GENERAL INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 15-03
TO: Department and Agency Directors of Human Resource, Personnel and Affirmative Action Officers
FROM: Scott DeFruscio, Director of Staffing Services
SUBJECT:Examination Request Program
DATE: October 19, 2015
The Department of Civil Service is introducing a new tool to assist state agencies in the examination planning process. This tool is the Examination Request Program and it will be available November 1.
The Examination Request Program will allow state agencies to submit examination requests for consideration for the upcoming testing year. Agencies will use this tool to enter examination requests by title name or title code. Agencies must provide a reason for the examination request, assign a priority level of high, medium or low to each request and estimate the number of expected appointments from a resulting eligible list. There is also an option to include comments or attach documents that may be helpful to the Department in reviewing the examination request.
The Examination Request Program is not intended to replace direct communication with your Staffing Services Representative on the examination planning process. This communication will continue and is a vital part of the process. The Examination Request Program will help organize the process of submitting examination requests, and it will also allow agencies to track the progress of their submitted requests.
Each year there will be an open submission period beginning on November 1 and ending on January 8. During this time period agencies may submit examination requests for consideration for the upcoming testing year. Agencies will continue to have access to the program after January 8 to enter draft examination requests that can be submitted during the next open submission period.
To begin using the program, agencies must identify appropriate staff that will be permitted access to the Examination Request Program to submit examination requests. Those identified should be the staff person(s) with responsibility for working on the examination planning process with their Staffing Services Representative.
Permission to access the Examination Request Program will be granted as follows:
- Agencies that use the Online Civil Service Permission Request (OCSPR) system may request permission at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/login/?tlsd=/permissions-request/choose-agency.cfm. Select the "Examination Request Program" option under Other Systems.
- Agencies that do not utilize the online system may complete the IRM-300 form and write 'External Agency ERMA access' in the area of the form identified as CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS. The IRM-300 form can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/extdocs/forms/IRM_300.pdf. If using the IRM-300 form, the Agency Authorization must be completed, including sign-off by the agency's Data Access Officer, and submitted as soon as possible to help ensure access to the Examination Request Program for the upcoming open submission period. The IRM-300 form may be sent via email to the ITS Enterprise Service Desk at fixit@its.ny.gov or faxed to (518) 485-5588.
Once permissions have been granted you can access the Examination Request Program at:
https://www.cs.ny.gov/login/?tlsd=/hr/erma/index.cfm.
Please direct any questions you may have on this new program to your Staffing Services Representative.