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USPS · Situational Judgment

You find an unmarked, unaddressed package while sorting mail for your route. What is the BEST action?

Correct answer

Set it aside and follow USPS procedures for handling mail without a clear address, notifying your supervisor so it can be processed correctly

  1. A Keep it for yourself since no one claimed it
  2. B Set it aside and follow USPS procedures for handling mail without a clear address, notifying your supervisor so it can be processed correctly
  3. C Throw it away
  4. D Deliver it to a random nearby address

Why this is the answer

This item tests integrity and following proper procedures. Mail and packages belong to the postal system and their intended recipients; an item without a clear address must be handled according to USPS procedures (such as setting it aside and notifying a supervisor for proper processing), never kept, discarded, or guessed at. Taking the package for personal use is theft and a serious integrity violation, and disposing of it improperly mishandles the mail. The exam consistently rewards honest, procedure-following responses, and protecting the mail is one of the most fundamental duties of the role.
Source: USPS 474 VEA — Integrity

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