A Guide to the Written Test - for the High-Level Custodians/Janitors Series - Sample Questions and Subject Areas

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Kyle

A Guide to the Written Test for the High-Level Custodians/Janitors Series explains written-test materials, including common subject areas and the types of questions candidates may encounter. It outlines five major categories: reading and applying written instructions, building cleaning, building operation and maintenance, HVAC system operation and routine maintenance, and supervision and training. For each subject area, the guide includes test-task descriptions and at least one sample question with solutions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Subject Area 1: Ability to Read and Follow Written Instructions

Test task

Sample question and solution

Subject Areas Overview

Building cleaning

Building operation and maintenance

HVAC operation and routine maintenance

Supervision and training

A Guide to the Written Test for the High-Level Custodians/Janitors Series Andrew M. Cuomo Governor Lola W. Brabham Acting Commissioner INTRODUCTION The New York State Department of Civil Service has developed this test guide to familiarize you with some of the written test materials that will be included in the High-Level Custodians/Janitors Series. This test guide provides a general description of the most common subject areas that will be tested and an explanation of the different types of questions you may see on the test. Not all subject areas tested in this series are covered in this test guide. The examination announcement will list the subject areas that will be included on the particular test you will be taking. The tests in the series commonly cover the following subject areas: 1. Ability to read and follow written instructions – These questions test for the ability to read, understand and apply written instructions for performing tasks similar to those encountered on the job. All the information needed to answer these questions will be provided in the test booklet. 2. Building cleaning – These questions test for knowledge of basic principles and practices of building cleaning. They cover such areas as equipment, tools, supplies, methods and procedures for cleaning different types of surfaces and materials under various, commonly occurring circumstances. 3. Building operation and maintenance – These questions test for knowledge of the basic principles, practices and techniques essential to the correct operation and maintenance of public buildings. They cover such areas as building maintenance; preventive maintenance, and minor repair of electrical and plumbing systems; methods and equipment for snow removal; building safety and equipment storage. 4. Operation and routine maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems – These questions test for knowledge of basic principles, practices and techniques essential to the correct operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, including such areas as minor cleaning; room temperature and building ventilation control; steam, hot water, and hot air heating systems; boiler operation; troubleshooting air conditioning system problems, and proper maintenance of air conditioning systems. 5. Supervision and training – These questions test for the knowledge required by a supervisor to set goals, plan and organize work, train workers in how to do their jobs, and direct workers towards meeting established goals. The supervisory questions cover such areas as assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, maintaining work quality, motivating employees, increasing efficiency, and dealing with problems that may arise on the job. The training questions cover such areas as determining the necessity for training, selecting appropriate training methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of training. The remainder of this test guide explains how you will be tested in each of the subject areas listed above. A TEST TASK is provided for each subject area. This is an explanation of how a question will be presented and how to correctly answer it. Read each explanation carefully. This test guide provides at least one SAMPLE QUESTION for each subject area. The sample questions will be similar to what will be presented on the actual test. This test guide provides the SOLUTION and correct answer(s) to each sample question. You should study these in order to understand how the correct or best answers were determined. SUBJECT AREA 1 ABILITY TO READ AND FOLLOW WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS: These questions test for the ability to read, understand and apply written instructions for performing tasks similar to those encountered on the job. All the information needed to answer these questions will be provided in the test booklet. There will be 15 questions in this subject area on the written test. TEST TASK: You will be presente

FAQs

What is the purpose of this test guide for the High-Level Custodians/Janitors series?

It familiarizes candidates with the written test materials they will see, describing common subject areas and explaining question types. It also notes that not every subject area may be covered in the guide for every specific test.

Which subject areas are commonly covered in the written test series?

The guide lists five common subject areas: reading and following written instructions, building cleaning, building operation and maintenance, HVAC operation and routine maintenance, and supervision and training.

How are sample questions presented for each subject area?

The guide provides at least one sample question per subject area, explains how test tasks are presented, and includes the solutions and correct answers to show how the best responses are determined.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Kyle