DCS Transformation FAQs

Civil Service Transformation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This page contains a collection of answers to the most common questions about the Department of Civil Service's transformation efforts. The Department will be updating these FAQs on a regular basis as more information is available.

General

Training and Experience (T&E) Examinations

Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System

Scoring Process

Promotion Exams

Computer Based Testing (CBT) Centers

Communication/Engagement Opportunities

  • How will stakeholders be informed of changes (jobseekers, agencies, etc.)?
  • How can my agency get involved before the Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System goes live?
  • Who can I contact if I have questions about the DCS future state and transformation efforts?




    • General

    Q. Why is the Department of Civil Service transforming the civil service merit system?

    A. The Department recognizes it needs to adapt to a changing world and develop a new approach that meets the needs of today's jobseekers, HR professionals, and hiring managers while still upholding our commitment to merit and fitness.

    Back to the General Questions

    Q. What does the new approach to the civil service merit system consist of?

    A. The transformation approach includes:

    • Upholding all mandates of merit and fitness as required by the NYS Constitution
    • Creating efficiencies and a superior customer experience by streamlining, strengthening and automating civil service policies, practices, and systems
    • Not reducing or taking away any current employee rights, protections or entitlements to create efficiencies
    • Being practicable and sustainable to administering and maintaining the future merit system hiring model

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    Q. What constitutes as merit with this new approach?

    A. The new model competitively assesses merit and fitness through a systematic evaluation of jobseekers matching the most qualified candidates with open positions quickly and equitably.

    DCS will develop enterprise-wide guidance, standards, templates, and best practices to ensure fairness, equity, and consistency in the hiring process. This guidance will focus on development of minimum qualifications, Training & Experience examinations, onboarding, and probation. Additionally, DCS will develop robust real time review and post-audit processes to ensure agency compliance with the new examination and hiring model.

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    Q. How will non-competitive positions (those that do not require a civil service exam) be impacted by the transformation approach?

    A. The future vision of our Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System is one central place for both state and local job seekers to be able to go and apply for open positions regardless of the agency, the locality, or the jurisdictional classification of the position. In addition to open-competitive positions, agencies will have the ability to post non-competitive, exempt, or labor class positions within this system.

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    Training and Experience (T&E) Examinations

    Q. How will open-competitive examinations (examinations open to anyone who possesses the minimum qualifications listed on the examination announcement) be impacted by the transformation approach?

    A. Most jobs open to the public (open-competitive examinations) will be held via vacancy-based online training and experience (T&E) examinations.

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    Q. What is a vacancy-based Training & Experience (T&E) examination?

    A. A vacancy-based Training & Experience (T&E) examination is a civil service assessment method that scores candidates based on their education and work experience rather than a written cognitive test. The vacancy-based T&E is one component of the competitive examination process.

    For the future of civil service merit assessment in New York State, most state and local open-competitive examinations will be held via vacancy-based T&E examinations.

    Candidates will apply online to job postings in which they are qualified and interested in and will go through an online T&E examination to evaluate their education, experience and skills against the posted job requirements.

    The T&E examination will be scored to assess the candidate's merit and fitness as it relates to the posted job they are applying for.

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    Q. Why use T&E examinations for open-competitive appointments?

    A. DCS has used T&Es for decades, and they are currently utilized to assess candidates for a broad range of open-competitive, entry level titles.

    Currently, approximately 40% of the examinations DCS holds are T&Es.

    These include some of the most high-volume titles such as Correction Officer and Motor Vehicle Representative, as well as a variety of professional titles such as Attorneys, Engineers, Child Protective Specialists, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Nurses. Additionally, the Professional Career Opportunity (PCO) Exam, used to fill more than 200 entry-level professional job titles, was successfully held as a T&E examination in its most recent iteration.

    While each examination type has benefits and challenges, vacancy-based T&Es are well-suited to deliver on the needs of our agency partners and prospective job applicants for open-competitive positions.

    • Convenient for Job Seekers - T&Es meet prospective job candidates where they are. Rather than requiring travel to a physical location to take a written examination for the chance of being considered for a job vacancy at an indeterminate future date, the vacancy-based T&E model is uniquely suited toward allowing candidates to take the exam online anytime, at any location, for job vacancies that exist now.
    • Efficient and Valid Scoring - Vacancy-based T&Es can be processed instantaneously, meaning that candidates can apply and take the examination for a job vacancy in real time. The scoring will also be verified.
    • Enhance Diversity - In advance of the decision to move toward increased use of T&Es, DCS collaborated with the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government to identify opportunities to enhance workforce diversity through improvements to the recruitment and examination processes. This study found improvements in the exam performance of racially diverse candidates following the migration of the very large PCO examination from a written examination to a T&E. The results of this study were considered when determining to expand the use of T&E examinations and demonstrate the alignment of our approach with ongoing efforts to enhance diversity in public employment.
    • Alignment with other Governments - The use of T&Es within a governmental merit system framework is not unique to NYS, and are widely utilized by many other states, including California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, and Minnesota. Many of these states have adopted this examination format as part of their efforts to update and modernize their public sector hiring.

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    Q. Will candidates be able to complete a T&E examination from home?

    A. Yes, candidates will be able to complete a T&E examination from home.

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    Q. How does the vacancy-based T&E model ensure agencies attract new graduates, as well as those who may have experience?

    A. DCS is committed to developing T&Es that provide pathways for both new graduates and candidates with experience to be credited for education, training and experience which is relevant to the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to be successful in a job title. This will be accomplished by identifying and assembling comprehensive rating factors which reflect these KSAs and ensuring that such rating factors are attainable and credited to individuals of varied educational and experiential backgrounds, allowing for consideration of all qualified candidates.

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    Q. Why are only open-competitive examinations being considered for vacancy-based training and experience (T&E) examinations?

    A. DCS will only be offering open-competitive examinations via a vacancy-based T&E because the traditional examination model (i.e. multiple-choice examinations) presents obstacles to building a workforce to meet the needs of the modern workplace. Administering open-competitive examinations through a T&E will eliminate logistical, administrative, and time barriers to the exam process and allow jobseekers to apply to open positions in real-time when they are actively looking for employment. Promotional examinations will continue to be held in person, but promotional examinations for state titles will be held at newly established Computer-Based Testing Centers across the state.

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    Q. Will the rule of three still apply to the vacancy-based T&E model?

    A. The rule of three will apply in the new model. The rule of three requires agencies to make an appointment from among the three highest ranking eligibles willing to accept appointment.

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    Q. How are the vacancy-based T&Es being created for positions in State government?

    A. First, minimum qualifications will be established for civil service titles. DCS is developing a comprehensive minimum qualification database to serve as the source of record for all title qualifications. DCS will ensure that minimum qualifications reflect title occupational qualifications, which are the education, training and/or experience requirements established to give reasonable assurance that all candidates certified for appointment can satisfactorily perform the essential duties of the position of appointment. Next, DCS will determine title relevant rating factors. Rating factors are targeted questions designed to ascertain whether a candidate possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which make them an exceptional fit for a job title and will contribute to a higher examination score.

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    Q. Who is involved in the creation of the open-competitive (OC) vacancy-based T&Es?

    A. DCS is drawing from the experience of the Staffing Services Division, Testing Services Division, Classification & Compensation Division, and Municipal Services Division who have experience developing T&Es and supporting agencies who currently use T&Es. Following the internal/initial development of each T&E framework, subject matter experts will be consulted to ensure that the examinations are appropriate and comprehensive, and reflect the most current and essential knowledge, skills and abilities needed for the job title.

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    Q. Will T&E exams be offered on a continuous recruitment basis?

    A. Vacancy-based T&Es may be administered as either an individual exam holding OR a continuous recruitment exam. Continuous recruitment examinations may be utilized in this vacancy-based T&E model for titles that are currently continuous recruitment and/or have been determined to be hard-to-fill titles and require ongoing recruitment of applicants (e.g., Nurses). The lists resulting from these examinations will remain open with additional applicants interfiled as they are received. Most open-competitive titles will not be considered as continuous recruitment, and the eligible list will be utilized for one job vacancy, or multiple vacancies sharing the same essential characteristics.

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    Q. How will T&Es be assessed?

    A. A vacancy-based Training & Experience (T&E) exam is a competitive civil service assessment method that scores candidates based on their education and experience rather than a written cognitive test. The vacancy-based T&E is one component of the competitive examination process.Candidates will apply to job postings of interest and go through an online T&E examination to evaluate their education, experience and skills against the posted job requirements.The T&E examination will be scored to assess the candidate’s merit and fitness as it relates to the posted job they are applying for.

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    Q. Will the titles moving to T&E from NY HELPS remain the same or will different titles be appointed via T&E?

    A. Most jobs open to the public (open-competitive examinations) will be held via vacancy-based online training and experience (T&E) examinations. With regard to the NY HELPS titles, DCS is taking a data driven approach and evaluating whether these titles are most appropriately filled on an open-competitive basis. This will inform which titles utilize the T&E examination format moving forward. DCS’s initial focus is on the high-volume and high-impact titles, as the top 200 titles currently filled through NY HELPS account for 86% of all appointments under the program.

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    Q. For positions in State government, will a T&E be created for titles that currently have either no minimum qualifications or very minimal required qualifications (e.g. Office Assistant 1)?

    A. As part of creating T&Es for titles, minimum qualifications will be developed. For titles with existing minimum qualifications, the qualifications will be reviewed to reflect the title occupational requirements rather than recruitment qualifications.

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    Q. Will transition exams be offered as training and experience (T&E) exams?

    A. Yes, DCS plans to test titles filled by transition method with a T&E exam.

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    Q. Will traineeship positions require the completion of a training & experience (T&E) exam?

    A. Yes, traineeships for job titles filled via the vacancy-based T&E exam model will also utilize a T&E. Many titles and traineeships also have alternate pathways to appointment (e.g. transfer, 55b/c), and these pathways may not require completion of the T&E.

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    Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System

    Q. Has a vendor been brought on yet to build the system?

    A. The contract for the Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System has been fully executed. The selected vendor is Regiment Technology Group. The Department will be working with Regiment Technology Group to implement Eightfold, the software solution for the Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System.

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    Q. What are the benefits for jobseekers in using a Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System?

    A. For jobseekers, a Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System will improve, demystify and modernize their overall jobseeker experience by matching active, interested candidates with relevant job openings based on their education, experience, and skills to improve job offer outcomes; streamline the application process by saving candidates profiles for easy, repeated use; and ensure clean and consistent communication throughout the hiring process.

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    Q. What are the benefits for agencies in using a Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System?

    A. For agencies, a Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System will reduce the overall time and associated cost of hiring, onboarding and retaining qualified staff by: automating routine recruiting and onboarding tasks, allowing HR staff to focus on strategic priorities and candidate communication; offering advanced reporting, dashboards, and tracking not available in current manual processes; enabling data-driven decision-making for improved recruiting, training and hiring practices; and reducing time-to-hire by minimizing administrative burdens.

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    Q. How will the new applicant management system help to provide more open-competitive exams?

    A. Using the applicant management system, candidates will apply to online job postings in which they are qualified and interested in and will go through an online T&E examination to evaluate their education, experience and skills against the posted job requirements. The applicant management system will eliminate logistical, administrative, and time barriers to the exam process.

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    Q. Will applicants need to apply for each job posting, including positions with the same title?

    A. Applicants must apply for every job posting they are interested in, including positions with the same title as they may have different position details to review (i.e., location, schedule, etc.). This is the equivalent of applicants needing to respond to every canvass inquiry they are interested in today.
    Agencies will have the ability to post non-competitive, exempt, or labor class positions within this system.

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    Scoring Process

    Q. Will veterans’ credits be applied to T&E scores?

    A. Yes, veterans’ credits will be automatically applied and added to final T&E scores when applicable.

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    Promotion Exams

    Q. How will the transformation approach impact promotional appointments?

    A. Promotional examinations will continue to be held in person, but promotional examinations for state titles will be held at newly established Computer-Based Testing Centers across the state.

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    Q. Why can't promotion exams be offered as T&Es?

    A. Historically, DCS has mainly offered T&Es for open-competitive titles only, with limited exceptions when a T&E was held for hard-to-fill titles that necessitate holding both a promotion and open-competitive examination (e.g. Professional Engineer 1). DCS will continue to hold most promotion examinations via multiple-choice tests that evaluate employees' current knowledge, skills, and/or abilities that will allow them to successfully perform the duties of the higher-level position.

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    Q. How will titles that are filled both on an open-competitive and promotional basis be tested?

    A. When titles are filled both on an open-competitive and promotional basis, DCS will analyze titles and job families and determine which will be held as vacancy-based T&E’s and which will continue to be held as multiple-choice format tests. Titles filled on both an open-competitive and promotional basis will use the same test format (either T&E for both or multiple-choice for both).

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    Q. Will more frequent promotion examinations impact the minimum qualifications to compete and be appointed from the resulting eligible list?

    A. As with every promotion examination holding, minimum qualifications to compete in the examination will be reviewed to determine if any changes should be made to better meet the agency workforce needs.

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    Computer Based Testing (CBT) Centers

    Q. When will the CBT Centers open?

    A. DCS is on schedule and expects to open multiple CBT Centers over the course of Calendar Years 2026 and 2027.

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    Q. Why is DCS opening CBT Centers?

    A. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, DCS has had issues identifying available and appropriate space to hold examinations on a regular basis. In order to hold examinations on a more frequent basis, with dedicated testing space, DCS determined that establishing CBT centers was the best option. By offering exams more frequently, in a hybrid fashion that mixes online exams with the ability for jobseekers to take these exams in person throughout the week at dedicated testing centers, DCS will be able to better meet the needs of our partner State agencies while at the same time making exams more accessible and convenient for all New Yorkers.

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    Q. Where will the CBT Centers be located?

    A. CBT Centers will be located in ten regions of New York State. The first sites will be located in Cohoes, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo.

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    Q. What type of exams will be held at the CBT Centers?

    A. Initially, computer-based, promotion exams for State employees will be offered at CBT Centers.

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    Q. Will local promotion exams be held at the CBT Centers?

    A. Local civil service agencies will continue to use their own test sites for promotion exam needs. Once the CBT Centers are up and running, the Department will look at capacity on a case by case basis to see if they can be used for local promotion exams.

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    Q. Who will be responsible for test administration at the CBT Centers?

    A. Exams offered in CBT Centers will be administered by DCS employees.

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    Q. If an agency has space, can they be considered for a CBT Center location?

    A. Absolutely. While DCS has a number of locations already identified, we are interested in learning of additional opportunities. Please email pio@cs.ny.gov to get the process started.

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    Q. If a candidate doesn't have their own transportation, will they be able to get to a CBT Center to take a test?

    A. DCS has sought out CBT Center sites that are serviced by multiple forms of public transportation. Depending on the location of the CBT Center, transportation options may vary.

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    Q. Are the CBT Centers equipped to handle reasonable accommodations should a candidate need one?

    A. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), all of the CBT Centers are ADA compliant. Questions regarding this policy or to request reasonable or religious accommodations may be emailed to the Test Accommodation Unit at testaccommodation@cs.ny.gov. DCS designed the CBT Centers with accessibility features in mind. Some accessibility solutions available upon approval for test takers at each of the CBT Centers are:

    • Consistent interior design offering a welcoming, calm, and distraction-free environment to help all candidates be able to fully participate.
    • Nurture room or lactation rooms for nursing mothers.
    • Wheelchair accessible computer desks.

    Additionally, our colleagues in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Management have been integral in all of this work to ensure everyone's perspective is taken into account when making CBT policy, program, design, and development decisions.

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    Q. Will testing only occur at CBT Centers or will alternate testing sites still be utilized?

    A. Test takers should refer to their Admission Notice for details of their specific test location and exam details.

    Alternate testing sites may be used for examinations as operations at state-operated Computer-Based Testing Centers (CBTs) Centers continue to open across New York State.

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    Q. How will test takers who complete an exam at a CBT Center be notified of their score?

    A. Candidates will be notified of their exam results via email. It is important to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current.

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    Q. Where can test takers find the latest updates and contact information in case of emergency situations on the day of the exam?

    A. Be sure to check the Department of Civil Service website (www.cs.ny.gov) the morning of a scheduled exam for the latest notifications. For general questions or assistance, contact (518) 474-6470 or email CBTAdministration@cs.ny.gov.

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    Communications/Engagement Opportunities

    Q. How will stakeholders be informed of changes (jobseekers, agencies, etc.)?

    A. DCS will use a variety of communication methods including emails, updates to the DCS website, live and virtual meetings, press releases, and social media to keep stakeholder groups informed of transformation efforts.

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    Q. How can my agency get involved before the Jobs Portal and Applicant Management System goes live?

    A. There will be continued agency engagement opportunities available throughout all phases of the project. Additional information on how you can get involved will be provided in the future.

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    Q. Who can I contact if I have questions about the DCS future state and transformation efforts?

    A. If you have questions about the future state and transformation efforts, please email pio@cs.ny.gov.

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