Frequently Asked Questions

As the New York State Department of Civil Service schedules examinations on a statewide basis, it is very rare for one to be cancelled for any reason. However, if you are scheduled to take either a written or physical agility examination and there is a forecast for inclement weather, cancellation notices are broadcast on radio stations. If there is cause for a question of cancellation because of weather or otherwise, there will be a link on the Personnel homepage that will announce it.

You may find some study guides on the New York State Department of Civil Service web site at https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm. The New York State Department of Civil Service does not provide or recommend any other study materials. Some materials may be available through public libraries, public employee unions and private publishers. However, if a study guide is available, this information will appear on the examination announcement and will be available on our website under Guidelines and Forms.

Civil Service test preparation booklets may be available through the CSEA union. You may contact the CSEA Local 1000 directly or visit https://cseany.org/civil-service-test-preparation/.

Applicants may participate in multiple examinations on the same day. The New York State Department of Civil Service prepares the examinations in such a manner that you can participate in more than one examination on the same day. If you have cross-filed for other civil service tests with New York State or any other local government jurisdiction, you must make arrangements to take all examinations at one test site. You must complete and submit to our office a "Cross-Filer" form. Please refer to the Supplemental Examination Announcement Information (Supplement "A") page for further details regarding multiple examinations scheduled for the same day.

Most examinations do require residency. The examination announcement will indicate such a requirement under the "Residence Requirement" section of the examination announcement.

Some examination questions are open to review on the Saturday after the test is held. This is called "pre-review" and you must request this review at the test site when you finish your examination. You will be able to see the questions and the tentative answers, but not your answer sheet. This is the forum in which to challenge what you may consider to be an appropriate question(s) and/or answer(s).

After you receive your score, you may request a computational review, in which you will be able to review a copy of your answer sheet and the final answer key, but not the test questions. Directions for requesting a computational review are included with the grade notification.

Not all examinations are held on an annual basis. Examinations are prepared and scheduled by the New York State Department of Civil Service Commission. The Rockland County Department of Personnel requests examinations to be scheduled based on the number of positions, the length of the current eligible list, the age of the list and the turnover of employees within the title.

If you are interested in applying for an examination with Rockland County, there are ways in which this can be accomplished. The simplest way is to apply on-line. Click on "Apply On-line" next to the listing of the examination you wish to apply for.

You can also use our type-able PDF application form, complete it, print it out, sign it and either mail it with your application fee or bring it to our office with your application fee.

Another way is to call 845-364-3737 and request a blank application form (or multiple, if you are applying for multiple examinations) be sent to you via mail.

You may also pick up an application at our office and submit it in person.

We do not acknowledge receipt of applications, but all applicants will be either admitted to the examination applied for or be informed of the reason for disqualification.

It is important to read the announcement carefully before you apply. Please be sure that:

• An application is submitted for EACH examination you wish to take and include its appropriate application fee.
• On your application, you must write the correct Examination Number and Title on the application.
• Applications with incomplete information may result in your disqualification from the examination. Submitting a resume is not an acceptable alternative to completing an application.

Many County jobs, as well as jobs in the towns, villages, school districts, libraries or special districts require a County Civil Service examination. For those County job openings that do not require an examination, the Rockland County Department of Personnel conducts recruitment to fill positions. Towns, villages, school districts, libraries or special districts conduct their own recruitments for openings that do not require a civil service examination. You should contact their individual personnel offices for information.

The Rockland County Department of Personnel is located at 50 Sanatorium Road, Building A, Pomona, NY 10970.  The telephone number is 845-364-3737. The email address is RCPersonnel@co.rockland.ny.us

Job opportunities not requiring a Civil Service examination are publicized on the Rockland County website. The titles of the position and where the position exists are posted. Simply click on the position you are interested in for more details regarding the position and how to apply.

The New York State Department of Civil Service designs, prepares and scores the Civil Service examinations used by the Rockland County Department of Personnel.

Effective June 1996, the New York State Department of Civil Service expanded the use of a scoring methodology called band scoring. Band scoring facilitates the assessment of candidate performance on written tests in a more realistic manner than the traditional individual scoring formulas and is used for both Open-Competitive and Promotional examinations.

Band scoring is developed by first determining the raw score, which is generally the number of questions the candidate answered correctly. After the results are analyzed, a band score table is constructed for the test. The band score table is then applied to the raw score to determine the final score. Typically, a band score covers a range of scores and bands are reported in five-point increments.

Some candidates are entitled to Veterans' Credits. In accordance with the New York State Constitution, these credits are added to the final scores of passing candidates. Veterans' credits cannot be added to failing scores. On Open-Competitive examinations, which are those open to the general public, qualified non-disabled veterans may receive 5 points and qualified disabled veterans may receive 10 points. On Promotional examinations, those candidates who are eligible to receive Veterans' Credits may receive 2.5 points for qualified non-disabled veterans and 5 points for qualified disabled veterans.

On average, candidates are notified of their test results within three months of taking the written examination. Candidates will be notified by mail of their test score and their rank on the resulting eligible list. In order to maintain confidentiality, the Rockland County Department of Personnel will not provide your test score and rank on the eligible list by telephone.

Yes. The County of Rockland will make arrangements for you to take your Civil Service examination when you return to the County. Please request an alternative testing date and provide proper documentation (e.g., your orders) from the Armed Forces stating that you will not be available on the test date.

Announcements for upcoming examinations and current job opportunities are posted throughout the County in most public buildings (i.e., post offices, libraries).

Unless specifically stated otherwise, the number of years of experience in the minimum qualifications is based upon the presumption of full-time employment. Full-time employment is defined as 35+ hours per week. Appropriate part-time experience may be pro-rated. No credit is given for experience totaling less than 5 hours per week.

Yes. A $15.00 non-refundable application filing fee is required for each separately numbered non-uniformed examination for which you apply. A $30.00 non-refundable application filing fee is required for each separately number uniformed examination for which you apply. The fee must be submitted with your application(s) and must be received in the Rockland County Department of Personnel by the Last Filing Date as indicated on the appropriate examination announcement. However, if you can demonstrate need, you may submit a fee waiver form with your application(s). If you qualify, the application filing fee will be waived. Please see the Civil Service Examinations page for more information.

If the minimum qualifications require post-high school education or if your experience is insufficient to meet the minimum qualifications and there is an educational substitution statement in the minimum qualifications, you must file an official college transcript(s) with the Department of Personnel by the due date indicated on the examination announcement. The transcript must be sent directly to the Department of Personnel by the college. If you have previously submitted your college transcripts, please indicate this on your application.

"Special Arrangements" refer to requests for examination assistance with regard to scheduling or accommodations for specialized testing needs. Candidates who meet the alternate test date criteria should provide the appropriate documentation with the examination application. Those candidates who require specialized assistance should submit the appropriate documentation detailing the assistance needed.

The Rockland County Department of Personnel is open to the public between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on holidays observed by Rockland County.

Announcements for Rockland County Civil Service examinations are publicized on this website (on the Civil Service Examinations page). Printed announcements are also sent to all County and Municipal buildings, post offices and local libraries for posting. It is recommended that you check the listing of current examinations every two weeks so you do not miss the opportunity to apply for upcoming examinations you may qualify for.

Applications for examinations are reviewed approximately two weeks after the last date for filing for the examination. If your application was approved or conditionally approved for an examination, you will receive written notice of such. Admission notices to the examination will be sent to you approximately ten days prior to the written test date with test location and other instructions.

Candidates are responsible for notifying the Department of Personnel, in writing, of a change of address. If you have moved, please complete the Change of Address Form and return it to our office. Be sure to fill out the form completely.

If you are applying for a position within County government, fill out the same application as you would for an examination. If you are interested in a position in a County jurisdiction that does not require an exam, you should apply directly to the village, town, school district, or special district in which you seek employment. They will provide you with the appropriate application and forward it to the Department of Personnel for evaluation, if applicable.

An Eligible List is a list of candidates who have passed an examination for a specific title ranked according to their test scores, from highest to lowest. The higher the score, the better your chances are for getting a position.

When an agency or department has an opening for a "competitive" position (a position that requires passing an examination), they request a list (a "certification") of eligible candidates who have passed the appropriate examination for the position. Agencies/departments send out canvass letters to those on the certification to determine who is interested in the type of appointment available. Only those who reply within the specified time period, and who express interest, and who are reachable, may be appointed. As the list is used to hire, and as candidates on the list state they are not interested in the positions, agencies/departments make their way down the list in score/rank order.

Any individual who demonstrates that they meet the minimum qualifications and residency requirements cited on the examination announcement can take Open-Competitive examinations. Promotional examinations are restricted to current employees of the specific agency/department who meet the service requirement and minimum qualifications cited on the examination announcement. It is possible for current employees to take an examination both open-competitively and promotionally, and appear on both lists if they pass the examination. Candidates on promotional lists are canvassed first.

There are three types of positions that have no test requirements. They are:

Exempt Class  - Positions in the exempt class, as defined by Section 41 of Civil Service Law, are those for which neither a competitive nor non-competitive examination has been found to be practicable.

Non-Competitive Class -  Positions in the non-competitive class, as defined by Section 42 of Civil Service Law, are those for which a competitive examination has been found to be not practicable.

Labor Class - Positions in the labor class are unskilled and generally do not require any minimum qualifications which candidates must meet.

You can find out what areas each test will cover from the examination announcement under the heading "Subject of Written Examination".

Admission notices are mailed to candidates ten calendar days prior to the test date. If you do not receive an admission notice by three (3) days prior to the test date, you must call the Examinations Unit of the Department of Personnel (845) 364-3737 to request a duplicate admission notice. It is the candidate's responsibility to call prior to the test date.

The Rockland County Department of Personnel uses different sites to administer examinations. The site of your particular examination will be printed on your admission notice. To find out how to get to a specific site, please visit the appropriate testing site's web page.

Band scoring provides a more realistic assessment of a candidate's performance on written tests than point-by-point scoring. It takes into account that no test can measure a candidate's abilities with perfect confidence or assess all the abilities relevant to a given job. Also, increasing the use of band scoring on Civil Service examinations considerably opens the field of candidates who can be considered for appointment.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications are notified by mail. If your application is disapproved and you have additional relevant information that you feel would qualify you for the examination, this information must be submitted, in writing, no later than two weeks prior to the examination date.