Failed the postal exam? What the one-year rule really means, and what you can do now
70 is passing on the Virtual Entry Assessments (Exams 474, 475, 476 and 477). If you don't pass, you can't retake that same exam for one year (12 months) from your most recent attempt, and you won't be considered for jobs that use it in the meantime. What many applicants don't realize is that the rule is per exam: you can take a different one right away by applying to a job in another group.
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.
How the one-year rule works
- The wait is counted from your most recent attempt at that exam.
- During it, you aren't considered for postings that use that exam.
- Each exam is separate: failing 474 (carrier jobs) doesn't stop you from applying to jobs that use 475 (mail handler), 476 (mail processing) or 477 (customer service).
- A missed 72-hour window is different: you lose that posting, but it doesn't start the one-year wait.
Example
You fail Exam 474 in November. Carrier postings (City Carrier Assistant, Rural Carrier Associate, Assistant Rural Carrier) are closed to you until the following November. You can apply to a Mail Handler Assistant posting this week; if you're invited, you take Exam 475, which has its own sections, including Checking for Accuracy.
What to do now
- Pick the job group you can still apply to, and check which exam its postings name.
- Learn that exam's sections before the invitation arrives: 475 and 476 add an accuracy section; 477 adds a make-change section.
- Practice in timed conditions so the next first attempt is a prepared one. A low pass follows you too: results are reused until they expire, so aim well above 70.
- Keep your result notice. It shows when your result and any waiting period end.
Maintenance and custodial exams work differently
- Exam 955 (maintenance) and Exam 960 (custodian) aren't Virtual Entry Assessments. Your Notice of Result shows a Retest Eligibility Date; you retest by applying to another posting that uses the same exam.
- On those exams a retest result replaces your old one, even if it's lower, so retest only when you're ready to beat your score.
Practice this section free
Seven sample questions in the real section styles, scored instantly, no account needed.
Questions people ask
- Can I retake Exam 474 sooner than a year?
- No. The one-year wait from your most recent attempt applies to every Virtual Entry Assessment.
- Does failing 474 affect 475, 476 or 477?
- No. Each exam is separate. You can apply to a job that uses a different exam right away.
- Will failing stop me from ever being hired?
- No. It closes that exam's jobs for a year. Other job groups stay open now, and the original group reopens after the wait.
- Is there anything I can pay to retake it early?
- No. The postal service never charges for applications or exams, and nobody can sell you an earlier retake.
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.