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Civil Service

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1. When will I receive my admittance notice to take an exam?

Admittance notices are mailed approximately 5 days before the exam.  If you do not receive a notice by the Wednesday before the exam, please contact the Human Resources office.

2. When will I know my score on the exam and my rank on the Civil Service List?

Test results are received from New York State Civil Service approximately three months after an exam is held.  You will be notified by mail of your score and placement on the eligible list for that title.  An eligible list is a ranked listing of all passing candidates from an exam.  An eligible list is established for a minimum of one year and can be extended to a maximum of four years.

3. How do I know what jobs are available?

Many Civil Service jobs are filled by lists.  In order to get on the list, you must take an exam.  If no exam is required for the job, the appointing authority may advertise on the County Civil Service vacancy page or their own website.

4. What is Civil Service?

The majority of positions in local government fall under the Civil Service System.  A Civil Service employee can be anyone from a deputy sheriff, secretary, registered nurse, mechanic, nurse's aide, attorney, accountant, laborer, food service worker, etc.  The Civil Service System is required by the New York State Constitution and is intended to ensure all positions are filled by merit and fitness.  Cayuga County Civil Service manages all civil service positions in the county including towns, villages, school districts, and special districts, except the City of Auburn and the Auburn Enlarged City School District.

5. Can I receive notification of exams and vacancies?

Yes, you can receive notification of exams and vacancies.  You can also receive notification of exam deadlines and cancellations to submit applications by visiting our calendar center .

6. Do I have to take a test?

Most, but not all, positions require you take a test.  These are called competitive positions.  For competitive positions where there is not list of tested applicants, a person may be appointed provisionally until the results of the test are established.  There are certain positions that do not require a test.  These are called non-competitive, labor, or exempt.

7. What is a provisional vacancy?

A provisional vacancy is a competitive (testable) position that Civil Service does not have a current list to hire from.  If appointed (hired) provisionally, the employee needs to take a test and be reachable (score well enough) on a list to keep their job.

8. Are there positions that do not require a test?

Yes.  There are three types of positions which have no test requirements.  Exempt positions are those where the employer decides the qualification of applicants and choose the person they want to hire.  The process is similar to that found in the private sector.  Non-competitive positions have specific education, experience, or licensing requirements you must meet that can't be tested.  Employers choose from a pool of candidates that meet the qualifications.  Labor positions have no requirements.  Employers may choose anyone for these jobs.  However, they frequently select individuals with the best work record.

9. Do I have to be a resident?

Most civil service agencies do have a residency requirement.  This requirement can be different for each municipality or position within a municipality.  The exam announcement for each position will state the residency requirement is for that position.

10. How do I apply for a Civil Service exam?

You must complete a Civil Service application in full.  Cayuga County accepts electronic applications as well as paper applications for exams and vacancies.  Only information provided on the Cayuga County Civil Service application will be taken into consideration when determining if a candidate meets the minimum requirements.

11. Can I submit a resume for a job?

You may attach a resume to the application, but Civil Service requires you complete a Civil Service application in full.  Only information provided on the application will be taken into consideration when determining if a candidate meets the minimum requirements.  

12. How do I apply for a position that does not require an exam?

You must complete a Civil Service application in full.  Cayuga County accepts electronic applications as well as paper applications for exams and vacancies.  Only information provided on the Cayuga County Civil Service application will be taken into consideration when determining if a candidate meets the minimum requirements.

13. Do I need to fill out a separate application for each position I apply for?

Yes, you must complete a Civil Service application for each position or exam you wish to take.  Most exams require that you pay a non-refundable application fee.  Check the exam announcement to see if a fee is required.

14. Is there an application or examination fee?

There is a non-refundable application processing fee (NOT examination fee) for each examination which must accompany your application.  The amount of the fee depends on the type of examination and is listed on each examination announcement.  This non-refundable fee is used to defray the cost of processing applications.  Therefore, please carefully review the minimum qualifications required for each exam you intend to take.

15. Will you accept an application submitted after the deadline?

No.  When applying for an exam, take note of the application deadline for filing on the exam announcement.  Applications submitted online or in person must be filed (received) in the Civil Service office by 5:00 pm.  Applications that are mailed must be postmarked by the application deadline date.  No exceptions will be made.

16. How specific do employment dates need to be on an application?

Please be as specific as you can.  You must provide at least the month and year of your employment start and end dates.  Vagueness on dates will not be resolved in your favor.

17. What happens after I apply for a test?

Applications are reviewed to determine if all information was provided and if minimum qualifications have been met.  Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications are notified and given a deadline to respond with additional information.  Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications are notified by mail approximately 5 days prior to the test date of the test location and other instructions.

18. What can I do if I receive a disqualification letter from Civil Service?

The letter usually states that is appears that you do not meet he minimum qualifications for the examination.  This means you may not have provided enough information on the application to determine that you meet the qualifications.  Read the disqualification letter closely, and submit a letter providing the missing or unclear information.  The Civil Service Commission will then be able to take a second look at your application and determine if you qualify.

19. What will be on the test?

You can find out what areas each test will cover from the exam announcement under the heading "Scope of Examination". Exam announcements can be found under current exams, the civil service calendar, or human resources calendar.

20. What do I study to prepare for an exam?

You can find out what areas each test will cover from the exam announcement under the heading "Scope of Examination".  Many exams have practice test materials available from NYS Civil Service, your local library, or union.

21. What are rank and position?

Ranks and positions are created when all exam results are in.  A rank is a group of same scores for an exam.  Candidates that received the same score are in the same rank.  The group of candidates with the highest score are in Rank 1.  The next highest group of scores are in Rank 2, and so on.  Position is a tie breaker within a rank of scores.  If 5 candidates receive a 100 on an exam they would be positions 1 through 5.  Their placing in the position is randomly determined by the computer.

22. What if I have moved since taking a test?

Please notify the Civil Service office promptly with your change of address.

23. Can I receive notification of application deadlines?

Yes.  You can sign up to receive text or e-mail notification of application deadlines by visiting the Notify Me center and signing up to receive calendar alerts.

24. How do I find out if an exam is cancelled?

Sign up for alerts by visiting our alert center.  Cancellations will be also be announced on news channels 3 (WSTM) and 9 (WSYR) ; and radio stations 98.5 (WNYR) , 99.3 (WFLK) , 1110 (WSFW), 1240 (WGVA) , 1550(WCGR) , and 1590 (WAUB).

25. What type of application review payments do you accept?

Online payments with credit cards can be made at the time of application submission.  There is a $3.00 convenience fee for each application.  You can pay via USPS with a check or money order.  You can pay in person with cash, check, money order, or credit card.  You can by telephone with a credit card.

26. When do I need to cross-file?

You should notify each jurisdiction when you are taking exams on the same day in different jurisdictions.  There is a cross-filing form that needs to be submitted for Cayuga County.

27. Can I receive notification when the agenda for the Commission meeting is ready?

Yes, you can sign up for e-mail and/or text alert when the agenda for the Civil Service Commission is complete by visiting the Notify Me center and signing up for Agenda Center.

28. How will I know if an exam is cancelled due to weather?

Exam cancellations are announced on television stations WSTM (Channel 3) and WIXT (Channel 9); radio stations 98.5 (WNYR), 99.3 (WALL), 1110 (WSFW), 1240 (WGVA), 1550 (WCGR), and 1590 (WAUB).  You can sign up for alerts center to receive a text or e-mail notification.

29. If my exam is cancelled due to weather, how will I be notified of the new (re-scheduled) test date?

You will be notified by Cayuga County Civil Service via e-mail, telephone, or USPS of the new exam date.  You can also sign up for text and/or email alerts.

30. How do I apply for a typing waiver?

Typing waiver requests must be made to the Civil Service Commission in writing.  

31. Do I have to take a typing performance test?

You have to take the typing performance test if you are not a current Cayuga County employee, an employee of a jurisdiction within Cayuga County Civil Service, or have not taken a comparable exam within the last 4 years.  If you are a current Cayuga County employee, an employee under the jurisdiction of Cayuga County Civil Service, and you had to take a typing performance test to be appointed to your current position, or you have written proof that you passed a comparable exam in another jurisdiction you may not have to take a typing performance test.  You can apply for a typing waiver.