Exam 427 Information Update

The Postal Service recently provided an explanation of the requirements concerning Exam 427, which is taken by clerks who bid for Mailing Requirements Clerk (MRC) and Bulk Mail Technician (BMT) duty assignments. In July of this year, the Postal Service had notified the APWU of revisions to the training program for MRC and BMT assignments.

These changes in the training course had previously been reviewed and approved by APWU and USPS members of a joint committee. The APWU committee members were locally recommended and had extensive experience as a Bulk Mail Tech or Mailing Requirements Clerk. At that point, the Postal Service piloted the training and an updated 427 exam, with no pass or fail grades, to gather data on both the revised training and exam.

The subsequent notification to APWU explained that Exam 427 would be reinstated as a required qualification for employees who were awarded MRC or BMT bids on or after October 1, 2024. Employees who were awarded either of these assignments on or before September 30, 2024, would continue to have the 427 exam qualification waived.

The training program for Bulk Mail Techs and Mailing Requirements Clerks will return to its former two-week process at the National Center for Employee Development (NCED) in Norman, OK at the beginning of the new year. This part of the training was streamlined during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the parties reviewed the changes needed to update the course. A copy of the most recent Postal Service notification regarding Exam 427 qualification is linked to this article.