Key takeaways
- Use CS Form No. 212 (Revised 2025). The 2017 version people still search for is obsolete; always download the latest file from csc.gov.ph.
- The 2025 form has 42 items on four pages and adds PhilSys Number and UMID, asks for sex at birth, and drops the salary columns from work experience.
- Describe your duties in the separate Work Experience Sheet, not in item 28.
- Question 37 covers resignation from private jobs too: if you ever resigned anywhere, the answer is YES.
- The PDS is sworn. Any misrepresentation can lead to administrative or criminal cases, so answer every item truthfully and completely.
The three ways to use this format
| If you want to… | Choose | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| See how each of the 42 items should look before you start | See a filled example | A complete sample PDS for Maria Clara S. Dela Cruz, with N/A where items do not apply |
| Get every answer right once, then copy it into the official file | Fill it online | A faithful working copy of CS Form 212 (Revised 2025) on long bond, with a Work Experience Sheet page |
| Fill it by hand at the agency or for a walk-in submission | Blank, to fill by hand | An empty four-page PDS with the same item numbers, plus a blank Work Experience Sheet |
Most agencies ask for the PDS in the official CSC Excel file, printed and signed, or for a handwritten official form. Our generator is a working copy: it follows the official item numbers and order so you can prepare and check your answers on a phone, then transfer them. Always check csc.gov.ph for the latest version before you submit. If you are applying to a private company, a biodata or resume is what you need instead.
What the personal data sheet (CS Form 212) is
The PDS is the Civil Service Commission's standard record of a government applicant or employee. Agencies use it to check that you meet the qualification standards of the position (education, experience, training and eligibility), to screen for relationships with the appointing authority, and to keep a sworn record in your 201 file. You submit it when you apply, and you update it when you are appointed, promoted or transferred.
It is a sworn document. Page 1 carries the warning that any misrepresentation in the PDS and the Work Experience Sheet shall cause the filing of administrative or criminal cases, and item 42 is an oath you sign before a person administering oaths. Treat it with the same care as an affidavit: every date, school name and answer should match your documents.
| Page | Parts | Items |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I. Personal information; II. Family background; III. Educational background | 1–21; 22–25; 26 |
| 2 | IV. Civil service eligibility; V. Work experience | 27; 28 |
| 3 | VI. Voluntary work; VII. Learning and development; VIII. Other information | 29; 30; 31–33 |
| 4 | Questions; references; declaration, ID, photo, signature, thumbmark, oath | 34–40; 41; 42 |
| Attachment | Work Experience Sheet | Duties and accomplishments per job |
CS Form No. 212 (Revised 2025) at a glance
CSC Form 212 Revised 2025 vs Revised 2017: what changed
Many people still search for “CSC Form 212 revised 2017” because that version was used for years and old copies circulate in Facebook groups and file-sharing sites. Agencies now expect the Revised 2025 form. The CSC has also referenced a Revised 2026 version verify; download the current file from csc.gov.ph on the day you apply rather than relying on a saved copy.
| Item | Revised 2017 | Revised 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Government ID numbers | GSIS ID and SSS numbers | UMID ID number and PhilSys Number (PSN), plus Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, TIN, agency employee number |
| Sex | Sex | Sex at birth |
| Work experience (item 28) | Included monthly salary and salary grade and step | Salary columns removed; inclusive dates, position, office or company, status of appointment, government service Y/N |
| Photo | Passport-size ID picture | Passport-sized unfiltered digital picture, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, taken within the last 6 months |
| Signature | Signature | Wet signature, e-signature or digital certificate |
| Question 40 solo parent basis | Older solo parents law | Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861) |
If an agency hands you a 2017 form, ask whether they will accept it; most HR offices now return outdated forms. The item order for Parts II to VIII and Questions 34 to 40 is largely the same, so if you have an old PDS, you can copy most answers across and then add the new ID fields.
How to fill up the PDS: rules that apply to every page
The CSC guide that comes with the form sets a few rules that apply everywhere. HR officers check these first, before they read your qualifications.
- Write N/A in every item that does not apply. A blank box looks like a missed item and may be returned.
- Do not abbreviate. Write “Polytechnic University of the Philippines”, not “PUP”; “Department of Education”, not “DepEd”; “Bachelor of Science in Business Administration”, not “BSBA”.
- Use dd/mm/yyyy for dates. March 15, 1998 is 15/03/1998.
- Print legibly if you fill it by hand. Capital letters are not required, but many applicants use them because they are easier to read.
- Tick the boxes clearly. Do not circle or cross out.
- Use a separate sheet when a section runs out of rows, labelled with the part and item number.
- Sign and date the bottom of pages 1 to 3, and sign inside the box on page 4.
- Attach the Work Experience Sheet for the duties of each job in item 28.
How to fill it, section by section
The ten groups below follow the 42 items in the form's own order. For each, the item numbers are given so you can find them on the official file.
I. Personal information
Items 1 and 2 are your name: surname, first name, middle name and name extension (Jr., Sr., III). Copy them exactly from your PSA birth certificate, or your PSA marriage certificate if you use your married surname. If you have no extension, write N/A in that box. Item 3 is your date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy), item 4 your place of birth (city or municipality and province), item 5 sex at birth, and item 6 civil status (single, married, widowed, separated, or other).
Items 7 to 9 are height in metres, weight in kilograms and blood type. Items 10 to 15 are your ID numbers: UMID, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, PhilSys Number (PSN), TIN and agency employee number. Write N/A for any you do not have; the agency employee number applies only if you already work in that agency. Item 16 is citizenship: Filipino or dual citizenship, by birth or by naturalisation, with the country if dual.
Item 17 is your residential address and item 18 your permanent address, each broken into house/block/lot number, street, subdivision or village, barangay, city or municipality, province and ZIP code. Items 19 to 21 are telephone, mobile and email (if any). If your residential and permanent address are the same, write the full address twice; “same as above” counts as an abbreviation at some HR desks.
- 1–2 Name
- DELA CRUZ / MARIA CLARA / SANTOS / N/A
- 3 Date of birth
- 15/03/1998
- 4 Place of birth
- Lucena City, Quezon
- 5 Sex at birth / 6 Civil status
- Female / Single
- 10 UMID ID No.
- N/A (if she has none)
- 16 Citizenship
- Filipino
- 17 Residential address
- 123 / Mabini Street / N/A / San Isidro / Quezon City / Metro Manila / 1100
- 20 Mobile / 21 E-mail
- 09171234567 / maria.delacruz@example.com
Every box has an entry or N/A; the name matches the PSA birth certificate; the middle name is written in full.
II. Family background
Item 22 is your spouse: surname, first name, middle name, name extension, occupation, employer or business name, business address and telephone. If you are single, write N/A in each line. Item 23 lists all your children with full names and dates of birth; the form says write full name and list all, so include adopted children and children from earlier relationships.
Item 24 is your father's name and item 25 your mother's maiden name (her surname, first name and middle name before marriage). The most common error here is writing the mother's married surname. Check your PSA birth certificate, which shows her maiden name. If a parent is deceased, still write the name; you may add “deceased” after it.
III. Educational background
Item 26 has rows for elementary, secondary, vocational or trade course, college and graduate studies. For each, give the name of school (in full), the basic education, degree or course (in full), the period of attendance from and to, the highest level or units earned if you did not graduate, the year graduated, and scholarships or academic honours received.
Secondary covers high school and, for K to 12 graduates, junior and senior high school; you may use a separate sheet to show both. Write honours exactly as on your diploma (cum laude, with honors). If you are still studying in graduate school, write the units earned, for example “18 units”. HR will match this with your transcript of records and diploma, which are the documents that prove the education requirement of the position.
IV. Civil service eligibility
Item 27 lists CES, CSEE, career service, RA 1080 (board or bar), eligibility under special laws, Category II or IV eligibility and eligibilities for uniformed personnel. For each, write the exact name of the eligibility, the rating if applicable, the date of examination or conferment, the place, and the licence number and validity date if it is a licence (for example a PRC licence).
Copy the name of the eligibility from your certificate of eligibility or PRC ID; “CS Prof” is an abbreviation and may be returned. If you passed a board examination, it is listed here under RA 1080 with your licence number. If you have no eligibility yet, write N/A. Whether you can still apply depends on the qualification standards of the position, which the vacancy notice states.
V. Work experience
Item 28 lists every job, government and private, starting from the most recent. Each row has inclusive dates (from and to, dd/mm/yyyy), position title (in full, do not abbreviate), department, agency, office or company (in full), status of appointment, and government service (Y or N). The Revised 2025 form no longer asks for monthly salary or salary grade here.
Status of appointment for government jobs is the status on your appointment (permanent, temporary, coterminous, casual, contractual). For private jobs, write the status in your contract, such as regular, probationary or project. If you still hold the job, write “present” in the to column. Your duties do not go in item 28; they go in the Work Experience Sheet, one block per job, with the name of your supervisor and your accomplishments. Agencies use that sheet to decide whether your experience is relevant, so do not skip it.
- Inclusive dates
- 01/06/2021 to present
- Position title
- Customer Service Representative
- Department / agency / office / company
- Makati Business Solutions Inc.
- Status of appointment
- Regular
- Gov't service (Y/N)
- N
- Work Experience Sheet, duties
- Handles an average of 60 customer calls and emails a day; resolves billing concerns; trains new hires on the CRM ticketing system
Private employment is included, the company name is in full, and the duties sit in the Work Experience Sheet, not in the item 28 row.
Agencies verify item 28 through your certificate of employment or service record, so the dates should match those documents to the month.
VI. Voluntary work
Item 29 covers voluntary work or involvement in civic, non-government, people's or voluntary organisations: the name and address of the organisation (in full), inclusive dates, number of hours, and your position or nature of work. Include barangay disaster response volunteering, church outreach, Red Cross blood drives, school alumni projects and NSTP-related community work you continued after school.
Count hours honestly; a total of “40” for a week-long relief operation is believable, “1,000” for the same week is not. If you have no voluntary work, write N/A. This part rarely decides an appointment, but it helps in tie-breaks and for positions in social services.
VII. Learning and development
Item 30 lists learning and development interventions and training programmes attended: the title (in full), inclusive dates of attendance, number of hours, type of L&D (managerial, supervisory, technical, etc.), and the organisation that conducted or sponsored it (in full). Start with the most recent. Include in-house company training, TESDA courses and seminars with certificates.
Many qualification standards require a minimum number of training hours relevant to the position, so this item matters more than applicants think. Keep the certificates; HR will ask for copies of the training that counts toward the standard. Webinars without a certificate of completion or a stated number of hours are weak entries.
VIII. Other information
Item 31 is special skills and hobbies, item 32 non-academic distinctions or recognition, and item 33 membership in associations or organisations, each written in full. Useful entries are verifiable: “MS Excel (advanced)”, “Sign language (basic)”, “Employee of the Quarter, Makati Business Solutions Inc., 2023”, “Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants”.
Skip social-media-style hobbies unless they relate to the job, and avoid listing political or religious memberships unless relevant to the position. Write N/A rather than leaving items 32 and 33 blank.
Questions 34 to 40
Page 4 asks seven questions, each answered YES or NO, with details when the answer is YES. Read each one fully; several are broader than they look.
| Item | What it asks | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Relation by consanguinity or affinity to the appointing or recommending authority, bureau or department chief, or immediate supervisor: (a) within the third degree; (b) within the fourth degree, for LGU career employees | In-laws count (affinity). If unsure, ask HR who the appointing authority is |
| 35 | (a) Ever found guilty of an administrative offence; (b) ever criminally charged before any court, with date filed and status of the case | A charge counts even if dismissed; give the status |
| 36 | Ever convicted of any crime or violation of any law, decree, ordinance or regulation by any court or tribunal | Includes ordinance violations |
| 37 | Ever separated from the service by resignation, retirement, dropped from the rolls, dismissal, termination, end of term, finished contract or phase-out, in the public or private sector | Resigning from a private job is YES |
| 38 | (a) A candidate in a national or local election within the last year (except barangay); (b) resigned from government service in the three months before the last election to campaign | Barangay elections are excluded from (a) |
| 39 | Acquired immigrant or permanent resident status in another country | Give the country if YES |
| 40 | (a) Member of an indigenous group; (b) person with disability, with ID no.; (c) solo parent, with ID no. | Answering YES does not disqualify you |
The question most often answered wrongly is 37. Maria Clara, for example, would answer YES if she had ever resigned from any job, private or public, and write the details (“resigned, ABC Retail Corp., 15/05/2021”). A NO when your work history shows earlier jobs that ended is an inconsistency HR will notice. If you have a pending case for item 35, write the court, case number and status as they stand; answer truthfully and get advice from a lawyer or PAO if you are unsure what to write.
References, ID and declaration
Item 41 asks for three references who are not related to you by consanguinity or affinity: name, office or residential address, and contact number or email. Choose people who know your work, such as a former supervisor, a professor or a colleague in government service, and ask their permission first.
Item 42 is the declaration under oath that you personally accomplished the PDS and that it is true, correct and complete; you also authorise the agency head to verify it. Fill in a government-issued ID (passport, GSIS, SSS, PRC, driver's licence, etc.) with its number and date and place of issuance, sign inside the box (wet signature, e-signature or digital certificate), put your right thumbmark, write the date accomplished, and attach a passport-sized unfiltered photo, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, taken within the last six months.
The oath portion (“subscribed and sworn to before me”) is signed by the person administering the oath, often the agency's HR officer or a notary public. Bring the same ID you listed. Our guide to notarizing a document explains what a notary checks. If you lost the ID you planned to use, an affidavit of loss helps you replace it, but use another valid ID for the PDS.
Eight PDS mistakes that get the form returned
| The mistake | Why it matters | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Using the 2017 form | Outdated fields; many HR offices return it | Download the current form from csc.gov.ph |
| Blank boxes instead of N/A | Read as incomplete | Write N/A in every item that does not apply |
| Abbreviations (PUP, DepEd, BSBA) | The form says do not abbreviate | Write names, degrees and offices in full |
| Dates in mm/dd/yyyy | 01/06/2021 becomes January 6, not June 1 | Use dd/mm/yyyy throughout |
| Duties typed into item 28 | Breaks the row; the sheet is where duties are assessed | Use the Work Experience Sheet |
| Answering NO to Question 37 after resigning from a private job | Inconsistent with your work history | Answer YES and give the details |
| Old, filtered or wrong-size photo | The form requires unfiltered, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, within 6 months | Have a new passport-size photo taken |
| Unsigned pages or no thumbmark | Pages 1 to 3 and the declaration need signatures | Sign every page and put your right thumbmark |
PDS vs biodata vs resume vs Work Experience Sheet
| Document | Who asks for it | Sworn? | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Data Sheet (CS Form 212) | Government agencies, LGUs, state universities, public schools | Yes (item 42) | Official CSC form, 4 pages |
| Work Experience Sheet | Same, as an attachment to the PDS | Covered by the PDS warning | One block per job: duties and accomplishments |
| Biodata | Private employers, agencies, job fairs | No (signed certification only) | 1 page, long bond |
| Resume | Private companies, BPOs | No | Your own layout, 1–2 pages |
| Service record | Issued by a government agency | Official record | Lists government appointments and salary history |
For a government job you submit the PDS and the Work Experience Sheet together, usually with an application letter or letter of intent, your transcript or diploma, certificate of eligibility or PRC ID, training certificates, and your latest performance rating if you are already in government. The vacancy notice lists the exact documents.
Why the PDS is sworn and what Question 40 protects
The PDS is the basis of the appointment papers, so the CSC treats a false PDS as a serious matter. The form itself warns that misrepresentation in the PDS and Work Experience Sheet shall cause the filing of administrative or criminal cases, and the declaration in item 42 authorises the agency to verify what you wrote. If you made an honest error in a PDS already submitted, tell HR and submit a corrected one rather than waiting for verification to find it.
Legal basis: CS Form No. 212 (Revised 2025), page 1 warning and item 42 declaration. Download the official form and guide from the Civil Service Commission.
Primary sources: Civil Service Commission
Question 40 asks whether you belong to an indigenous group, are a person with disability or are a solo parent. These questions are there so agencies can apply the protections and benefits of the laws named on the form, not to screen you out. Solo parents with at least six months of service are entitled to seven working days of paid parental leave a year under RA 11861, so declaring your status and ID number helps your HR file later.
Legal basis: Item 40 cites the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (RA 8371), the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (RA 7277, as amended) and the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861).
Primary sources: RA 8371 on Lawphil · RA 7277 on Lawphil · RA 11861 on Lawphil
Personal data in your PDS is also covered by the Data Privacy Act: the agency may use it for the declared purpose of recruitment and personnel records. RA 11261 lets first-time jobseekers get the NBI and police clearances, PSA certificates and other government documents usually asked for with the PDS without government fees, once. Our employment documents table lists the current fees for everyone else.
Legal basis: RA 10173 (2012), Data Privacy Act, Sec. 11; RA 11261 (2019), First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act.
Primary sources: RA 10173 on Lawphil · RA 11261 on Lawphil
Moving from a private job to government? Your current employer must give you a COE within three days of your request under Labor Advisory No. 06, s. 2020, and you must give 30 days' written notice under Article 300 before you leave; our resignation letter covers both. The full hiring sequence is on the employment hub.
Other names people search for
- PDS form
- CSC Form 212
- CS Form No. 212 Revised 2025
- CSC Form 212 revised 2017 (obsolete)
- Personal data sheet Excel
- PDS form PDF
- Personal data sheet sample filled up
- PDS with Work Experience Sheet
- Civil service personal data sheet
- PDS for DepEd
- Government PDS form
Frequently asked questions
+What is the latest personal data sheet form?
The current form is CS Form No. 212 (Revised 2025), a four-page personal data sheet with 42 items and a separate Work Experience Sheet. It replaced the 2017 revision, which is now obsolete. The Civil Service Commission has also referenced a Revised 2026 version, so download the form from csc.gov.ph on the day you apply and use whatever version the agency's vacancy notice specifies.
+How do I fill up the PDS correctly?
Follow the CSC guide: write N/A in every item that does not apply, do not abbreviate names of schools, degrees or offices, use dd/mm/yyyy for dates, and print legibly if you write by hand. List work experience from the most recent, including private jobs, and describe duties in the Work Experience Sheet. Answer Questions 34 to 40 fully, sign pages 1 to 3, and complete item 42 with your ID, signature, thumbmark and photo.
+What changed in CS Form 212 Revised 2025 compared with 2017?
The 2025 form asks for sex at birth, adds the UMID ID number and the PhilSys Number (PSN) in place of the old GSIS and SSS lines, and removes the monthly salary and salary grade columns from work experience in item 28. It also specifies an unfiltered 4.5 × 3.5 cm photo taken within six months, accepts wet, electronic or digital-certificate signatures, and cites RA 11861 for solo parents in item 40.
+What is the Work Experience Sheet in the PDS?
The Work Experience Sheet is an attachment to CS Form No. 212 where you describe each job listed in item 28: your duties, accomplishments and the name of your supervisor. Item 28 itself only shows dates, position, office or company, status of appointment and whether it was government service. HR uses the sheet to decide whether your experience is relevant to the position, so complete it for every job.
+Should I answer YES to Question 37 if I resigned from a private company?
Yes. Question 37 asks whether you have ever been separated from the service by resignation, retirement, dismissal, end of contract and similar modes, in the public or private sector. Resigning from a private employer counts. Answer YES and give brief details such as the company and the date. Answering NO while your work history shows earlier jobs that ended is an inconsistency HR will notice.
+What photo size is required for the PDS?
The Revised 2025 PDS asks for a passport-sized, unfiltered picture measuring 4.5 cm by 3.5 cm, taken within the last six months, placed in the photo box on page 4. Use a plain background, face the camera, and avoid beauty filters or heavy edits. A 2×2 photo is a different size and may be returned. Keep a few spare copies for later updates of your PDS.
+Can I type my PDS or does it have to be handwritten?
You may type it. Most agencies prefer the official CSC Excel file filled in on a computer and printed, then signed. If you write by hand, print legibly in black or blue ink. The form accepts a wet signature, e-signature or digital certificate. Our online version produces a faithful working copy, but agencies usually require the official CSC file for the final submission.
+What should I write if a PDS item does not apply to me?
Write N/A, short for not applicable, in the box. The form's own instruction says to indicate N/A if not applicable, so a blank box is treated as unanswered. This applies to spouse details if you are single, children if you have none, the agency employee number if you are not yet in that agency, eligibility if you have none, and voluntary work or training you have not done.
+Do I need to have the PDS notarized?
The declaration in item 42 is an oath, and the form has a line for the person administering the oath. Many agencies have the HR officer or an authorised official administer it when you submit; others ask you to have it notarized first. Check the vacancy notice or ask the HR office. Bring the government-issued ID you listed in item 42, because the person administering the oath will check it.
+Is the PDS the same as a biodata?
No. The personal data sheet is the CSC's official sworn form for government positions, with 42 items on four pages and a Work Experience Sheet. A biodata is a one-page private-sector form with no oath. A biodata cannot replace the PDS for a government job, and a PDS is unnecessarily long for most private employers, who prefer a biodata or resume with an application letter.
Related formats and guides
Official sources
- Civil Service Commission — Official source of CS Form No. 212 and its filling-out guide; check for the latest revision.
- RA 11861 – Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act — Cited in PDS item 40(c); solo parent leave and benefits.
- RA 7277 – Magna Carta for Disabled Persons — Cited in PDS item 40(b).
- RA 8371 – Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act — Cited in PDS item 40(a).
- RA 11261 – First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act — Free government documents for first-time jobseekers.
Deepak Middha, Chartered Accountant
18 years in hedge funds; writes and maintains sulat.ph. Figures, deadlines and articles on this page were checked against the Labor Code, DOLE issuances and the agencies' own pages, last on 2026-10-22. Items marked verify are awaiting confirmation from an official source.