How to Claim the Civil Service Exam Fee Refund of P500

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has recently announced that registered examinees of the cancelled Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT), which was slated for March 15 2020, may still claim the refund of their P500 application fee until March 14, 2025.

According to CSC, all unrefunded examinees may file a claim for a refund, with the exception of those who were accommodated in the conduct of August 7, 2022, CSE-PPT and who have used up their previously paid application fee, as well as those who will opt to be accommodated on March 26, 2023, CSE-PPT.

Further, unrefunded examinees who no longer want to take the CSE-PPT and those who have taken and passed the CSE-PPT on June 19, 2022, and the recent Computerized Examinations (COMEX) and paid the application fee for such can still request a refund.

Examinees who are eligible for a refund may file a claim in person at the Civil Service Commission Regional/Field Office (RO/FO) where they originally submitted their application, or through a conduit RO/FO, or they may file a claim online and receive the money through a payment facility. In addition to other requirements, they will be required to submit a Request for Refund Form (RRF) that has been completed. Here's the download link for the form: [http://www.csc.gov.ph/phocadownload/userupload/erpo/2020/REQUEST%20for%20Refund%20Form%20version%203.03232021.pdf].

How to claim the Civil Service Exam fee refund of 500 Pesos?

The CSC has provided affected examinees with three ways how will they claim their refund.

Refund In Person

Those who choose to claim the refund in person are advised to coordinate with the relevant CSC RO/FO to schedule an appointment; accordingly, they should avoid showing up without a confirmed appointment or schedule or prior notice. You can check the CSC directory here: [http://www.csc.gov.ph/cscrod].

At the time of claiming, the candidate must submit a completed RRF along with the original and a copy of his or her valid ID card.

Alternatively, the refund may be issued through a representative, who must bring the RRF completed by the examinee, an authorization letter, a photocopy of a valid ID card signed by the examinee, as well as the representative's original and photocopy of their valid ID card.

In the event that the registered examinee has passed away, the immediate family member may claim the refund by submitting a completed RRF with the notation "deceased" after the name of the examinee, the original and photocopy of the deceased examinee's valid ID card, the Death Certificate, and the claiming family member's valid identification card (original and photocopy).

Refund In Person Via a Conduit RO/FO

If the examinee is located away from the CSC RO/FO where he/she originally filed the exam application, he/she may file a claim through the CSC RO/FO closest to his/her current place of residence or employment.

In this situation, the candidate must submit a written request letter to the CSC Regional Office (RO) with jurisdiction over the location where the exam application was submitted. Examinees are encouraged to confirm with the CSC RO the proper method (email, chat, etc.) for submitting the request letter. The letter must specify the specific CSC RO/FO where the examinee wishes to claim the refund in person. Along with the letter, the completed RRF and a scanned copy of the examinee's valid ID card must be submitted.

Once the request has been verified and approved, the examinee will be notified when the refund is available for collection. The examinee must then proceed to his or her preferred CSC RO/FO and present the notice/advisory along with a completed RRF and both the original and a photocopy of his or her valid identification card.

Refund Through Bank or Remittance/Payment Facility

Examinees may submit a claim online and choose to receive the money from any of the CSC RO-approved payment facilities.

To accomplish this, the candidate must scan the completed RRF. On the form, the applicant must select the preferred payment method from a list of options provided by the CSC RO.

The candidate must email the scanned RRF and a digital image (scanned or camera-captured) of the front and back of a valid government-issued photo ID to the CSC Regional Office. Sending requests through the Facebook Page or Messenger account of the CSC Regional Office is discouraged to prevent a possible breach of personal data.

In the event that the examinee is deceased, an immediate family member may claim the refund by scanning and submitting to the CSC RO the completed RRF with the notation "deceased" next to the examinee's name, the deceased's valid ID card, the Death Certificate, and the claiming family member's valid ID card.

The CSC Regional Office will notify the examinee when the refund will be issued via the payment method specified on the RRF.

For any additional information or clarifications, affected examinees may contact the relevant CSC RO using the contact information provided on the official website [http://www.csc.gov.ph/phocadownload/userupload/erpo/2022/ExamAdvisoryNo12s2022.pdf].