Can I register for both RBB and CPNS in the same year?

Yes. They are separate selections with different organizers. As long as the test schedules avoid collision, you can join both and decide later if you pass both.

Which is harder, the BUMN test or the civil service test?

It depends on your profile. RBB adds the weight of English (threshold 450) and Learning Agility, while the CPNS TIU demands deeper reasoning with a threshold of 80. Applicants strong in English usually find RBB friendlier, and the other way around.

Does CPNS question practice help with the BUMN test?

Most of it does. TWK overlaps directly, TIU drills strengthen reasoning for the TKD, and TKP situational formats build familiarity for AKHLAK-style questions. What still needs RBB-specific preparation: English, Learning Agility, and the AKHLAK value framework.

What separates SOE employee status from civil servant status?

Civil servants are state employees with rank, salary, and pension systems set by the government. SOE employees are company employees with remuneration and career ladders set by each enterprise. Both offer stability with different characters: uniform across institutions for civil servants, varying between companies for SOEs.

BUMN Test vs Civil Service Test: Full Comparison

The BUMN test (Joint SOE Recruitment, RBB) and the civil service test (CPNS) differ in four main ways: organizer (FHCI vs BKN), test composition (RBB tests English and Learning Agility, both absent from the CPNS SKD), the culture assessed (SOE AKHLAK vs civil service BerAKHLAK), and final status (SOE employee vs civil servant). Understanding these differences shapes both your preparation strategy and your path.

RBB is run by FHCI with the Ministry of SOEs, CPNS by BKN
English and Learning Agility are tested only in RBB
TWK material and basic reasoning reinforce preparation for both

Two Giant Selections in Numbers

1.4 million+

RBB 2025 applicants for 2,000+ openings across 107 SOEs

Antara; Ministry of SOEs, 2025

5 components

RBB online tests: TKD, AKHLAK, TWK, then English and Learning Agility

Kompas.com, 2025

Aspect	BUMN Test (RBB)	Civil Service Test (CPNS)
Organizer	FHCI with the Ministry of SOEs	BKN with government institutions
Registration portal	rekrutmenbersama.fhcibumn.id	sscasn.bkn.go.id
Test location	Online from home (Stages 1 and 2)	CAT at BKN test locations
Early-stage components	TKD, AKHLAK test, TWK	TWK, TIU, TKP (SKD)
Thresholds (latest reference)	TKD 58, AKHLAK 65, TWK 50 (RBB 2025)	TWK 65, TIU 80, TKP 166
Later components	English (threshold 450) and Learning Agility, then field tests, interviews, LGD per SOE	SKB matching the position
English test	Yes, mandatory, 60% of Stage 2	Absent from the SKD
Value framework	AKHLAK (SOE core values)	BerAKHLAK (civil service core values)
Final status	SOE employee under each company's terms	Civil servant (CPNS then PNS)
Common S1 age limit	30 on the regular path, 45 experienced (RBB 2025)	Generally 35

BUMN Test vs Civil Service Test: The Full Comparison and How to Choose

Two Giant Selections in Numbers

Still weighing your path, or already set on an SOE career?

Two Paths with Different Philosophies

The Full RBB vs CPNS Comparison

Which Profile Fits Which Path

Leaning RBB

Leaning CPNS

Weighing It from the Test Preparation Side

Four Misconceptions That Often Mislead the Choice

How to Decide Your Path

BUMN vs CPNS Questions

Sources & References