Civil service law requires that candidates for most New York City jobs take and pass an exam before they can be hired. These jobs are called the "competitive class." These exams test individuals on the skills and abilities that they need to do the job. They are administered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).
 
Each title has a different exam based on the skills the job requires. There are two different types of civil service exams:

• Open competitive exams are open to members of the public.
• Promotion exams are only open to current City employees.

The Notice of Examination (NOE) for each exam lists the qualifications for the position, the types of tests required (written, practical, and/or physical) and the date(s) of the test.
 
The Annual Civil Service Exam Schedule is published every July. It lists the exams that will be taking applications in the upcoming months.

The Monthly Application Schedule shows a list of each month's open exams.
 
After each exam, the City creates an "eligible to hire" list. This list has all candidates who passed the exam, ranked in score order. When an agency has a hiring need, it will contact candidates for interviews in order of their ranked scores. These civil service lists are typically kept for a duration of four years.