New York State of Opportunity

New York State Department of Civil Service Announces Open-Competitive Examination Open to the Public

Beginning Office Assistant

Written Test To Be Held
September 24, 2016*
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
August 10, 2016

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee
26-114 Beginning Office Assistant $28,865 G-6 $25
26-115 Beginning Office Assistant (Spanish Language) $28,865 G-6

* Due to the large number of candidates who will be taking these tests, you will be assigned to either a morning or afternoon session on either Saturday, September 24th or Sunday, September 25th to take your test. If all candidates cannot be accommodated on these dates, you may be assigned to either Saturday, October 1st or Sunday, October 2nd. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request a day or time in advance or change your scheduled day or time.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

There are no minimum education or experience requirements for these examinations.

These examinations will be used to fill positions in the titles below:

Business Document Specialist Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6
Employee Insurance Reviewing Clerk Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6
Licensing Services Clerk Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6
Medicaid Eligibility Examiner Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6
Office Assistant 1 Grade 6
Office Assistant 1 (Spanish Language) Grade 6
Office Assistant 1 (Stores/Mail) Grade 6
Payroll Assistant Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6
Public Service Commission Operations Clerk 1 Trainee Equivalent to Grade 6

If you are appointed to an Office Assistant 1, Office Assistant 1 (Spanish Language), or Office Assistant 1 (Stores/Mail) position, your name will remain active for traineeship titles filled from this examination. If you are appointed to one of the Trainee titles filled from this examination, your name will be inactivated for all other titles. If you are appointed to a Trainee title, upon successful completion of a 12-month traineeship, you will automatically advance to the full journey level of the title, Grade 9.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

  1. Reading - These questions test for the ability to read and understand short written passages. You will be asked one question about each passage. Everything you need to know to answer the question is contained in the passage. You should base your answer only on the information contained in the passage, and not on what you may know about the topic.
  2. Working with others - These questions test for knowledge of how to interact with others in a constructive, courteous, and effective manner. Questions will involve working or interacting with a variety of individuals in a variety of circumstances.
  3. Name and number checking - These questions test for the ability to accurately check names, words, and numbers that are almost exactly alike. Information will be presented in two or three columns. You must compare entries across the columns and mark your answers in accordance with the directions given.
  4. Operations with letters and numbers - These questions test for the ability to perform a variety of operations using letters and numbers. You must alphabetize, arrange, compare, check, and/or count given groups of letters and/or numbers, in order to answer the questions correctly.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Test Guide

A Guide to the Written Test for the Beginning Office Assistant Series is available on the Department website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/statetestguides.cfm.

The Positions

These positions exist in most state agencies and departments throughout the state.

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Duties

As a Business Document Specialist Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1, while learning to review and approve documents and provide information related to the creation and dissolution of business entities.

As an Employee Insurance Reviewing Clerk Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1, while learning to provide information and process transactions related to health insurance programs run by New York State.

As a Licensing Services Clerk Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1, while learning to review and process various types of transactions related to professional licensing. Processing these transactions may involve reading and interpreting various laws, rules, regulations, and policies. You frequently will communicate with license applicants and the public.

As a Medicaid Eligibility Examiner Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1 while learning how to assist in or determine eligibility for Medicaid (or public health insurance programs), and provide technical assistance and guidance to local social services districts, other State employees, consumers, health care providers, professional organizations, insurance companies, and advocacy groups. Public contact may be frequent.

As an Office Assistant 1, you would perform entry-level clerical and office support work, including processing transactions and maintaining records, in a variety of organizational settings, to meet the requirements of agency programs. Examples of your duties may include: keeping records; retrieving and compiling information; performing basic arithmetic calculations; mail, supply, and inventory functions; some keyboarding and other document preparation tasks; answering telephones; completing forms; answering questions or otherwise assisting customers; or creating or assisting in the preparation of reports, charts, graphs, and tables.

As an Office Assistant 1 (Stores and Mail), you would spend most of your work time performing general office support and clerical duties, related to mail receipt, mail distribution, storage, and storeskeeping.

As a Payroll Assistant Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1, while learning how to prepare and process payroll transactions and review related documents; answer basic payroll questions; and provide payroll customer service to agency employees.

As a Public Service Commission Operations Clerk Trainee, you would perform duties similar to those performed by Office Assistants 1, while learning how to perform a variety of activities with regard to processing Public Service Commission orders, notices, rulings, and tariff filings; assist agency staff and the public with researching and retrieval of public documents filed with the agency; analyze formal and informal petitions filed with the Commission; and make determinations on appropriate categories and distribution of the petitions.

Important: As the processing fee is non-refundable, verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Notes

  1. If you pass the examination for No. 26-115 Beginning Office Assistant (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
  2. Language parenthetics in other titles could be established during the life of the lists resulting from these examinations. The duties of a position with a language parenthetic are the same as those noted, with the exception that the individual serving in the position may need to be able to communicate at times with non-English speaking clients. At the time of appointment, candidates will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the language required for the position at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position.
  3. If you submit an application for No. 26-115 Beginning Office Assistant (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-114 Beginning Office Assistant at no additional cost.
  4. Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: In some agencies, the names of all prospective employees will be:
    • Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s);
    • Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC). All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws;
    and may be:
    • Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees whose names appear on the SCR may be barred from appointment.
    You will be responsible for payment of all required fees.
  5. Medicaid and Medicare: Some agencies require that, in order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally-assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
  6. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
  7. New York State residence is not required.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, call 518-474 6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627.

Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S1/TA1 MXT-tlm
Issued: 7/8/2016

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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