Frequently Asked Questions

As the New York State Department of Civil Service schedules examinations on a statewide basis, it is very rare for an examination to be cancelled for any reason. However, if an examination is cancelled or the start time postponed due to inclement weather or a non-weather emergency, candidates will receive an email notification advising of the cancellation.  In addition, cancellation notices will also be posted on the Rockland County Department of Personnel website and Rockland County government social media pages.  If inclement weather or other type of emergency is anticipated in the days leading up to the examination, candidates are advised to check their email frequently.      

Every Examination Announcement includes a section entitled “Subjects of the Examination,” which explains how candidates will be tested and on what type of content.  The New York State Department of Civil Service may publish study guides for some, but not all, examinations.  Examination Announcements will indicate whether or not study guides are available for the particular examination and how to obtain a copy thereof.  Candidates can find more information from the New York State Department of Civil Service here: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm. 

There are limited instances when candidates may review their answer sheet or the exam questions themselves.  Candidates will be advised whether and what type of exam review is available.   Please refer to the Supplemental Information to Examination Announcements and Instructions to Candidates for Completing an Application for Examination or Employment Information (Supplement "A") for further details. 

To apply to take a Civil Service examination, you must complete a Rockland County Application for Examination or Employment and submit that application within the announced filing period, before the filing deadline.  It is recommended that you print or otherwise save a copy of the examination announcement to which you are applying.   
 
You may apply in one of two ways: 

1. By applying online, using the "Apply Online" link next to the appropriate examination announcement and submitted no later than 11:59PM on the last filing date; or
2. By completing a fillable PDF  “Application for Examination or Employment” and submitting it by mail to the Rockland County Department of Personnel, 50 Sanatorium Road, Building A, 7th Floor, Pomona, NY 10970.  Applications must be postmarked no later than the last filing date.

* APPLICATIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS FAXED OR E-MAILED WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

The Rockland County Department of Personnel is located at 50 Sanatorium Road, Bldg A, Pomona, NY 10970.

Phone: 845-364-3737
Fax: 845-364-3738
Email: RCPersonnel@co.rockland.ny.us

Hours: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm

Most exams are band scored, in 5-point increments.  A score of 70 or higher is considered to be passing. 

Once exam scores are finalized, the Rockland County Department of Personnel establishes an eligible list and sends scores directly to candidates by email.  Scores are also available on the online civil service portal, which can be accessed from the Rockland County Department of Personnel website.

Arrangements for an alternate test date may be made for active military personnel who are deployed at the time of the examination using the Request for Alternate Examination Date form.  Candidates requiring an alternate examination date due to military service must provide a copy of their orders with their requests.  

In evaluating a candidate’s qualifications, a full-time work week will be evaluated on the basis of 35 hours per week.  Unless otherwise specified, part-time experience will be prorated on the basis of 35 hours per week.  No credit is given for experience totaling less than 5 hours per week.    

For certain positions, unpaid, verified volunteer experience in one of the specialized areas of required qualifications may be substituted for an equivalent amount of the required paid experience.   The job specification and/or examination announcement will indicate if volunteer experience is eligible for consideration.  A Volunteer Experience Form must be submitted with the application if volunteer experience is to be used in support of meeting the minimum qualifications for a position or examination.

An examination announcement indicates the required Application Filing Fee, which must be submitted with each examination application and received by the Rockland County Department of Personnel on or before the LAST DATE AND TIME FOR FILING listed on the announcement.  All examination fees are non-refundable.  A $15.00 filing fee is required to accompany each separately numbered non-law enforcement examination application; a $30.00 filing fee is required to accompany each separately numbered law enforcement examination application.  Fees may be paid by Paypal, credit card, check, or money order (payable to the Rockland County Commissioner of Finance) and must include the examination number and the last four digits of your social security number.  Cash will not be accepted.  Candidates should compare their qualifications carefully with the minimum qualifications indicated on the examination announcement and file only for those examinations for which they are clearly qualified and intend to take.  If you are disqualified from or fail to appear for the examination, the fee is not refunded. If an application is received without the required fee, the application will be disapproved. There is a $15.00 charge for returned checks. 

The application filing fee may be waived for those candidates who are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household. In addition, fees may be waived if a candidate is determined to be eligible for Medicaid, receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, Public Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/Family Assistance or Safety Net Assistance), or is certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency.  All claims for application filing fee waivers are subject to verification.  Candidates interested in this waiver must submit a Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification Form with the application by the last filing date indicated on the examination announcement. f

In evaluating a candidate’s qualifications, the equivalent of thirty (30) credit hours equals one (1) year of college. 

If using college credits to qualify, official college transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Rockland County Department of Personnel at rcexams@co.rockland.ny.us or 50 Sanatorium Road, Building A, 7th Floor, Pomona, NY 10970 no later than two (2) months after the last filing date; student transcripts are not acceptable. Failure to comply with the deadline may result in the disapproval of an application and/or disqualification from a resulting list of eligible candidates*. The college degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education.

If the degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. Candidates are responsible for any required evaluation fees.  Candidates can refer to the General Information Concerning Evaluation of Foreign Education and Training for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service.

*According to Civil Service Law, Section 54 which became effective September 4, 2024, applicants who are within 12 months of attaining the minimum educational requirements following the date of examination, may take the civil service exam, but will be restricted from certification until such a time that the minimum educational requirements are met.  Candidates will be required to provide proof of qualifying education within 12 months of exam date in order to be eligible for appointment from a certified list. 

In accordance with the Rockland County Department of Personnel’s Alternate Examination Date Policy, there may be limited instances whereby a candidate can request and be approved for an alternate test date for a written and/or performance examination.  All requests for an alternate examination date must be made in writing on the Request for Alternate Examination Date Form, accompanied by documentation that verifies the need for an alternate examination date, and submitted in advance, no later than seven (7) days prior to the scheduled examination date.  If the emergency nature of the request makes this impracticable, candidates are directed to promptly email RCExams@co.rockland.ny.us or call (845) 364-3737 prior to the scheduled examination date or no later than 11:59pm on the day of the scheduled examination date. 

Candidates with disabilities who require special testing accommodations must submit a Request for Accommodation Form, which includes a confidential medical history questionnaire and authorization for release of medical information, along with supporting medical documentation to the Rockland County Department of Personnel no less than fourteen (14) calendar days before the scheduled examination date.  The granting of testing accommodations will be at the sole discretion the New York State Department of Civil Service.  Candidates will be notified prior to the examination whether a testing accommodation has been approved and will receive an admission notice indicating the date, time and location of the examination.  Examination dates and location may vary depending on the nature of the testing accommodations and may be held on either the scheduled Saturday examination date or Monday through Friday of the week following the scheduled Saturday examination date.

Please refer to the Supplemental Examination Announcement Information (Supplement "A") page for further details regarding alternate examination dates and special testing accommodations.  

The Rockland County Department of Personnel does not acknowledge receipt of applications submitted for examinations; however, all applicants for a civil service examination will receive written notification of the results of their application review – i.e., that the application has been approved, conditional pending required information, or disapproved.  The reason for disqualification will be provided in writing to the applicant.

If following a determination on the application, it has been deemed conditional pending required information, or the application has been disapproved for failing to meet qualifications, an applicant may submit a supplemental statement clarifying or otherwise providing proof of the qualifications required for the position.  Any supplemental statements received are deemed an extension of the original application, and accordingly, a candidate is deemed to have affirmed that all statements made are true under the penalties of perjury.  As it relates to examination applications, unless otherwise noted in writing, the Rockland County Department of Personnel will not accept or review supplemental statements which are submitted within two (2) weeks prior to the examination date.

Before completing the application for a non-examination employment opportunity, candidates should carefully read the job opportunity posting and job specification for the title to ensure that they understand the required minimum qualifications.  They must apply by completing the fillable Application for Examination or Employment* and submitting it to the County department or local jurisdiction to which they are applying. 

All communications and correspondence from the Rockland County Department of Personnel in regard to civil service examinations and non-examinations is done through e-mail.  It is imperative that applicants make sure that their contact information, including e-mail address, is correctly and accurately provided on their application.  Applicants are directed to immediately submit a Name/Address Change Form in the event of any change to their contact information, including e-mail address. 

Job opportunities available in Rockland County government as well as our towns, villages, school districts and more are posted on a regular basis.  Each individual job posting provides information about the position, including how to apply.  An Application for Examination or Employment will always be required and should be submitted as part of an interested candidate's response to a posted job opportunity.  

Job Seekers can register to receive a notification via email when new jobs are posted.        

An eligible list is a list of candidates who have passed a civil service exam for a particular job title.  Candidates are listed in order of exam score, from highest to lowest.  An eligible list is used by Rockland County or local municipal departments to fill vacant competitive class positions.

Civil Service examinations are either open to the general public or limited, if indicated, to a promotional field of employees in Rockland County government or to employees in one or more of the local municipal jurisdictions in Rockland County.  An individual who demonstrates that they meet the minimum qualifications and residency requirements cited on the examination announcement can take Open-Competitive examinations. Promotional examinations are restricted to current employees of the specific agency/department who meet the service requirement and minimum qualifications cited on the examination announcement. It is possible for current employees to take an examination both open-competitively and promotionally, and appear on both lists if they pass the examination. Candidates on promotional lists are canvassed first.

Candidates will receive an admission notice for each examination you are approved or conditionally approved to participate in on the respective examination date; each notice must be presented in order to enter the examination site.  The admission notice provides the examination name and number, the date and time candidates are scheduled to appear, the examination location, and other pertinent guidelines.  Candidates will not be permitted entry into the examination site if more than thirty (30) minutes have passed from the entry time provided on the admission notice.  Candidates must bring a physical original of their driver’s license or other photo identification to the examination site. Candidates must also know their Social Security Number, as it is used as the candidate identification number on all test materials.  CANDIDATES WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR AN EXAMINATION AND DO NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS OF THE DATE OF EXAMINATION MUST CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY AT RCEXAMS@CO.ROCKLAND.NY.US OR BY CALLING 845-364-3737.    

The Rockland County Department of Personnel uses different sites to administer examinations, including alternate examinations. The site of your particular examination will be printed on the admission notice to your examination(s).  

Examinations are generally given at the following locations:

• Rockland County Department of Personnel, 50 Sanatorium Rd., Building A, Pomona, NY 10970 
• Rockland County Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen's Memorial Dr., Pomona, NY 10970  
• Rockland County Police Academy, 50 Sanatorium Rd., Building G, Pomona, NY 10970  
• Rockland Community College, 145 College Rd., Suffern, NY 10901

Interested candidates are encouraged to subscribe to exam notifications in order to receive an email notification when new examinations are posted.  All current examination announcements are available on the Civil Service Exams webpage and are often posted on Instagram (@rocklandcountyjobs).