Employment Exams and Assessments

Understanding Employment Exams and Assessments

Job seekers must pass an exam or an assessment before applying for most jobs in California state government. If you do not complete and pass an exam, your application will not be reviewed.

However, do not fear! You are in the right place to learn more about this process. Check out our tips and tricks on preparing for exams and assessments.

Exam and Assessment Overview

Employment exams evaluate a candidate’s knowledge, skills and abilities. While you must pass an exam to apply for most jobs, the content of those exams may vary depending on the type of job you are interested in.

Some positions may not require an exam but a different type of assessment. You can learn about job application requirements on CalCareers.

To learn more about how to read a job posting, check out this resource.

How to Find the Right Exam for Me

First, visit CalCareers and log in to your account. Once you log in, you can search and sign up for exams.

Search for exams by selecting the “Exam and Assessment” bar on the CalCareers homepage. Next, you will be directed to the exam search page, where you can search by keyword, department or classification.

Searching for exams by classification is often the easiest strategy to organize and view exams.

After searching by classification or by any other search filter, review exam postings and select which exam is right for you. It is important to select “Review Exam Posting” to view the entire exam bulletin.

The exam bulletin includes everything you need to know about an exam. A typical exam bulletin will include:

A list of minimum qualifications to determine if you are eligible to take the exam

When the exam is offered

How the exam is administered (in person or online)

The time between exam offerings if a retake is needed

It is important to read the entire exam bulletin, as requirements may vary by classification or by the job you are interested in applying for.

You can also review job postings to learn more about what exam is required for a specific job. All job postings include information about required exams and assessments.

Preparing for the Exam

Preparing for an exam may vary depending upon the classification or the level of experience required for a specific job. You may encounter a traditional test or a list of competencies to write about. Check out the following examples to find out what to expect.

Note
Always read the exam requirements in the job posting to find out what is correct for your career search.

For administrative and clerical work, it is common to take a multiple-choice test to measure your competencies. Check out this study guide for the office assistant classification to see what a multiple-choice exam could be like.

Office Assistant Study Guide

For specialized career fields like engineering, information technology and law, the exam prep may involve developing an outline based on the competencies mentioned in the exam bulletin. Check out the examples below:

Attorney Exam Prep Example

Information Technology Exam Prep Example

Engineering Exam Prep Example

Taking the Exam

The type of exam may vary depending on the classification or job you are applying for. The exam bulletin will include everything you need to know for your specific exam. Below are some tips for in-person and online exams:

In-person exams
- Identify the exam location and arrive early
- Know how much time you have to take exam
- Understand if you must complete the exam on paper or digitally

Online exams
- Confirm that you have a stable internet connection
- Know how much time you have to take exam
- Remove distractions from your testing environment

Receiving Your Exam Score

After completing an exam, you will receive a score. Some exams are scored as pass/fail, and others may include a numerical score. Passing the exam does not guarantee a position, but it does make you eligible to complete the next step in the application process.

Your score will be available for a period of time. You can always refer to the exam bulletin for the exact information for that classification.

For more information on the exam and assessment process, watch these videos from Work4California. They will help you navigate the exam and assessment process!