Hawthorne Municipal Code Ch. 2.36 Civil Service Examinations

Unless the city council contracts with some other body for this purpose, the civil service commission shall control all examinations. In either event, the commission may prepare, or have prepared under its direction, said examinations, and may obtain the assistance of a suitable person or number of persons to aid them in preparing for and conducting the examinations. No examination shall be given until the commission has approved the type of test, the questions to be asked, and the personnel required to administer the examination. The commission shall call for examinations by an order recorded in its minutes.

(Prior code § 2-360)

The commission may give the following types of examinations:

A. Departmental promotional;

B. Interdepartmental promotional;

C. Labor registration;

D. Lateral entry;

E. Minimum entrance examination;

F. Noncompetitive;

G. Open competitive.

(Ord. 1221 § 2, 1980)

All examinations shall be impartial, unbiased, without prejudice, and designed to determine the best qualified applicant for the position to be filled. Examinations may consist of written, practical and/or oral tests and should include the following features:

A. Special Subjects. A feature that shall constitute a portion of the examination which involves the particular duties of a certain position and is designed to test the ability of an individual to perform said duties should be included.

B. Educational. A feature consisting of general background of academic learning designed to determine the foundation of the applicant for the performing of general duties within the classified service should be included.

C. Training and Experience. Training shall consist of a statement of formal schooling and studies. Experience shall consist of a statement of all past activities that would tend to qualify candidates for the position sought and may include a statement of the names of former employers, nature of work, technical and scientific achievements and references from persons of good repute and ability.

D. Physical or Medical. A physical or medical test may be made a part of any examination and must be given when so stated in the notice for applicants.

E. Personality and Appearance. As part of every oral examination and as part of every written examination if desired by the commission, an oral interview may be given to determine the desirability of the personality and appearance of the applicant.

(Prior code § 2-362; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

The human resources manager shall keep a record of all examinations given by the commission. These records shall indicate the basis of rating utilized by the commission and the resulting score made by the applicant. All records shall be confidential pursuant to provisions contained elsewhere in Chapter 2.18 or Chapters 2.30 through 2.52.

(Prior code § 2-363; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

Examinations may be postponed by order of the commission or by the human resources manager. If an examination is postponed, all applicants shall be notified of the new date of examination.

(Prior code § 2-364; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

The human resources manager shall arrange for the use of public buildings and equipment for the conducting of examinations and all departments/divisions shall render such assistance as shall be required with respect thereto. The civil service commission may call upon any city official or city employee to serve as a special examiner without compensation. Such service shall be deemed a part of the official duties and responsibilities of said personnel. Any special examiner who knowingly or willfully neglects, refuses or fails to mark applicants in a correct and proper manner, or who is guilty of fraudulent or improper conduct in connection with an examination, shall be removed and disqualified from serving as a special examiner and shall be subject to punitive action if a member of the classified service. All examinations affected by said improper conduct shall be deemed null and void.

(Prior code § 2-365; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

Any applicant who arrives late to any examination (e.g., written, oral, physical agility, etc.), without receiving proper authority to do so by the human resources division, shall not be admitted and will be immediately disqualified.

Applicants who are unable to appear for an examination at the date specified in their notice will be subject to disqualification. If it becomes evident that a good reason exists for such a nonappearance, the human resources manager may, at his or her discretion, provide the applicant with an alternate date and/or time.

(Prior code § 2-366; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

In all examinations the minimum grade or standing for which eligibility may be earned shall be based upon all factors in the examination, including educational requirements, experience and other qualifying elements as shown in the application of the candidate or other verified information. Failure in one part of the examination may be grounds for declaring the applicant as failing in the entire examination, or as disqualified for subsequent parts of an examination.

(Prior code § 2-367)

All examinations shall embrace certain subjects to which weights shall be assigned, the weight given to each subject to represent its relative value in ascertaining the fitness of the applicant. Each subject of examination shall be graded independently; this grade shall be multiplied by the weight assigned to such subject; the sum of the resulting products shall be divided by the total weights of all subjects in the examination, and the resulting quotient shall be the general average which shall be used in determining the order in which the name of the applicant shall appear on the eligible register, except where additional credit is allowed in Section 2.36.100. Unless otherwise provided in notices published prior to holding the examination, the average percentage for proficiency required for passing shall be seventy percent.

(Prior code § 2-368)

In the case of all entrance examinations (promotional examinations excluded), veterans who become eligible for appointment by attaining the passing mark established for the examination shall be allowed an additional credit of five percentage points. Proof of veteran's status shall be submitted to the human resources division at the time the application is delivered. Disabled veterans shall be allowed an additional credit of five percentage points. Proof of disability shall be submitted to the human resources division at the time the application is delivered. Veterans shall be placed on the eligible list and be eligible for appointments in the order and on the basis of the percentage attained by them in examinations after the credit of five or ten points is added. For purposes of this section, a veteran is a person who has received an honorable discharge from active duty with any of the United States armed forces.

(Ord. 1372 § 2, 1986; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

No examination shall be deemed to have been completed until the markings and results have been determined, and the commission has promulgated the same. After reviewing the results of an examination and before promulgation, if not satisfied, the commission may reject it and order another examination held.

(Prior code § 2-370; Ord. 1240 § 1, 1981)

Following the final phase of the examination, including the review process as delineated in Section 2.36.130, each applicant taking the examination shall be given written notice of the results thereof, and in addition, passing candidates shall be notified of their relative position on the employment list. Any applicant shall have the right to inspect his or her own test scores. An error in grading or rating, if called to the attention of the human resources manager within five days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, after posting of the employment lists resulting from the examination, shall be corrected. Such correction shall be in the form of an amended certification by the human resources manager to the commission.

(Prior code § 2-371; Ord. 1240 § 2, 1981; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

Following the written portion of the examination, and before notice of the results thereof are posted, any candidate may challenge a question(s) that the candidate may believe are incorrect or improperly keyed. Such requests for review must be made within five days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, from the date of the examination. The candidate may protest any item or group of items on the basis of inaccuracy. All protest shall be submitted in writing to the human resources manager within the five-day appeal period. All protests shall be resolved and answered by the civil service commission prior to any other phase of the examination process.

(Prior code § 2-372; Ord. 1240 § 3, 1981; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)

An applicant may appeal from any part of the examination, but no appeal will be considered unless the appellant states specific reasons for appealing. Appeals from written examinations must be in conformance with the provisions of Section 2.36.130. Appeals must be made in writing and submitted to the human resources manager for consideration by the commission. Appeals must be submitted within five days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, after notification of the results of the part of the examination being appealed.

In considering an appeal, the commission may permit the appellant to be heard and after consideration of the entire matter the commission shall make its decision and determine the final rating of the applicant, which determination shall be final for all purposes.

(Prior code § 2-373; Ord. 1240 § 4, 1981; Ord. 1952 § 1, 2009)