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Personnel - Civil Service Exams

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1. Is there one Civil Service exam for all positions?

No, each competitive class title has its own Civil Service exam.

2. How do I apply to take an exam?

You will need to fully complete a Livingston County Application for Examination or Employment. Please make sure you include all of your qualifying education, training and/or experience on the application form. The application must be submitted with the examination fee to the Livingston County Human Resources Office no later than the deadline posted on the exam announcement.

3. Which public employers hire using the results of examinations administered by Livingston County?

Those who pass Civil Service exams administered by Livingston County have their names placed on eligible lists. These eligible lists are used by certain public employers to fill available positions. The public employers that use Livingston County’s eligible lists are:
Counties: Livingston

Towns: Avon
Caledonia
Conesus
Geneseo
Groveland
Leicester
Lima
Livonia
Mt. Morris
North Dansville
Nunda
Ossian
Portage
Sparta
Springwater
West Sparta
York

Villages: Avon
Caledonia
Dansville
Geneseo
Leicester
Lima
Livonia
Mt. Morris
Nunda

Schools: Avon
Caledonia-Mumford
Geneseo
Dansville
Genesee Valley BOCES
Keshequa
Livonia
Mt. Morris
Wayland-Cohocton
York

4. How can I obtain information on specific civil service exams?

You may view a list of exams on the Livingston County website at: www.livingstoncounty.us or at the Livingston County Human Resources Office: 6 Court Street, Room 206, Geneseo, NY 14454.

5. If an exam is announced, does this mean there are open positions?

No. Exams are ordered and announced to maintain lists of eligibles that are used to fill competitive class positions as needed.

6. May I submit an exam application after the deadline?

No. Applications must be received by the last filing date noted on the exam announcement. They may be hand delivered to the Personnel Office or mailed via the United States Postal Service so long as they are postmarked by the last filing date.

7. May I take more than one examination on a single test date?

You may take more than one examination on a test date if it is a State scheduled examination. You are only allowed to take one exam per test date if it is a continuous recruitment exam.

8. How can I pay my exam fee?

Exam fees are accepted in the form of cash, money order, or Cashier's check. Personal checks, debit and credit cards are not accepted. Effective with the January 2020 exams, refunds will no longer be provided for a disapproved application. 

9. Can I get a waiver of the exam fee?

A waiver of the exam fee will be allowed if you are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household. In addition, a waiver will be provided if you are determined eligible for Medicaid or are receiving Supplemental Security Income payments or Public Assistance or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency. Please see exam announcement for further information.

10. When will I be notified if my exam application has been approved?

You will receive an admission letter approximately ten (10) days prior to the exam date.

11. Where are Civil Service examinations held?

Exams are held at the Livingston County Government Center unless another location is noted in the admission notice.

12. Are there study guides for Civil Service exams?

If the State has published a study guide for a specific exam, it will be noted in the exam announcement. You may also check the State website for study guides at:
www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm.
A Civil Service examination guide titled, “How to Take a Written Test,” is also available online or in the Livingston County Personnel Office.

13. What happens after I take the exam?

Your written exam will be scored. Some exams are scored locally (by Livingston County) while others are scored by New York State. On the day of the exam, you will be informed of when you may expect to receive the results of your written exam. You will also be informed as to whether you should call the Livingston County Personnel Office for results or whether results will be sent to you by mail. Some written exams are followed by a performance test (typically a typing/keyboarding test). If a performance test is required, you will be required to take the performance test if you pass the written exam. Once Livingston County has all exam scores, it will create an eligible list. The eligible list is a list of all persons who took the exam and passed. The list is organized in rank order. You will be informed of your exam score and rank. The higher your rank (i.e. the lower the rank number), the better your chance for consideration for employment.

14. What is an eligible list and how is it used?

An eligible list is a list of persons who took a specific exam and passed the exam. It is organized in rank order. For example, a person who achieved a score of 100 on the exam may be ranked #1 on the eligible list. When a public employer under Livingston County’s Civil Service jurisdiction wishes to fill a competitive class position, that employer asks the Livingston County Personnel Office for a Certification of Eligibles. A Certification of Eligibles is a list of persons on the Eligible List who are currently eligible for appointment. This normally includes the first three available persons on the Eligible List and anyone tied in score with the third person. The employer may choose any person listed on the Certification of Eligibles to fill its position.

15. What do I do if my address changes after I apply for the exam?

Candidates are responsible for notifying the Personnel Office in writing of any changes of address. You may contact our office to request a change of address form, and it will be mailed to you.

16. What are veteran’s credits, and how do I apply?

Certain veterans of the armed forces may be eligible to have extra points added to their passing examination score. If the veteran’s credits are approved, this may cause the eligible veteran to receive a higher score and/or rank on the Eligible List making appointment more likely. Interested veterans must apply for veteran’s credits. To do so, the veteran should complete the Application for Veterans Credits section of the examination application form and provide a copy of his/her Military Service Record (DD-214 form) when he/she applies for the examination. Veteran’s credits may only be used for one public employment appointment.

17. Does Livingston County accept applications for State (including SUNY) and Federal exams?

No. Livingston County only accepts applications for examinations administered by Livingston County.

18. What is the difference between an open-competitive and promotional exam?

Any person who demonstrates that he/she meets the minimum educational and experience qualifications for an exam and who satisfies the exam fee requirements may take an Open-competitive exam. Promotional exams, however, are restricted to current employees of the appointing authority who meet the service requirements and minimum qualifications noted on the exam announcement. In most cases, those who take and pass a promotional exam have preference in appointment for any positions in the title that are being filled with the eligible’s appointing authority.

19. What is a continuous recruitment exam?

A continuous recruitment exam is an exam for which applications are accepted on a continuous basis. Exams are either given as needed or on a regular schedule.

20. What is a training and experience exam?

A training and experience examination is a method of testing where a candidate receives a test score based on the information contained in the submitted application. The score is based on a rating of the applicant’s relevant education, training and experience. There is no sit-down question and answer examination.

21. What are “special arrangements” for an exam?

“Special arrangements” for an exam may include special exam scheduling or the accommodation of a special applicant need. If the candidate has a disability and needs an accommodation, he/she must complete Livingston County’s Civil Service Exam Accommodation Request form. If a candidate needs to request an alternate test date, he/she must follow the Livingston County “Alternate Test Date Policy.”