Exams
To begin an exciting career with CDCR you must first take an exam for the classification (job title) that you’re interested in. Exam type varies by classification. If you’re successful on the exam, your name will be placed on an employment eligibility list also called a certification list. When there are vacancies, we will contact, interview, and hire persons from that list.
CDCR Exam Resources
- Exam Schedule
- Open Exams
- Promotional Exams
- Staff Services Analyst
- Exempt and Career Executive Assignments
- Out of Class info for Exams
- Online Testing Platform
Frequently Asked Questions
Minimum qualifications are specified on the exam bulletin for a classification. Exam bulletins are available on the CDCR and CalHR websites, and also include information such as exam type, application instructions, job descriptions, and salary ranges.
Some classifications allow you to take the exam before you meet all the minimum requirements (i.e. length of job experience, education, license or credential requirements), on the condition that you meet those requirements by the time of appointment or within a specified timeframe after appointment. These conditions are detailed on the exam bulletins.
Our exams are listed above. The Standard State Application (form STD. 678) is available on the CalHR website.
Please contact Talent Acquisition and Career Services at (916) 322-2545 or examhelpdesk@cdcr.ca.gov. Our exam analysts can add or delete locations of interest, update licensing or credential status, and revise your contact information on file.
Candidates who are successful on the exam will have their names placed on a certification list, thereby establishing list eligibility. Your list eligibility will expire after a certain timeframe. (This timeframe is specified on the exam bulletin of the classification you tested for and is located on your “results” letter.) If you are not appointed to a position within that timeframe, you will need to take the exam again to reestablish your list eligibility.
Names on a certification list are listed in order of rank. Your rank class is determined by your score. Persons in the top three rank classes are considered “reachable” for hire and will be contacted by the department for interviews. As those individuals are hired, decline positions, or become inactive, candidates in lower ranks will move up the list.