New York State of Opportunity

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

Professional Career Opportunities*

Written Test To Be Held
April 8, 2017**
You may be assigned to Saturday or Sunday
Please refer to the information below.
Applications Must Be Submitted ONLINE By
February 22, 2017

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee
26-240 PCO - Professional Career Opportunities $53,339 18 $35

ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS ONLY

Salary Grade Hiring Salary Range Non-Refundable
Processing Fee
(Waivers Available)
Leading to professional positions from
G-14 to G-21
$36,246 to $62,242 $35

*A list of titles filled by this examination is available at the PCO Title Listing Page.

**Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either a morning or afternoon session on Saturday, April 8, 2017, Sunday, April 9, 2017, or Saturday, April 15, 2017, to take your test. 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. If you do not receive your admission notice by April 5, 2017, see "ADMISSION TO EXAMINATION" below.

Note: If you require assistance with a password reset, please contact the Information Technology help desk by calling 844-891-1786 or emailing fixit@its.ny.gov.

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

On or before September 1, 2018† you must have a bachelor's degree or higher.

† College Juniors and Seniors must expect to have a bachelor's degree on or before September 1, 2018 in order to be admitted to the written test. Passing candidates, invited to job interviews, will be required to provide proof of degree at the time of interview. Candidates who cannot demonstrate that they received their bachelor's degree on or before September 1, 2018 will not be considered for appointment and their name will be removed from the eligible list.

Your bachelor's degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the NYS Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency and pay the necessary fee. Information about acceptable companies who provide verification can be found on the Internet at https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must mail a copy of the independent verification of equivalency to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, NY 12239. Attention: S1PCO or email to: PCO@cs.ny.gov.

Diversity Management Option: The diversity management option is used to fill vacancies for which there is a demonstrated need for the candidate to have an understanding of diversity management and equal opportunity principles to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the position. You must fill out and submit the PCO Questionnaire to be considered for these positions. Appointees may be assigned to analyze programs, identify problems and develop recommendations to ensure that the programs are responsive to the needs of the population which they serve.

Language Proficiency: The eligible list may be used to fill job titles that require proficiency in a language other than English. You must fill out and submit the PCO Questionnaire to be considered for these positions. If you are considered for appointment to such a position, you will be required to pass a performance test to demonstrate your proficiency in the language at a level that will ensure your ability to perform the duties of the position. If other language parenthetic job titles are established, the list will also be used to fill those job titles and appointees must demonstrate their language proficiency prior to appointment.

Selective Certification of the Eligible List: Candidates who wish to be considered for the Select Job Titles, including the Diversity Management Option and job titles requiring language proficiency (other than English), must fill out and submit the PCO Questionnaire. Lists for the Select Job Titles will be generated based on the results of the written test combined with the responses to the PCO Questionnaire.

The Positions: The eligible list that results from this examination will be used by agencies to fill more than 100 different job titles. All passing candidates will qualify for the Generalist Job Titles that are entry-level professional administrative or program titles. Candidates with specialized education and/or work experience who fill out the PCO Questionnaire may also qualify for Select Job Titles. In addition, candidates who fill out the PCO Questionnaire may qualify for positions whose essential duties and responsibilities require employees to demonstrate an understanding of diversity management. For more information on job titles that are filled from this examination, see https://www.cs.ny.gov/pco.

Eligibility for Appointment: You must have a bachelor's or higher degree in order to be appointed to a Generalist Job Title. To be appointed to a Select Job Title, you must meet the specialized requirements posted in the Job Title Details pages at https://www.cs.ny.gov/pco. These requirements may include specialized degrees, specialized courses, or specific work experience.

Traineeships: The majority of job titles filled through this examination require one-year or two-year traineeships during which trainees gain the necessary knowledge and experience to perform at the full level. For more information on traineeships, click on the Appointments tab at https://www.cs.ny.gov/pco.

Salary: Starting salaries will vary depending upon the job title, the negotiating unit, and the appointment level. For more information on salary, see https://www.cs.ny.gov/pco/overview.cfm. This information is also available on the Job Title Details pages for each title.

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm#Fee. It is important that you 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.

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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. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
  2. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.
  3. Working and interacting with others - These questions test for the ability to accomplish work and maintain professional relationships with others in the workplace. Each question presents a situation and a number of possible approaches for handling it. Question topics may include working with supervisors and coworkers; interacting with members of the public; handling conflict; and managing workplace demands and priorities. The questions are not specific to any job title or place of work.

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.

Passing candidates may be provided an annual opportunity to periodically update their online PCO Questionnaire or complete their initial PCO Questionnaire during a PCO Questionnaire update period. An email notification will be sent to passing candidates when the PCO Questionnaire update period is open. This update may result in eligibles being added to the Select Job Title lists.

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.

Test Guide

A Guide to the Written Test for the Professional Career Opportunities (PCO) and Related Examinations is available on the Department website at https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/statetestguides.cfm.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

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 DMG-vla
Issued: 1/20/2017

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.