Scheduling and arranging for an alternate date for scheduled written civil service tests

Scheduling and arranging for an alternate date for scheduled written civil service tests
Source: New York State Department Of Civil Service State Personnel Management Manual 1230 Alternate Date For Written Test, July, 2009 update

As a general rule, the New York State Department of Civil Service will arrange for an alternate written test date for a candidate who can establish one of the following:

1. A death in the immediate family or death of a member of the household in which the candidate resides within the week immediately preceding the announced written test date.

2. Religious beliefs which preclude a candidate from taking an examination on the announced date.

3. Military duty.

4. A conflict with a previously scheduled commitment to participate as a member of a ceremonial party, such as a wedding, baptism, bar or bat mitzvah, or graduation, or as a member of the family or household of the individual for whom the ceremony is being held.

5. A conflict with a professional or educational examination. Examples of professional examinations include the Certified Public Accountant or Professional Engineer examinations. Examples of educational examinations include the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Graduate Record Examination.

6. A conflict with a previously scheduled vacation, professional conference, or retreat for which a deposit of at least $100 (one hundred dollars) was made prior to the date the examination announcement was issued.

7. A conflict with a court-ordered appearance.

8. Hospital confinement or medical emergency or health problem of the candidate or member of the immediate family or household in which the candidate resides, if documented by an attending physician.

9. Emergency weather conditions, verified by the local public safety agency, that result in the closing of specified roads, highways, or independent transportation services which prevent a candidate from reaching the test center.

The Department has added the following provisions to its basic policy statement:

In the event that a test is rescheduled by the Department of Civil Service due to weather or other conditions, these same alternate test date criteria will be used to evaluate requests for an alternate to the rescheduled date. Exceptions may be made where the candidate’s plans for a vacation, professional conference, retreat, or event, which otherwise meet the criteria, were made after the announcement issue date but before the candidate was notified of the rescheduled test date.

In addition, the Department has expanded the Section to include:

1. A new paragraph 411 providing that: “As soon as a candidate is aware of a conflict prior to the scheduled test date, the candidate should notify the Test Administration Unit in writing or by phone call. The address is: Test Administration Unit, NYS Department of Civil Service, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Albany NY 12239. The telephone number is (518) 474-6470. The request should contain a complete explanation of the reason the candidate cannot take the test on the scheduled date and include appropriate supporting documentation. It is essential that the Test Administration Unit receives these requests before the date of the written test. Requests received on the date of the written test or thereafter will not be considered, unless they involve unforeseen emergencies. Medical emergencies or illness occurring on the date of the examination must be documented by a medical professional seen on the date of the examination.”

2. A new paragraph 412 providing that: “For emergency situations which occur on the scheduled written test date, the candidate must notify the Test Administration Unit ((518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 1] no later than close of business the Monday following the Saturday on which the written test was held. If the candidate is unable to call because of serious illness, or because of a death in the candidate's family or household, a family or household member, or, if the candidate is a state employee, a representative from the candidate's personnel office may, on the candidate's behalf, notify the Test Administration Unit of the need for an alternate test date.”

3. A new paragraph 413 providing that “If a serious illness or injury renders a candidate physically unable to take a test for a lengthy period of time, that candidate may still request an alternate test date provided a candidate for a promotion examination is tested prior to returning to the workplace.”

4. A new paragraph 421 providing that “A candidate who is granted an alternate date has a responsibility to avoid exposure to the test content and to take the test as soon as practicable following the announced test date. The pre-rating review and regularly scheduled alternate test date are a Saturday following the announced test date, generally the next Saturday. The risk of exposure to test content is increased after the pre-rating review, and processing is significantly slowed by candidates who are tested on an alternate test date. Thus, an alternate test date will generally not be granted later than the date of the pre-rating review/alternate test date.”

If because of extraordinary circumstances a candidate is granted an alternate test for a date occurring after the regularly scheduled pre-rating review/alternate test date, arrangements will be made to test a candidate for an open competitive examination on the first available, regularly occurring test date as is practicable and a candidate for a promotion examination prior to the candidate's return to work. Under no circumstances, however, can a promotion candidate be tested after they have returned to work following the pre-rating review or regularly scheduled alternate date.”

4. The memorandum advises that “Questions from candidates regarding alternate test date policy should be referred to the Department of Civil Service Test Administration Unit at (518) 474-6470.”