SECTION 1. USE AND NATURE OF EXAMINATIONS: Examinations will be used to determine the eligibility of applicants for employment and their relative positions on eligible lists. Examinations used will be prepared in compliance with Federal and State laws or guidelines and will be based on job requirements.
SECTION 2. SCHEDULING OF EXAMINATIONS:
A. The Director will schedule all examinations and will distribute notices and determine where they will be posted. Notices will be posted in the Human Resources Office or on line on the County’s official designated website in advance of the final date for filing applications in accordance with the provisions of these rules. The Director may schedule examinations in anticipation of future vacancies.
B. For examinations opened on a continuous recruitment, the names of all candidates who took the same or comparable examinations for the same classification on different dates shall be ranked by score or band of scores on one eligible list for the purpose of certification.
C. When a specific position within a classification requires a unique or specialized background the Director may restrict recruitments to those individuals possessing the unique or specialized background.
SECTION 3. CONTENT OF EXAMINATIONS: The content and combinations of tests to be used, the weights assigned to each test, the number of bands assigned to a range of scores and the passing points or minimum qualifying score for examinations shall be determined by the Director. Examinations may consist of one or a combination of any of the following: a screening committee, written tests, performance tests, oral examinations, appraisals of education and experience, physical agility tests, assessment center evaluation, or other job related selection criteria.
SECTION 4. TYPES OF EXAMINATIONS: The Director shall determine the types of examinations to be given. The types may be:
A. Open Examinations: Any person who meets the minimum qualifications for the classification may compete.
B. General Promotional Examinations: Permanent and probationary employees who have served at least six months of continuous service in such status prior to the final date to file an application are eligible to compete. Persons who have been laid off and whose names are on a reemployment list are also eligible provided they had served at least six months of continuous service prior to lay off. Persons in unclassified positions, who previously held positions in the classified service and who did not have a break in County service between the classified and unclassified appointments are eligible to compete provided that they have at least six months of total continuous service prior to the final date to file an application.
C. Departmental Promotional Examinations: Permanent and probationary employees of the specific department in which a promotional opportunity exists who have served at least six months of continuous service in such status prior to the final date to file an application are eligible to compete. Persons who have been laid off and whose names appear on the appropriate departmental reemployment eligible list are also eligible provided they had served at least six months of continuous service prior to lay off. Persons in unclassified positions in the specific department, who did not have a break in County service between the classified and unclassified appointments are eligible to compete provided that they have at least six months of total continuous service prior to the final date to file an application.
D. Open and Promotional Examinations: Any person who meets the minimum qualifications for the classification may compete. In addition, any person competing in this type of an examination, and who meets the criteria described in Section 4, paragraph B, above, shall have 5 points added to the final passing score.
E. San Mateo County Court Employees and Eligibility for Promotional Examinations. Employees of the Court who were appointed to their positions in the Court as a result of a competitive examination process shall be eligible to apply for promotional examinations as follows: 1) employees who have served at least six months in a probationary or permanent status prior to the final date to file an application may apply for General Promotional Examinations; 2) employees who have served at least six months in a probationary or permanent status prior to the final date to file an application may apply for Open and Promotional Examinations and have 5 points added to the final passing score. Note: Eligibility under this section was reinstated with the adoption of CSC rule revisions in 2009.
SECTION 5. CONDUCT OF EXAMINATION:
A. The Director will issue administrative regulations governing the conduct of examinations.
B. The Director will notify all applicants in advance of the time, date, and place of examinations. Written examinations will be administered so that no examination paper will disclose the applicant’s identity until after the examination has been scored and the passing point determined.
C. Any candidate who receives or gives unauthorized assistance designed to aid the candidate in the examination process will be disqualified from the examination and may be barred from future examinations.
SECTION 6. NOTICE OF RESULTS OF EXAMINATIONS: As soon as examinations are scored and eligible lists established applicants will be notified of the results and, if there are more than seven successful applicants, their scores and relative positions on the eligible list.
SECTION 7. REVIEW OF WRITTEN EXAMINATION MATERIALS: The opportunity to inspect test materials shall be granted at the discretion of the Director. Written Examinations that are standardized or used on an ongoing basis shall not be available for review by candidates. Written examination materials (score sheets and a keyed copy of the test materials) which are not standardized or used on a continuing basis may be reviewed for a period of three working days immediately following the test by any person having taken that test. During this period, a candidate may file in writing an appeal against any portion of the written examination, specifying the reason for protest. Scoring of the examination will be withheld pending a resolution of any appeals by the Director.
SECTION 8. APPEALS:
A. The Commission will review appeals from ratings of oral examining boards or appraisal of qualifications boards which are below passing solely for reasons of discrimination, or fraud in the conduct of such board. The purpose of this provision is not to substitute the judgment of the Commission for that of the Qualifications Appraisal Board or the Oral Examining Board, but to provide relief to an appellant who presents evidence that there is reasonable cause to believe that the appellant’s interests were prejudiced by discrimination, or fraud in the conduct of the examination.
B. Such appeals must be submitted in writing by the appellant and must be received by mail, fax or hand delivery by the Director within 14 calendar days after notice of test results have been mailed to candidates, and must contain a statement of the facts upon which the appeal is based.
C. If, after reviewing such an appeal, the Commission finds that the applicant’s score was affected by any condition listed in Subsection 8A, the Commission shall direct that either:
1. The appellant shall be reconsidered by an impartial board and the results integrated into the examination process, or;
2. The entire appraisal and oral examination be invalidated and re-administered and applicants shall be so notified.
SECTION 9. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS:
A. Individuals with disabilities which, in the judgment of the Director, would prevent their handling the mechanical aspects of any part of the selection process on a relatively equal basis with non-disabled individuals may compete, at the discretion of the Director, in a modified selection process so as to allow the disabled person to compete on as equal a basis as possible.
B. The Director may administer examination processes restricted to severely disabled individuals for entry-level classifications provided that such persons either meet the minimum qualifications for the position or after completing a prescribed training program will meet the minimum qualifications.
SECTION 10. VETERANS’ PREFERENCE:[3]
A. Veterans’ preference shall be five points. Disabled veterans shall be eligible for an additional five points. Preference shall be added to passing scores only. The rule for ranking eligibles in order of percent standing shall not be otherwise changed by application of veterans’ preference.
B. For the purpose of this rule “veteran” means any person who has served at least 90 consecutive days of active duty in the armed forces of the United States, for which period of service a campaign medal has been authorized by the government of the United States, and to which the applicant is entitled. To be eligible for veterans’ preference, an applicant must have received an honorable discharge or a discharge under honorable conditions, proof of which service and discharge must be submitted to the Director before the time of the examination. Active duty as used herein means full time service in any of said armed forces, and does not include part time service in any reserve status or in the National Guard. Persons who elected a career in the Armed Forces and retired after twenty or more years of active military service shall not be eligible for veterans’ preference.
C. Disabled veteran means any person who has been disabled as a result of any service given the status of a veteran under this rule and who has at least 30% disability as measured by the United States Veterans Administration, or equivalent authority for other branches of the service. Claim for disability preference must be accompanied by certified copy of record of the United States Veterans Administration, or other acceptable documentary evidence dated within the past six months.
D. Veterans and disabled veterans must have all qualifications set for entrance to any examination and must pass all parts of an examination including written, oral, physical, medical, or performance examination, as may be required, before veterans’ preference shall apply.
E. Preference shall not apply to promotional examinations, qualifying examination, or to any personnel transactions such as dismissal, transfer, or lay off.
- Claim for veterans’ preference shall be investigated and the Director may require suitable documentary proof of the status of anyone claiming veterans’ preference under this rule. Applicants claiming veterans’ preference in any examination must so state when the application is filed.