Civil Service Employment Portal

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Schenectady County Civil Service Examinations
General Conditions and Instructions

Application Forms.  Applications may be obtained at the Schenectady County Civil Service Office or on the website at www.schenectadycounty.com.  Candidates will be notified of the time and place of the examination.

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Application Deadline.  Applications postmarked after midnight of the last filing date will not be considered eligible for this examination.

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Change of Address.  You must notify the Civil Service Office of any change of address.

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Special Rights for Military Personnel.

• Application Filing Period Extension. Individuals serving on active duty in the armed forces during the filing period for a civil service examination, or individuals who have been discharged with other than a dishonorable discharge after the filing period has commenced will be permitted to file an application for examination no later than ten business days before the scheduled examination date, or the last date to file, whichever is later.
   
• Make Up Examination.  Any member of the armed forces who properly filed, within the announced filing period, an application for a competitive examination but was unable to participate in the examination due to active military service, will be provided with a special make-up examination under the terms and conditions deemed appropriate by the New York State Department of Civil Service and/or the Schenectady County Civil Service Commission.

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Examination Fee. The Schenectady County Legislature has waived all examination fees for 2023.

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Examination Fee Waiver. The examination fee will be waived for (1) those applicants who are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household; (2) those applicants who are receiving SSI or public assistance (Family Assistance or Safety Net Assistance); (3) those applicants certified as Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). If you wish to apply for a fee waiver, you must complete the Fee Waiver Form and attach it to your application. This form can be obtained at the Civil Service Office or on the website at www.schenectadycounty.com.

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Special Testing Arrangements.  If you are in need an accommodation to take the examination for one of the reasons outlined below, please check the appropriate box on the Examination Application and contact the Civil Service Office at (518) 388-4233.

• Religious Accommodations.  Most written exams are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the exam on the announced date due to a conflict with a religious observation or practice, arrangements will be made so that you can take the examination on an alternate date.
   
• Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Individuals.  A reasonable accommodation will be made for individuals with a disability during the application and examination process. You must provide documentation as to the accommodation you need to apply for and/or take the examination.
   
• Other Reasons.  An alternate exam date may be requested for one of the following reasons. Documentation supporting the request will be required.

1. A death in the immediate family or household within the week preceding the exam date.
2. Medical emergencies involving the candidate or member(s) of the candidate’s immediate family.
3. Military Orders (a copy of the orders is required).
4. Wedding – must be a member of the wedding party or an immediate family member of the bride or groom.
5. Vacation for which a non-refundable down payment was made before the exam announcement was issued.

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Notice to Appear for Examination.  Accepted candidates will be notified when and where to appear for the examination. If an application is disapproved, due notice will be sent.

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Failure to Appear for Exam.  Candidates who fail to appear for the exam as scheduled will be eliminated from further consideration for this competitive examination.

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Use of Calculators.  Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, spell checkers, personal digital assistants, address books, language translators, dictionaries, or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference material to the test site.

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Examination Preparation and Rating.  This written examination is being prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations dealing with the rating of examinations will apply to this written examination.

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Eligible List.  The minimum qualifications listed in this announcement have been approved by the Schenectady County Civil Service Commission for the purpose of evaluating a candidate's education, training and experience to determine admission to this examination. This examination is being conducted to establish a Civil Service Eligible List which will be certified to appointing authorities to fill available vacancies. Candidates whose names are certified for appointment have only met the minimum qualifications to take the examination. All candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list. Unless otherwise specified, the final rank order of the eligible list will be determined on the basis of the scores received on the written test, plus Veterans Credits and Seniority Credits where appropriate. The eligible list established as a result of this examination will remain in force for at least four years and may expire when a new eligible list is established.

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Application Verification and Background Checks – Statements made on the Examination Application are subject to verification. A clearance from the Commissioner of Education will be required for employment within a school district for those positions that are designated by the school district as having direct contact with students.

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Persons holding a permanent position in this title, in this department are not eligible for admittance to this examination.

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Veterans Credits.  The following information and instructions pertain to those candidates who are claiming Veterans Credits.  Please note that Veterans Credits will not be granted after the establishment of the eligible list.

• If you are claiming Veterans Credits as either a disabled or non-disabled veteran, you must check the appropriate box on the Application for Examination form and answer all questions accurately and completely. You must also complete the Application for Veterans Credits (obtained in the Schenectady County Civil Service Office or on the website at www.schenectadycounty.com), and submit the DD-214 Discharge Papers showing that you have an honorable discharge. Failure to do so may result in a denial of your claim for Veterans Credits.
   
• If you are claiming credits as a disabled veteran, you must in addition to meeting the requirements as indicated on the Examination Application, be certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being disabled in the actual performance of duty in any war; that the disability is rated at ten percent or more, and that the disability exists at the time of application for appointment or promotion.
   
• All claims and grants for Veterans Credits are tentative and must be verified through inspection of discharge papers and related documents prior to the establishment of the eligible list. All statements you make in support of your claim for Veterans Credits are subject to investigation and substantiation by the Schenectady County Civil Service Commission. In the event of subsequent disclosure of any material misstatement or fraud in your claim, your appointment may be rescinded and you may be disqualified from further appointment on which you have been granted additional credits as a result of such material misstatement or fraud.
   
• Any candidate who is currently serving in the Armed Forces of the United States on a full-time active duty basis, other than active duty for training, may file for Veterans Credits on an examination prior to the list being established.
   
• Conditional Veterans Credits.  A qualified candidate receiving Conditional Veterans Credits will be restricted from certification using the credits until the appropriate documentary proof indicating that the service was in time of war and that the individual received an honorable discharge or was released under honorable circumstances has been presented. It is the candidate's responsibility to provide such proof to the Schenectady County Civil Service Office in order to have the restriction removed and be certified at a score including the Veterans Credits. Until such documentation is submitted, a candidate may only be certified with the examination score, not including the Veterans Credits.
   
• Additional Veterans Credits. Effective January 1, 2014, additional Veterans Credits may be granted to veterans who:

1. Used Non-Disabled Veterans Credits to obtain a civil service appointment or promotion with New York State or a local government; and
2. Subsequent to such appointment, are certified by the US Department of Veterans Affairs as having a service connected disability rated at 10% or more.

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Seniority Credits (Promotional Exams Only).  Seniority Credits will be added to an eligible score based on continuous permanent competitive class service in the jurisdiction holding the examination. Service would be credited up to and including the date of the examination as follows:

No. of Years	Credits	No. of Years	Credits	No. of Years	Credits
Less than 1 year	0	6 to 10 years	2	16 to 20 years	4
1 to 5 years	1	11 to 15 years	3	21 to 25 years	5

Each additional 5 years will be credited 1 point in accordance with the above schedule.

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Additional Credits for Eligible Children or Siblings of Firefighters and Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty.  If you are either a child or sibling of Firefighter or Police Officer killed in the line of duty as defined in Civil Service Law Sections 85-a or b (see below), you may be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which the deceased firefighter or police officer had served. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established. You must contact this office regarding these credits upon submission or your application for examination.

1. Civil Service Law Section 85-a.  Children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty are eligible for these additional credits.
2. Civil Service Law Section 85-b.  Siblings of Firefighters and Police Officers killed in line of duty (World Trade Center, September 11, 2001) are eligible for these additional credits. Pursuant to CSL §85-b, “killed in the line of duty” shall mean having died in the performance of duty as the natural and proximate results of participation in the rescue effort that was conducted in response to such attack.