Got your postal exam invitation email? What it is and what to do first
For most entry-level postal jobs (Exams 474, 475, 476 and 477), you either start the assessment inside your application or get an email invitation from the official testing vendor. The clock starts when that email is sent, not when you open it: you have 72 hours to finish. Checking your inbox and spam folder every day after you apply is the single easiest way not to lose a job you qualified for.
PostalPath is an independent company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Postal Service. Applying for USPS jobs is free at usps.com. Applying and taking the assessment are free.
Who sends it
- Postings list the testing vendor's domain, @talogy.com, for exam invitations. One October 2026 posting also listed @psionline.com.
- Add both to your contacts the day you apply, along with the official hiring and Inspection Service domains your posting lists for application and background-check messages.
- Invitations can arrive within days of applying. Check spam and promotions folders daily until you hear the outcome.
What the invitation tells you
The invitation is the most specific information you'll get about your own assessment: the link, your deadline, technical requirements, and how to request accommodations. If anything in it differs from this page or any other website, follow the invitation.
- You have 72 hours from the time the invitation is sent.
- Applied to several jobs that use the same exam? Finish within 72 hours of the first invitation; one completed assessment counts for all of them.
- It takes about 30 to 45 minutes, online, on a computer, tablet or phone, with nobody watching. One sitting is recommended but not required.
- An accessible (Section 508) version can be chosen from the assessment's launch page; other accommodations go to the contact in your invitation, before your deadline.
Do these four things the day it arrives
- Note the deadline: 72 hours from the send time in the email, in your own time zone.
- Pick a time within the first day, on a plugged-in computer with a stable connection, in a quiet room.
- Do a short timed practice first, so the section formats aren't a surprise. Your first attempt counts for a year.
- Keep the email. If something breaks technically, use the support contact in it while there's still time on your 72 hours.
If the email never arrives
- Not everyone who applies is invited, and postings say testing continues until capacity is reached. Apply the day a posting opens.
- If you already have a valid result for that exam, you may not get a new invitation: your existing result is reused until it expires.
- Some jobs start the assessment inside the application instead of by email.
- A real invitation never asks you to pay. Applying and taking the assessment are always free; anyone charging a fee to "get you" an exam or a job is not the postal service.
Practice this section free
Seven sample questions in the real section styles, scored instantly, no account needed.
Questions people ask
- Does the 72 hours start when I open the email?
- No. It starts when the invitation is sent.
- Is an email from @talogy.com legitimate?
- Postings list @talogy.com as the testing vendor's domain for exam invitations, and one October 2026 posting also listed @psionline.com. A legitimate invitation never asks for payment.
- I applied to three jobs. Do I take the exam three times?
- Not if they use the same exam. Finish within 72 hours of the first invitation; one completed assessment counts for all of them.
- What if I miss the 72 hours?
- You're no longer considered for that posting, but you can apply to others. It doesn't start the one-year wait that follows a failed attempt.
Exams with this section
Reviewed October 2026 against the official exams and careers pages, the current candidate guide and Inspector General reports. PostalPath practice questions are original; they are not real, official or leaked questions.