PURPOSE
This General Letter communicates a legislative change to Section 5-216 of the Connecticut General Statutes. This Section governs the establishment of candidate (examination) lists.
Effective October 1, 2015 a current state employee may request the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to apply his or her most recent score from a promotional examination to a subsequent promotional examination for the same classification. Please note that this legislation applies only to promotional exams and does not apply to any promotional examination held for classifications in the police-protective services occupational group. In accordance with Public Act 15-64, all of the following must be met in order for this provision to apply:
- The subsequent examination is in the same or equivalent form as the previous examination, i.e., when the previous exam was a written examination, the subsequent exam must also be a written exam
- The examination notice clearly states a previous score may be applied to the subsequent examination
- The employee meets all other requirements for the classification and the examination and
- Not more than seven (7) years have elapsed from the date of the employee’s most recent examination in the same classification
PROCEDURE
- DAS will clearly indicate in a prominent position on the examination announcement when an employee’s most recent score may be applied to the promotional examination that is posted.
- Any employee wishing to apply his or her most recent score from a previous examination must complete and submit the Promotional Examination Score/Application Request Form (CT-HR-26) to the DAS – Statewide Human Resources Management Division by the closing date indicated on the exam posting.
- DAS will check to ensure that the employee’s score is the most recent score he or she earned for a previous exam in the same classification, that the exam was taken within the past seven (7) years and in the same or equivalent form, and that the employee meets the current requirements of the classification and examination.
- DAS will retain the original Form CT-HR-26 with the final disposition together with other materials for the new examination and will provide the employee with a copy of the final disposition.
- When the employee meets all criteria specified above and the application of the previous exam score is approved, the employee need not re-take the exam.
- The employee’s name will appear on the new exam certification list along with the most recent score received on the previous exam for the same classification.
IMPORTANT
Failure to follow the above procedure will require an employee re-take a promotional examination for a class in which he or she had previously earned a passing score. Public Act 15-64 specifies the request to apply a previous score to a new examination must be made in writing and expressly indicates the request is to be made “on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Department of Administrative Services”. It is advantageous for the employee to submit the request as soon as practicable after the exam is announced so if the request is denied there is time to apply for the (subsequent) exam by the closing date.
Please share this information with your Human Resources Office staff and all agency employees.
Human Resources staff may direct questions concerning this policy to Francine E. Dew, Statewide Human Resources Program Manager – Assessment Unit at Francine.Dew@CT.GOV. Employees should direct questions to their Agency Human Resources Office.
Melody A. Currey
Commissioner
Department of Administrative Services
