Civil Service Exam Vocabulary · Module 4
Public finance and local government
Ten words from budgets, taxes and local councils: amortization, appropriation, biennial, cadastral, censure, codify, concurrence, demographics, disbursement and levy.
✓ Last checked: November 2026 · meanings checked against Merriam-Webster
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amortization noun
Paying off a debt little by little through regular payments over a set period.
Example: The loan for the new public market has a ten-year amortization, paid every quarter.
Same meaning: repayment, installment payment, liquidation
Exam tip: Each regular payment is an "amortization" too: "the monthly amortization is ₱25,000."
appropriation noun
Money set aside by law or ordinance for a specific purpose.
Example: No money may be paid out of the treasury unless there is an appropriation for it.
Same meaning: allocation, allotment, budget
Exam tip: The 1987 Constitution says no money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law. The verb is "appropriate": to set apart, or to take for oneself.
biennial adjective
Happening once every two years.
Example: The province holds a biennial review of its revenue code.
Same meaning: two-yearly
Opposite: annual, yearly
Exam tip: Biennial = every two years. Biannual = twice a year. Exams love this pair.
cadastral adjective
Relating to an official record or map of land showing who owns each parcel, its boundaries and its size.
Example: The cadastral survey helped the assessor find parcels that were not yet on the tax roll.
Same meaning: land-registry
Exam tip: The noun is "cadastre" (also spelled "cadaster"), the official land register.
censure noun, verb
Strong, formal disapproval; to criticize someone officially.
Example: The council voted to censure the member who leaked a draft ordinance.
Same meaning: reprimand, rebuke, condemnation
Opposite: praise, commendation, approval
Exam tip: Do not confuse with "censor", which means to remove parts of a text or film.
codify verb
To arrange laws or rules into a written, orderly system or code.
Example: The province codified its scattered tax ordinances into one revenue code.
Same meaning: systematize, organize, compile
Opposite: scatter, disorganize
Exam tip: A revenue code, a civil code and a code of conduct are all codified rules.
concurrence noun
Agreement or approval; also, two things happening at the same time.
Example: Under the Local Government Code, the mayor appoints department heads with the concurrence of the majority of the Sangguniang Bayan.
Same meaning: agreement, consent, approval
Opposite: disagreement, dissent, objection
Exam tip: The verb is "concur": I concur with the findings.
demographics noun
Data about a population, such as age, sex, income and where people live.
Example: The health office used the barangay demographics to plan where to put new health stations.
Same meaning: population statistics, population data
Exam tip: Demography is the study of population; demographics are the data.
disbursement noun
The paying out of money, especially from a fund.
Example: Every disbursement must be supported by a voucher signed by the proper officials.
Same meaning: payment, expenditure, outlay
Opposite: collection, receipt, deposit
Exam tip: Collections bring money into the treasury; disbursements take money out.
levy noun, verb
A tax or charge; to impose or collect a tax.
Example: Under the Local Government Code, provinces and cities may levy an additional 1% tax on real property for the Special Education Fund.
Same meaning: tax, duty, impose
Opposite: exemption, waive
Exam tip: Levy can also mean seizing property to pay a tax debt: "levy on real property" for delinquent taxes.
Practice
Tap your answer. A green ✓ means you got it right; a red ✗ means try to learn the right one, shown in green.
Choose the word closest in meaning to CENSURE.
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C. reprimand Censure is formal criticism, like a reprimand.
A conference held BIENNIALLY takes place ____.
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B. every two years Biennial means every two years; biannual means twice a year.
Complete the sentence: The treasurer cannot release the payment because there is no ____ for it in this year's budget.
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A. appropriation Money must be appropriated (set aside by law or ordinance) before it can be spent.
COLLECTION is to DISBURSEMENT as RECEIPT is to ____.
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C. payment Collection and disbursement are opposites (money in, money out); the opposite of receipt is payment.
Which word means TO ARRANGE LAWS INTO AN ORDERLY SYSTEM?
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C. codify To codify is to organize laws or rules into a code.
Choose the word closest in meaning to CONCURRENCE.
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C. agreement Concurrence means agreement or approval.
Complete the sentence: The town pays a monthly ____ on its loan for the new public market.
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C. amortization A regular payment that pays off a loan little by little is an amortization.
Which record would an assessor use to find the boundaries and owner of a parcel of land?
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C. a cadastral map A cadastral map or record shows land parcels, their boundaries and owners.
Complete the sentence: The health office studied the ____ of each barangay to see where most senior citizens live.
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B. demographics Data about a population, such as age, is its demographics.
Choose the word closest in meaning to LEVY (as a verb).
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A. impose To levy a tax is to impose it.
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