SUPPLEMENT “A” OF THE ROCKLAND COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: It is the policy of the Rockland County Department of Personnel to provide for and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record, military status or other legally protected status, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception. Military personnel or Saturday religious observers who need special testing arrangements must note this on their applications. In addition, it is our policy, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive any benefits, services, programs and activities. Persons with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications (e.g. braille booklet, amanuensis, reader, sign language interpreter, extra time, etc.) must make the request on their application.
APPLICATION FORMS: A separate application must be filed for each examination title desired. The applicant should make sure to answer all questions in detail and insure that the application is complete in all respects including number and title of examination. 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. Completed applications must be postmarked no later than the last filing date or, if not mailed, must be received in the Department of Personnel no later than 5:00 P.M. on the last filing date. Applications received after 5:00 P.M. on the last filing date will be dated the following day. Applications emailed or faxed to this office will not be accepted.
Application Filing Fee: 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.
Make check or money order payable to the Rockland County Commissioner of Finance. Write your name, last four digits of your social security number and the examination number(s) on the check of money order. Cash will not be accepted.
Application filing fees are non-refundable. We urge you to compare your qualifications carefully with the minimum qualifications indicated on the examination announcement and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified and intend to take. If you are disqualified from or fail to appear for the examination, your fee is not refunded.
If your application is received without the required fee, your application will be disapproved. Should you wish to appeal the disqualification, you must submit the required fee to the Rockland County Department of Personnel within five (5) business days from the date of the disapproval letter. There is a $15.00 charge for returned checks.
Application Filing Fee Waiver: Application filing fee may be waived for those candidates who are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household. In addition, fees may be waived if you are determined eligible for Medicaid, or receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, or Public Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/Family Assistance or Safety Net Assistance) or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency. All claims for application filing fee waivers are subject to verification. Candidates interested in this waiver must submit an Application Filing Fee Waiver Request form with their application by the Last Filing Date indicated on the appropriate examination announcement.
ADMISSION TO EXAMINATIONS: If you have filed for an examination and do not receive a notice within three days of the date of examination, it is your responsibility to call this office immediately. Notice to appear for the test will be conditional since final review of applications for all requirements may not be made until after the written test. You may not be admitted to the examination room without official notice not more than one half hour after an examination has begun. Have your Social Security Number available at the examination center. You must bring your driver’s license or other photo identification with you also.
MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY: Applicants may participate in multiple examinations on the same day. If you have cross-filed for other civil service tests with New York State or any other local government jurisdiction, arrangements must be made to take all the examinations at one test site.
1. If you have applied for both STATE and LOCAL government exams, you must take all your tests at the STATE examination center. You must notify, in writing, the Rockland County Department of Personnel that you have applied for a State examination no later than three weeks before the test date.
2. If you have applied only for other local government tests, you must notify, in writing, the Rockland County Department of Personnel that you have applied for other local government tests no later than three weeks before the test date. You must also notify, along with the Rockland County Department of Personnel, all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application and been approved, of the test site at which you wish to take your examinations. The Rockland County Department of Personnel has made a Cross-Filer form (PDF format) for applicants to use.
There is NO reciprocity with New York City and you must make a choice between the two jurisdictions.
EDUCATION: In evaluating a candidate’s qualifications, the equivalent of 30 credit hours equals one year of college.
EXPERIENCE: Any person whose name is presently on a preferred eligible list and who meets the requirements for a promotion examination in the agency for which the examination is being held is eligible to compete in the examination. Candidates currently holding a permanent 55-a position will be afforded the same opportunity as employees in the competitive class to take promotion examinations, if qualified. For each examination, unpaid, verifiable part-time and volunteer experience in one of the specialized areas may be substituted for an equivalent amount of the required paid experience unless otherwise stated. Part-time experience will be pro-rated. It will be necessary to complete our “Special Volunteer Form” and provide verification for all volunteer experience claimed.
AGE LIMITS: There may be statutory restrictions on your employment if you are under 18 years of age; any other age restrictions are stated on the announcement.
VERIFICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates may be investigated or called for an interview to determine if they are qualified. You may be required to take a medical examination to determine if you are medically and physically capable of performing the duties of the position. In addition to meeting specific requirements, candidates must be of good moral character and habits.
RATINGS AND REVIEW: When the 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 and review of the examinations apply. Otherwise, rating and review of the examination is governed by the Rockland County Civil Service Rules. Tests are rated on a scale of 100 with the pass point at 70.0. You must pass the written tests as a whole along with the oral and practical tests, if any.
VETERANS: Eligible disabled and non-disabled war veterans may have ten or five points, respectively, added to an earned passing score in an open-competitive examination and five or two and a half points so added in a promotion examination. (Members of the Armed Forces can apply prior to discharge and be conditionally granted credit when the list is established). You need not have been a New York State resident at time of entry into military service but you must be a resident at time of examination. You should claim these credits when you file your application and generally you must submit proof of war service before the eligible list is established. You may waive these credits any time prior to appointment to keep them available for future use. See the Information for Veterans page or call our office at (845) 638-5200 for more information on what forms are necessary for the award of veterans credits. You must submit separation from service papers to our department.
ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION CREDIT TO CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY: In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. 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.
ELIGIBLE LIST: The eligible list is made up of candidates who successfully pass all portions of the examinations. The eligible list resulting from this examination will remain in existence for a minimum of one year and may be extended to a maximum of four years. It may be used for appointment to the same title or to any other title deemed to be similar and appropriate. It will not supersede any existing eligible list in the same title unless specifically stated on the announcement.
RESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE: Preference in appointment from open-competitive lists may be given to residents of the jurisdiction making the appointment. To be eligible for such preference, an eligible must have been a resident thereof at time of examination, certification and effective date of appointment. For appointment in some jurisdictions, you may be required to become a resident thereof in accordance with law or resolution.
SENIORITY: Seniority will be credited in promotion examinations by adding points to the scores of passed candidates. Normal weighting will be one point for each creditable five-year period or fraction thereof beyond the initial year of service. Credit will be given only for permanent classified service on a continuous basis prior to examination date.
APPLICATIONS: For applications, contact our department with your request. For further information, call or visit the Rockland County Department of Personnel, (Fourth Floor) 18 New Hempstead Road, New City, N.Y. 10956 (Telephone 845-638-5200/5205). Applications may also be requested by e-mail to RCPersonnel@co.rockland.ny.us. Please note that e-mail requests for applications must be received five (5) days prior to the last filing date for the examination(s).
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS: Candidates, who for religious reasons, cannot be tested on Saturday must indicate this information on their application. All other requests for alternate test dates (including special testing arrangements for active military members) must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the examination date. The requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for compliance with our rather strict Alternate Test Date Guidelines. Applicants with disabilities who require special accommodations should contact our department by the close of the filing period.
WARNING: Anyone found unlawfully possessing or disclosing questions and answers from civil service examinations, or giving or taking test information from another candidate during the examination, or anyone found taking a civil service test for someone else or enlisting another person to take an examination for another will be subject to being disqualified from that examination and may be barred from taking any further examinations with the County of Rockland and may be subject to other penalties as prescribed by law.