GENERAL INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 16-05
TO: Department and Agency Directors, Human Resources and Affirmative Action Officers
FROM: Scott DeFruscio, Director of Staffing Services
SUBJECT: Office Assistant 1 (Keyboarding)
DATE: January 4, 2017
Effective January 4, 2017, the Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding, Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Chinese Language), and Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Spanish Language) Eligible Lists (Nos. 26-119, 26-120, and 26-121) will be used to fill positions of Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding, Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Chinese Language), Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Spanish Language), and Law Department Document Specialist Trainee 1.
The Department of Civil Service had deemed the Beginning Clerical Worker eligible lists (25-309 and 25-310) appropriate to fill titles requiring keyboarding proficiency on June 1, 2012. Upon establishment of the Office Assistant 1 Keyboarding eligible lists, agencies will be required to use the new lists first, and will only be able to use lists 25-309 or 25-310, if they can demonstrate that they have exhausted the new lists, and only for a period of 30 days from the date the new lists are established. DCS will honor appointments from certifications drawn prior to the new eligible lists being established, provided the effective dates are within the life of the certifications and on or prior to the list’s expiration date, which will be thirty days from the date the new lists are established (January 4, 2017).
Candidates for the titles of the Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding, Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Chinese Language), and Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Spanish Language) and Law Department Document Specialist Trainee 1 will continue to be required to demonstrate keyboarding proficiency by passing the keyboarding performance test which is to be administered by the agencies on a decentralized basis.
Upon request, the Department will supply a copy of Performance Test Manager (PTM), a computerized testing system that administers and scores the keyboarding performance test. Once authorized, the agency Test Coordinator may download the PTM application from the Department of Civil Service website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/state_ptm_info.cfm. The Agency Decentralized Test Authorization Request form (T-250.1), all instructions needed for installing the testing software and administering the test can be found there as well. If your agency has any questions regarding the authorization process, please call 518-457-5202 or assistance.
To receive authorization to test, we ask that your agency designate a Test Coordinator who will oversee test administration in accordance with NYS Civil Service Laws, Rules, Regulations, and the Department’s testing policies, procedures, and security requirements. Please complete the Agency Decentralized Test Authorization Request form (T-250.1) with the Test Coordinator’s name and contact information. Both the agency Test Coordinator and Human Resource Officer will need to review the form, read NYS Civil Service Law Sections 50.11 and 106, and then sign at the bottom of the form to affirm their agreement. The agency should keep a copy of the completed form and return the original to the Examinations Control Unit, by fax at: 518-474-1605 or by mail to the Examinations Control Unit, New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, NY 12239. When requesting authorization, please allow ten (10) business days prior to the interview for processing and installation. If your agency has any questions regarding the authorization process, please call 518-474-2105 for assistance.
Agencies may waive the performance test if candidates provide documentation showing successful completion of an approved keyboarding test. The documentation should be on official letterhead or an official notice of keyboarding test results. Agencies and facilities can accept test results from any one of the approved sources below as long as the performance test follows the requirements of a five-minute keyboarding performance test, typing at the rate of at least 30 words per minute with at least 96% accuracy.
Approved sources are:
- Official test results from personnel offices of State agencies, county, city, town or village municipalities which administer the performance test developed by this Department.
- Official test results from a school, college, university, or learning institution.
- Official test results from BOCES EEOC.
Agencies should continue to order eligible list certifications through the Eligible List Management System (ELMS) using the title code of the position being filled. As eligibles on the Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding, Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Chinese Language), and Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Spanish Language) lists do not have performance test restrictions, agencies will be required to verify that eligibles have passed an acceptable keyboarding performance test or provided an acceptable waiver. The submission of a NYSTEP transaction appointing an individual to an Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding, Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Chinese Language), and Office Assistant 1-Keyboarding (Spanish Language) or Law Department Document Specialist Trainee 1 position will serve as the agency’s attestation that the individual has passed the performance test.
Questions regarding this bulletin should be directed to Marcy Thompson, Staffing Services Section 1, at (518) 473-6639.