires covered public officials and employees to file a SALN as part of the law's transparency and accountability provisions. A Personal Data Sheet and an Oath of Office are real government documents but serve different purposes, not the specific asset-disclosure requirement described.
10. Which of the following is one of the norms of conduct for public officials and employees explicitly named in R.A. 6713?
- A. Political neutrality
- B. Personal wealth accumulation
- C. Departmental loyalty above public interest
- D. Strict seniority-based promotion
Correct answer: A — Political neutrality
Political neutrality — serving the public without discrimination regardless of party affiliation — is one of the eight norms of conduct explicitly named in R.A. 6713. The other options describe behaviors that are either not named norms at all or directly contradict the law's intent, which emphasizes public interest OVER personal or departmental interest.
Common Traps
The most common trap in Constitution items is confusing WHICH article a provision belongs to, or misremembering the exact wording of a right — for example, confusing the right to due process with the right against self-incrimination, which are related but textually distinct provisions within the Bill of Rights.
In R.A. 6713 items, a frequent mix-up is confusing the eight norms of conduct with each other, or with generic "good employee" behavior not specifically named in the law.
In environmental management, a common trap is confusing renewable with non-renewable resources in an unfamiliar example, or misattributing which specific law covers which specific environmental issue. In peace and human rights items, the trap is treating all rights as belonging to one category — distinguishing civil/political rights from economic/social/cultural rights is a commonly tested distinction.
Across all of General Information, the biggest overall trap is answering from a vague sense of "this sounds right" rather than the specific source text — options are often deliberately close paraphrases designed to catch imprecise recall.
Study Routine
Because General Information is fact-based rather than skill-based, the most efficient routine is repetition-based, not practice-based. In week one, read the actual text of the Bill of Rights (Article III) and R.A. 6713 once, slowly. In week two, condense what you read into your own short summary notes — the act of summarizing itself builds recall better than re-reading. From week three onward, review your summary notes every few days rather than once, since spaced repetition is what makes fact-based content stick. Save 20-30 minutes near the end of each study week specifically for General Information — with only 20 items and a fixed, learnable content base, it's one of the most efficient categories to fully prepare for.
