ERIE COUNTY

Note: new application fee

PROMOTIONAL EXAM

Please refer to our internet address at: www.erie.gov

A NON-REFUNDABLE $20.00 PROCESSING FEE MUST ACCOMPANY EACH APPLICATION

(CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY – PAYABLE TO: ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL)

PRINCIPAL CLERK TYPIST

NO. 70-103

ERIE COUNTY TOWNS, VILLAGES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS

AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS SALARIES VARY

THIS EXAMINATION IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES OF ERIE COUNTY TOWNS, VILLAGES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS. Successful candidates will be eligible for appointment only in the jurisdiction in which they were employed at the time of the written test. At present there are two vacancies in the Hamburg Central School District ($11.75 - $14.25 per hour) and one vacancy in the Orchard Park Central School District ($16.87 - $20.99 per hour).

The eligible list resulting from this examination will not supersede currently existing promotional eligible lists for this title, if any. The duration of all promotional eligible lists is four years from date of establishment unless otherwise indicated.

QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING THE TEST: Candidates must be permanently employed in the competitive class and must be serving and have served continuously on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class for 12 months immediately preceding the date of the written test as a Senior Clerk Typist.

Persons who are currently employed under Section 55a, New York State Civil Service Law, and who meet all the above eligibility requirements in the non-competitive rather than competitive class may compete in this examination.

DUTIES: A Principal Clerk Typist performs difficult and responsible clerical functions for an administrator or department head in a suburban school district or municipality; screens mail received and performs research to identify previous communications on the topic; prepares draft responses to routine correspondence by applying a knowledge of department regulations and operations; establishes and maintains an efficient follow-up system which will ensure a timely response by the department head or supervisor; answers telephone calls from the community, media and government officials as representative of department head or supervisor, providing information on office operations, functions and services; secures requested information on departmental matters from other departments, general public private, or governmental agencies for department head or supervisor by telephone, personal contact, file or record research; prepares confidential correspondence and reports for supervisor, utilizing typewriter, word processor and/or personal computer; maintains confidential files, records and prepares reports relating to the activities of the department to which assigned; reviews and types accounting and financial statements, statistical tabulations and data from letters, memoranda, vouchers, reports, requisitions and other related materials; maintains time/attendance records and employee personnel folders, ensuring confidentiality of such information; maintains simple financial records and accounts relating to departmental budgets and/or expenditures for supplies and equipment; assists in preparing statistical reports and related documents and checks for accuracy; assists in preparing budgets and personnel request documents; requisitions and inventories office supplies and equipment; lays out, oversees and checks accuracy of the work of subordinate clerical employees and assists in the installation of new methods and procedures; uses an alpha-numeric keyboard to transcribe data, process and extract information from a computer.

VETERANS: PROOF OF SERVICE MUST BE SUBMITTED BEFORE LIST IS ESTABLISHED

TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL POINTS. (See application for more information.)

NOTICES TO APPEAR FOR THE EXAMINATION ARE MAILED APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE EXAMINATION DATE

EXAMINATION DATE

A P R I L 2 8, 2 0 0 7

SEE REVERSE SIDE

APPLICATIONS MUST BE

POSTMARKED BY

M A R C H 2 8, 2 0 0 7

- 2 -

SCOPE OF EXAMINATION: The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. OFFICE RECORD KEEPING - These questions test your ability to perform common office record keeping tasks. The test consists of two or more "sets" of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of data from several sources; scheduling; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents.

2. ORGANIZING DATA INTO TABLES AND RECORDS - These questions test your ability to combine and manipulate information into a specified format. You will be given numerical data in tabular and/or narrative form, and you must compile it into tables or records. Ability to add and subtract is required. All information necessary to answer the questions is given. No knowledge of specific bookkeeping, account-keeping, or recordkeeping systems is required.

3. SUPERVISION - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

4. UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING WRITTEN MATERIAL - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES: Unless otherwise noted, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", " Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference materials.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES WHO ARE ALSO TAKING ANOTHER CIVIL SERVICE EXAM(S) ON THIS DATE (See Below)

(IF YOU ARE TAKING 2 OR MORE ERIE COUNTY EXAMS ON THIS DATE IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO CALL)

INFORMATION FOR PROMOTION CANDIDATES

Unless otherwise indicated, the eligible list resulting from this examination will have a duration of four years and will not supersede existing promotional lists, if any.

RATINGS REQUIRED: Test is rated on a scale of 100 with a passing mark at 70. Test instructions may further divide the tests into parts and set minimum standards for each part.

Points will be added to scores of candidates who achieve a passing mark as follows:

Seniority: For each year of service in the classified service:

Less than 1 year……………………………………………0 points

1 year up to 6 years………………………………………...1 point

Over 6 years up to 11 years………………………………..2 points

Over 11 years up to 16 years………………………………3 points

Over 16 years up to 21 years………………………………4 points

Over 21 years………………………………………………5 points

VETERANS: Disabled and non-disabled veterans as defined in Section 85, New York State Civil Service Law, will have 5 and 2.5 points, respectively added to their earned scores if successful in the examination. You must claim these credits when you file application but you have an option to waive them any time prior to appointment. If you have already used these credits for a permanent position in NYS, you may not claim them again.

In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.

APPLYING FOR EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS ON SAME DATE. If you have applied for any other Civil Service exams for employment with New York State or any other local government jurisdiction, you must make arrangement to take all the exams at one test site.

If you have applied for both State and Local government exams, you must make arrangements to take all your exams at the State exam center by calling (518)457-7022 no later than two weeks before the test date.

If you have applied for other local government exams, call or write each Civil Service Agency to make arrangements. You must make your request for these arrangements no later than three weeks before the date of the exams. You must notify all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of the which you wish to take your exam(s). For this exam call (716)858-7509 or write Erie Co. Personnel Dept., 95 Franklin St, Buffalo, NY 14202.

MILITARY STATUS: Active duty military personnel may file an application for this exam. A special military make-up examination will be conducted for any member of the armed forces of the United States who has duly filed a timely application but who was deprived of the opportunity to compete in the scheduled exam due to active military duty. Special conditions apply to these requests and may be reviewed at the Erie County Department of Personnel.

ADMISSION TO EXAMINATION: Notice to appear for the test will be conditional as review of application for minimum requirements may not be made until after the written test. Call or write this Department if you have not received your notice 3 days before the date of the test. You may not be admitted to the examination room without official notice.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS: Applicants whose religious beliefs prevent their taking examinations before sundown on Saturday and physically handicapped candidates who require special examination facilities should so inform the Erie County Department of Personnel, by a separately mailed letter at the earliest possible date before the test.
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: If a subject of the examination, training and experience may not be rated if all passing candidates are expected to be immediately reachable for appointment. If rated, training and experience will be based on the statements in your application subject to verification. If this examination includes a qualifying written test, candidates admitted to the test will have conditional approval only. Final decision regarding the qualifications of candidates rests with the New York State Department of Civil Service.

ELIGIBILITY FOR EXAMINATION: You may take the examination if you meet the following requirements: (a) Meet the qualifications as printed in the announcement; (b) you have been separated from the service and permanently reemployed within one year, (c) your name is on a preferred eligible list.

NOTICE: Any person, otherwise meeting the requirements for an examination, who is laid off from any agency for which the examination is being held, and whose name is presently on a preferred list is eligible to compete in the examination. When completing their applications such persons should be title and location of their last permanent Civil Service employment.

APPLICATION FORMS: You may obtain these forms in person at the Erie County Personnel Department, Rath County Office Building, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo. Forms are also available in the libraries and at Town, Village and School District administrative offices.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.