Over 80% of city government positions require taking and passing a civil service exam. Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) typically administers over 180 exams for more than 110,000 candidates annually. Note: some agencies, NYCHHC in particular, may not have staff who have an underlying exam-based Civil Service title.
Check your civil service status by contacting your agency human resources or by referring to your appointment letter. You may also check your ESS Personal Details. Additional resources below.
Competitive Class: most positions within City government are in the competitive class. These are positions where it is possible for a test to determine an applicant’s merit and fitness for the job. Appointments to competitive class titles can be permanent (if appointed from a civil service list) or provisional.
- Permanent – Employee took and passed a civil service examination, was appointed from a civil service list, and completed their probation. Every appointment or promotion to a permanent position in the competitive class has a probationary period of one year, unless otherwise set forth in the terms and conditions of the certification for appointment or promotion as determined by the commissioner of DCAS.
- Provisional – Agencies generally hire provisional employees when there is no viable list to fill their vacancies. Civil service law permits agencies to hire provisionally for up to nine months and/or until an eligible list is established. Provisional employees do not serve a probationary term and do not gain permanent civil service status while serving provisionally. Provisional employees are encouraged to take civil service exams to become permanent.
Non-Competitive Class. When a test is not practicable, however, there are specific qualifications for a job. Examples include: Community Assistant or Agency Attorney. Every original appointment to a position in the non-competitive class has a probationary period of six months, unless otherwise set forth in the terms and conditions of the certification for appointment or promotion as determined by the commissioner of DCAS, or in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. Note: passing a probationary period in the non-competitive class does not grant permanent civil service status.
Exempt Class. Those few positions, typically with a close and confidential relationship with the appointing authority and/or his or her deputies, for which the appointing authority is entitled to determine the qualifications and to evaluate merit and fitness. Examples include: Deputy Commissioner and Executive Assistant. Every original appointment to a position in the exempt class has a probationary period of six months, unless otherwise set forth in the terms and conditions of the certification for appointment or promotion as determined by the commissioner of DCAS. Passing a probationary period in the exempt class does not grant permanent civil service status.
Labor Class. Positions reserved for certain laborer titles that do not have minimum education or experience requirements. Examples include: City Laborer and City Mortuary Technician. These positions have no minimum qualification requirements, and no exams are administered. Evaluation of merit and fitness is conducted by the appointing agency. Every appointment or promotion to a position in the labor class has a probationary period of one year, unless otherwise set forth in the terms and conditions of the certification for appointment or promotion as determined by the commissioner of DCAS.
Non-Competitive, Exempt, and Labor Class positions do not require competitive examinations and do not have permanent civil service status.
Exceptional Appointments. The commissioner of DCAS may authorize a temporary appointment, without examination, when the person appointed will render professional, scientific, technical or other expert services on an occasional basis or on a full-time or regular part-time basis in a temporary position established to conduct a special study or project for a period not exceeding eighteen months. Exceptional Appointments may be authorized only in a case where because of the nature of the services to be rendered and the temporary or occasional character of such services it would not be practicable to hold an examination of any kind. Exceptional Appointees don’t acquire civil service status.
Provisional Appointments. Whenever there is no appropriate eligible list available for filling a vacancy in the competitive class, the agency head may nominate a person to the commissioner of DCAS for non-competitive examination, and:
(a) if such nominee shall be certified by the commissioner of DCAS as qualified after such non-competitive examination, the nominee may be appointed provisionally to fill such vacancy until a selection and appointment can be made after competitive examination;
(b) such non-competitive examination may consist of a review and evaluation of the training, experience and other qualifications of the nominee without written, oral or other performance tests.
A provisional appointment shall not continue for a period in excess of nine months. A provisional appointment to any position shall be terminated within two months following the establishment of an appropriate eligible list for filling vacancies in such positions; provided, however, that:
(a) when there is a large number of provisional appointees in any agency to be replaced by permanent appointees from a newly established eligible list and the agency head deems that the termination of the employment of all such provisional appointees within two months following the establishment of such list would disrupt or impair essential public services, evidence thereof may be presented to the commissioner of citywide administrative services; and
(b) after due inquiry, and upon finding that it is in the best interests of the public service, the commissioner of DCAS may thereupon waive the provision of this paragraph requiring the termination of the employment of provisional appointees within two months following the establishment of an appropriate eligible list and authorize the termination of the employment of various numbers of such provisional appointees at prescribed stated intervals;
(c) in no case, however, shall the employment of such a provisional appointee be continued for longer than four months following the establishment of such eligible list.
Finding Information About Your Civil Service Title
- Contacting your HR department.
- Signing into Employee Self Service (ESS) and checking under Personal Details.
- At some agencies, it may also be reflected on your work identification.
You can research more information about your title and/or other civil service titles on Title Specification Online (TSOL). TSOL can be accessed on any computer in the City’s network. TSOL houses information related to title codes, title specifications, collective bargaining units (CBUs), pay and other terms of employment.
Additional Resources
