Chapter 3 – Personnel, Training, and Employee Relations

31170.3 Definitions of Testing Options

• Testing options available to administer state examinations are as follows:

  • Decentralized Testing

    • SPBState Personnel Board (see CalHR) grants civil service testing authority to departments for promotional and service-wide open examinations for classifications unique or primary to a specific department.

  • Delegated Testing

    • A department under the SPBState Personnel Board (see CalHR)’s decentralized testing program is granted authority to delegate civil service testing for classifications specific to one location to enable timelier, more cost effective eligible lists when candidate numbers are typically small.

  • Open Examination

    • Utilized when examining for entry-level, specialized or technical classes and the qualified candidate group is outside of state service working in private industry. Career Credits do not apply. Veterans Preference Credits are applied to the open list only if the examination is an entry-level examination (requiring less than a Bachelor’s Degree and two years’ experience).

  • Open & Promotional

    • Utilized when there is an identified, qualified promotional group which is not of adequate size to meet the needs of the department. In this examination, two eligible lists are established (a promotional list and an open list). The promotional list shall be used before the open list. Career Credits do not apply. Veterans Preference Credits are applied to the open list only if the examination is an entry-level examination (requiring less than a Bachelor’s Degree and two years’ experience).

  • Open Non-Promotional

    • Utilized to open competition to both state and private industry employees to produce eligible lists with more highly qualified candidates. Career Credits are applied to the final score of state employees with permanent status. Veterans Preference Credits may apply.

  • Promotional

    • Utilized when a qualified candidate group of adequate size is within state service. Career Credits and Veterans Preference Credits do not apply.

  • Subdivisional

    • Limits competition to those employed in a specified division or organizational unit within a department that has its own appointing authority.

  • Statewide

    • Administered throughout the State in locations where examining facilities are available. This applies to open exams that have positions throughout the State, such as the Telecommunications Technician classification. In this instance, a CDC Form 631, Conditions of Employment, shall be used to determine the location preference of the candidates.

  • Spot or Local

    • Administered in a county or a specific geographic location such as Los Angeles County for the purpose of establishing an employment list to fill vacancies in the particular location. Spot or local examinations can be administered either on an open or promotional basis.

  • Area

    • An area examination is restricted to a certain geographic location such as San Francisco Bay Area, Northern or Southern California, Sacramento/Yolo Counties. The counties are to be adjoining and candidates shall take the examination for that area only. This applies mainly to open examinations.

  • Departmental

    • Limits competition to qualified competitors employed in a specific department.

  • Multi-Departmental

    • Limits competition to those employed within agency, such as Department of Water Resources, State Water Resources Control Board, and the Air Resources Board or specific departments, such as the Franchise Tax Board and the Department of Finance.

  • Servicewide

    • Allows all qualified state employees to compete without regard to the department in which they work. This type of examination would be administered by SPBState Personnel Board (see CalHR) and departments with decentralized testing authority.