Understanding the exam process

Background

The San Francisco Civil Service Rules govern the hiring process for PCS positions. This formal process ensures that every candidate is given a fair opportunity through the administration of exams that assess candidates' merit.

Applying to take a Civil Service Exam

So as to be in accordance with the Civil Service Rules, all applications will be reviewed in an objective and uniform manner. For this reason, it's important that you clearly indicate how you meet a job's minimum qualifications in your application materials. To be fair and equitable to all candidates, we will not hypothesize how your previous work experience may transfer over to the duties outlined in the job advertisement.

Please be aware that if you are offered a position, you will be required to verify all of the experience referenced in your application materials by contacting previous employers and reviewing educational credentials.

Exam Components

Civil service assessments may include anywhere from one to three components that will be combined in a weighted average. Details on the components and their weights are included in each job advertisement. The list below is not an exhaustive list, but meant to give you an idea of some of the assessment types that you may see:

Supplemental questionnaire - This type of assessment will always involve a complete-at-home questionnaire. In addition to a questionnaire, you may also be asked questions about your relevant work experience, respond to essay questions, and/or provide a writing sample.
Online on-demand assessment - These assessments can vary in length and be anywhere from a few questions to as long as three hours. Typically, you will receive these types of assessments via email and have about a week to complete it. Before starting the assessment, please be sure to read the instructions carefully to see if you have to complete the assessment in one sitting or if you can pause it.
Oral panel - An oral panel is a structured interview that may be conducted in-person or virtually. During this type of assessment, you will meet with several panelists and asked a number of predetermined questions. Please be aware that the panelists may not ask follow-up questions, so it is important to be as clear with your responses as possible. Your answers will be scored across a pre-set rubric.
Practical - This in-person assessment is often used for trade and safety positions and will require you to actively complete a task that is typical of the role. Your technique and knowledge of safe execution will be scored by a panel of subject-matter-experts against a rubric.
In-person - These assessments may be computer-based or by paper-and-pencil and will be delivered in one of our testing centers.

Scoring

You will receive a raw score for each of your exam components which will be on a scale of 1 to 5, Out of 100, or Out of 300. When we process the components, your scores will be adjusted in accordance with the information outlined in the section below. It is at this stage in the process that any score modifiers that you are due, like veterans preference points, will be applied to your score.

Score modeling

One of three models below will be used to standardize your score. These scoring models are based on job class and will not change from recruitment to recruitment.

Straight-line conversion - This is the most common standardization model; it uses simple arithmetic to weight and convert your component scores into one 700-1,000 point score. This is used for all non-continuous or public-safety jobs.
Curved conversion - The curved conversion model is used for non-continuous public-safety jobs. Your standardized score will be calculated by taking into account the standard deviation of the entire pool of candidates, creating a statistically broad range of ranks.
Continuous conversion - The continuous conversion model uses the same process as the curved conversion with the added step of grouping similar scores into single ranks, known as bands.