New York State of Opportunity

Underwriter 2

Written Test To Be Held
December 11, 2021
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
October 29, 2021

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Open to Employees of Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
38-599 Underwriter 2 State Insurance Fund $73,284 SG-23 $20
38-601 Underwriter 3 State Insurance Fund $81,446 SG-25 $25
The Department of Civil Service may administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets. Online tests will be administered using Remote Proctoring. You may access information on remote proctoring by visiting our website at www.cs.ny.gov/testing/remote-proctoring.cfm. Your admission notice will tell you whether your test will be administered online or in a test location. You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to one of the following test sites to take this examination: Albany, Buffalo, Nyack, Port Jefferson, Poughkeepsie, Syracuse, or Yonkers. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice

If you previously applied for this examination scheduled for May 16, 2020, which was postponed, you do NOT need to reapply. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the qualifications to take the examination. Additional information will be sent to previous applicants via email.

Promotion examination open to all qualified employees of the New York State Insurance Fund.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before December 11, 2021*, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State Insurance Fund and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as follows:

For No. 38-599:

Either A. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as an Underwriter 1;

Or B. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as an Underwriter 1 (Disability Benefits).

For No. 38-601:

Either A. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as an Underwriter 2;

Or B. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as an Underwriter 2 (Disability Benefits).

Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before September 11, 2021*, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

After one year of the service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.

Eligibles who meet the ?B? qualifications, and who are subsequently appointed to an ?A? title, may request to have their name added to the ?A? list, once they have completed the one year of service in the ?A? title. The request should be submitted in writing to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239; Attention: S-2DAA

Order of Certification

The order of certification of this eligible list will be:

  1. "A" eligibles
  2. "All" eligibles

Note

At the interview, you may be required to have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State or otherwise demonstrate your ability to meet the transportation needs of the job.

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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:For Examination Nos.
38-59938-601
1. Preparing reports and official documents - These questions test for the ability to prepare reports and other official documents for use within and among governmental agencies, in legal or regulatory settings, or for dissemination to the public. Some questions test for a knowledge of grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. Others test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, to use the proper tone, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. XX
2. Understanding and interpreting tabular material - These questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone XX
3. State Insurance Fund Policies and Procedures - These questions test for knowledge of and the ability to apply State Insurance Fund policies and procedures as they relate to insurance underwriting. X
4. Supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline. X
5. New York State Workers? Compensation Law, Volunteer Firefighters? Benefit Law & Volunteer Ambulance Workers? Benefit Law - These questions test for knowledge of the ability to apply the NYS Workers? Compensation Law, including Disability Benefits Law, (limited to, but not necessarily including, Sections 2, 3, 10, 12, 14a, 50 through 58, 76 through 86, 88 through 100, 114, 114a, 114b, 114c, and 134); Volunteer Firefighters? Benefit Law (limited to but not necessarily including, Sections 2, 3, 5, and 6); and the Volunteer Ambulance Workers? Benefit Law (limited to, but not necessarily including, Sections 2, 3, 5, and 6), as in effect on January 1, 2020. X
6. Administrative supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in directing the activities of a large subordinate staff, including subordinate supervisors. Questions relate to the personal interactions between an upper level supervisor and his/her subordinate supervisors in the accomplishment of objectives. These questions cover such areas as assigning work to and coordinating the activities of several units, establishing and guiding staff development programs, evaluating the performance of subordinate supervisors, and maintaining relationships with other organizational sections. X
7. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts - These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field. X

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Your final score on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' credits

Credit for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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Duties

As an Underwriter 2, you would oversee a staff of Underwriters 1 who assess, define and price for the insurance risk assumed by the State Insurance Fund, and perform technical services in underwriting of workers' compensation insurance. You would review selected policies with respect to quality, accuracy, and compliance with laws, rules and regulations; ensure that the State Insurance Fund's rate structure and policy forms are employed to write all levels of risk; manage high premium risk; and critical, potentially costly and/or sensitive policyholder problems.

As an Underwriter 3, you would direct all aspects of quality assurance for a major underwriting group; advise and make decisions on coverage involving highly difficult, sensitive, and/or large premium policies; and review and authorize quotes and prepare proposals on all difficult and large premium policies. You would function as an administrative supervisor over multiple Underwriters 2, and other staff.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, 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.

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. Any past due application processing fees must be paid in full prior to submitting an application. Please email FeeUnitMail@cs.ny.gov regarding inquiries about any past due 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.

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 unlawful 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, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

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, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local 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: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S2/TB1 DAA-rkv
Reissued: 10/15/21
*Revised Material: 10/15/21

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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