No. The City Charter requires a test of fitness for each permanent City job. Federal law also requires that a testing process be related to the job to be performed. Since City job classifications have different duties, an examination must be designed for each type of job to be filled.
To ensure that all applicants receive the same information, we are unable to direct applicants to specific study materials. We strongly recommend that applicants review the job bulletin to determine the factors that will be covered in the test.
No, at this time all tests are in English.
The date(s) of the test are generally stated on the job bulletin. All candidates that are invited to take a City test will be notified at the same time by email, to ensure that no candidate has an advantage in the examination.
If you are unable to take the test during the testing period due to one of the conditions provided under Personnel Department Policy Section 19.1, you should contact the Personnel Department’s Late Test Administrator immediately, and provide any supporting documentation within the deadline(s) as specified in Personnel Policy Section 19.2. This documentation will be reviewed by the Late Test Administrator in order to make a determination regarding your request. Please refer to your test notice for the specific contact information of the Late Test Administrator. To review the list of conditions for requesting a late test, and their respective deadlines, please view the Personnel Policies document.
If the reason for this request does not meet any of these conditions, as stated above, please note that you must take the test during the designated testing period to be considered further in this examination, unless the job bulletin for that examination lists additional filing periods, which would allow you to resubmit an application for consideration. Please refer to the job bulletin to determine if this examination is accepting applications during a future date and the conditions for reapplying. Not all candidates who re-apply will be invited to take the test, as determined by the retake restriction for that examination and Civil Service Rule 4.2.
If you are unable to take the test during the testing period due to one of the conditions provided under Personnel Department Policy Section 19.1, you should contact the Personnel Department’s Late Test Administrator immediately, and provide any supporting documentation within the deadline(s) as specified in Personnel Policy Section 19.2. This documentation will be reviewed by the Late Test Administrator in order to make a determination regarding your request. Please refer to your test notice for the specific contact information of the Late Test Administrator. To review the list of conditions for requesting a late test, and their respective deadlines, please view the Personnel Policies document.
If the reason for this request does not meet any of these conditions, as stated above, please note that you must take the test during the designated testing period to be considered further in this examination, unless the job bulletin for that examination lists additional filing periods, which would allow you to resubmit an application for consideration. Please refer to the job bulletin to determine if this examination is accepting applications during a future date and the conditions for reapplying. Not all candidates who re-apply will be invited to take the test, as determined by the retake restriction for that examination and Civil Service Rule 4.2.
If you are unable to take the test during the testing period due to one of the conditions provided under Personnel Department Policy Section 19.1, you should contact the Personnel Department’s Late Test Administrator immediately, and provide any supporting documentation within the deadline(s) as specified in Personnel Policy Section 19.2. This documentation will be reviewed by the Late Test Administrator in order to make a determination regarding your request. Please refer to your test notice for the specific contact information of the Late Test Administrator. To review the list of conditions for requesting a late test, and their respective deadlines, please view the Personnel Policies document.
If the reason for this request does not meet any of these conditions, as stated above, please note that you must take the test during the designated testing period to be considered further in this examination, unless the job bulletin for that examination lists additional filing periods, which would allow you to resubmit an application for consideration. Please refer to the job bulletin to determine if this examination is accepting applications during a future date and the conditions for reapplying. Not all candidates who re-apply will be invited to take the test, as determined by the retake restriction for that examination and Civil Service Rule 4.2.
Yes. When applying for a position with the City of Los Angeles, you will have the option to enable text messaging in order to be alerted when any email is sent to you regarding your application or status in the examination. We strongly recommend that you enable this feature to ensure that you do not miss any correspondence sent from the City, as these notices may contain critical information regarding specific dates for submitting documentation and/or taking City test(s). If you have not already enabled text messaging, and would like to do so, please login to your governmentjobs.com profile and access your account settings.
If you completed a test for the City of Los Angeles, you will receive an email notification containing information regarding your score and/or status in the examination. Please keep in mind that the Personnel Department must complete various steps in order to process the test materials and/or review the video recordings of candidates' test sessions to ensure accuracy and fairness in the examination process. Therefore, the length of time that it will take to be notified of your score and/or status in the examination after taking a test will vary. We ask that you please do not call the Personnel Department, but rather that you regularly check the Exam Information webpage to determine the status of the examination, which can be accessed by visiting our Exam Information webpage. Additionally, please be sure to check your email, including your inbox and spam folder, to ensure that you do not miss any correspondence sent from the City. This notice will be sent to the email address listed on your governmentjobs.com profile.
After the examination is completed, you will receive an email containing the following information: your score on each test part, your overall ranking in the examination based on your final score, and the number of candidates who have scores higher than your own.
It is critical that you update your email address and any other personal information to ensure that you receive all email correspondence sent from the City and that your identity can be verified when taking an online test. If you need to update this information, please update your master profile located within governmentjobs.com prior to your test date. Please note that the City is not responsible for any candidate who does not receive email correspondence from the City due to: an incorrect or outdated email address, your spam settings on your email account, or other household members who may have accessed your email account.
An online test is a test that you take on a computer. An online test may be taken as part of the application process or scheduled at a later date, and may be proctored or unproctored. Most examination components for the City are now administered online in order to promote the health and safety of our candidates and ensure equity in the examination process. These include, but are not limited to, multiple-choice tests, training and experience questionnaires, advisory essays, and interviews. However, there are still some examination components that may require candidates to appear in-person, such as performance tests. Please review the job bulletin, as well as any email correspondence received from the City, to determine the specific method/format that will be used for the examination that you are applying for.
A proctored online test is a test that is monitored by the Personnel Department, whereas an unproctored online test is not monitored. The job bulletin will provide you with some general information to let you know ahead of time if the test will be proctored (monitored) online. Additionally, if you are invited to participate in an examination, you will receive an email containing instructions for taking the test online, including test dates, test procedures, and test rules. Please be advised that while not all tests are proctored, you must adhere to the testing rules/conditions outlined in the notice that you receive from the City. Failure to adhere to the testing rules/conditions may result in your disqualification.
An online test is usually a timed test, which must be completed in one sitting, and may be available during a single day, over several days, or over the course of a week, depending on the examination. In addition, most tests are offered during the day and evening. Please refer to the job bulletin and the notice that you receive when invited to take an online test to determine the length of the testing period.
There are several resources available to assist you in preparing to take an online test with the City of Los Angeles. Specifically, you should review the job bulletin and notice(s) you receive from the City for specific details and instructions for taking a test online, including the test dates, test rules, and test procedures. For a more general overview of what to expect on the day of testing, please visit the Online Testing webpage, which contains detailed information and instructional videos that will help you in preparing for an online test.
A virtual interview is an interview that you participate virtually on a computer. Through the use of a video conferencing platform, the interview raters will be able to converse and communicate with you like they would during an in-person interview. You will be able to see and hear the interview raters, and the interview raters will be able to see and hear you. Most interviews for the City are now administered virtually in order to ensure the health and safety of our candidates and interview raters in the interview process. However, there are still some interviews that may require candidates to appear in-person. Please review the job bulletin, as well as any email correspondence received from the City, to determine if your interview will be administered virtually.
There are several resources available to assist you in preparing for your virtual interview with the City of Los Angeles. Specifically, you should review the notice(s) you receive from the City for specific details and instructions for participating in a virtual interview, including the interview date and time, rules, and procedures. For a more general overview of what to expect on the day of your virtual interview, please visit the Virtual Interview webpage, which contains detailed information and an instructional video that will help you in preparing for a virtual interview.
All online tests require the use of a computer with a strong/reliable internet connection. If you are completing a remote proctored online test, you must also have a working microphone and webcam so that your actions, room/location, and desktop can be audio and video recorded and/or monitored for test security. You will not be allowed to use a mobile device when taking any online test, such as a cell phone or tablet. We strongly encourage you to check the compatibility of your computer with the various platforms that the City uses to proctor online tests to ensure that you resolve any technical issues you may encounter prior to the first day of the testing period. Please visit our Platforms and Compatibility webpage for additional information and instructions for completing the compatibility check(s) for remote proctored online tests.
Most online tests will be timed; therefore, please be sure to set aside a specified number of hours (depending on the test) to check in (if applicable) and take the test uninterrupted in a secure and private location. You should refer to the email that you will receive when invited to take an online test, as well as the instructions provided to you upon accessing the test, to determine any time limits for completing the test. It should be noted that for tests that are timed, you will be able to monitor your test time within the test delivery system. Timed tests must be completed in one sitting, as failure to do so may result in your disqualification.
Online tests must be taken in a private and secure location that is free from intrusive sights, sounds, and other interruptions. For example, you may take the test from the privacy of your own home, so long as there are no other individuals or unauthorized materials in your workspace. You may not take a remote proctored test in a public place, such as a coffee shop or library. Please visit our Check-in Process webpage to review examples of unauthorized aides that are not allowed in your testing area while taking a remote proctored test. Additionally, please refer to your test notice to determine if the test you are invited to take will be remote proctored or unproctored, as there may be slight differences in the requirements for your testing area.
For online tests that are unproctored, please note that the Personnel Department does not make special arrangements to accommodate candidates requesting to take the test at a City facility given that the only equipment necessary is a computer with a strong/reliable internet connection. However, for remote proctored tests that require additional equipment (microphone and webcam), please note that candidates that demonstrate a hardship (e.g., they do not have the financial means to acquire the equipment required, they do not have access to an internet connection, or they do not have a private testing location) may be eligible to complete the test at a City facility. If you believe that you meet the requirements to demonstrate a hardship, you will be able to request an onsite test session by completing a short questionnaire, which will be used by the Personnel Department to make a final determination regarding your request. Once invited to take a remote proctored test, please refer to your test notice for more information regarding how to complete the hardship survey and the deadline for its submission.
Online recorded test sessions are considered confidential examination material and are the property of the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department. Candidates are recorded during their online remote proctored test session as documentation that candidates abided by the testing rules. Following the rules is important for test security purposes and ensures that candidates did not receive any unfair advantages.
No, you will not be allowed to review the recording of your remote proctored online test session, as this recording is considered confidential per Government Code Section 6254(g). Additionally, please note that prior to taking the online remote proctored test, you may be provided with and must agree to the rules for taking the test online, including the release of your right, title, and interest to the video and audio content. As with all examination material, the video recording of your test session is the property of the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department.
Representatives of the Personnel Department are responsible for reviewing the recording of your remote proctored online test session in order to determine if you complied with the testing rules as outlined in the notice you received from the City prior to taking the remote proctored online test. If it is determined that you did not adhere to one or more of the testing rules, you will be notified by email, at a later date, of the violation(s) you committed and the consequence(s) for your action(s). The consequences may include, but are not limited to: disqualification from the examination, disqualification from other examinations you may have already completed, and/or permanent disqualification from taking any future examinations with the City of Los Angeles.
No, the system will not allow you to re-enter an online test after submission. This restriction is put in place by the Personnel Department to ensure fairness in the examination process. Any attempt to submit an additional response will be grounds for disqualification.
Yes, for each online test that you are invited to take with the City, there will be rules that you must adhere to in order to be eligible in the examination process. These rules may differ slightly based on the type of test that you are invited to take and the resources that you are allowed to use for a particular examination. Therefore, you should refer to the notice that you receive from the City for each examination in order to ensure that you are aware of the specific rules required for each test that you are taking. For a general overview of the rules required for unproctored tests please visit our Non-Proctored Online Testing webpage and for proctored tests please visit our Proctored Online Testing webpage.
The City uses various platforms to deliver and/or remote proctor online tests, each with different requirements. Depending on the type of test that you are invited to take (proctored or unproctored) and the platform you are required to use, there may be some differences in the steps you must take to complete the test. Therefore, you should refer to the notice that you receive from the City for each examination in order to ensure that you are aware of the platform used to administer the test and specific steps required to take the test to ensure that you are able to complete the test prior to the deadline. For more information regarding the various types of tests (proctored and unproctored) and platforms used to administer these tests, please visit our Online Testing webpage.
If you are taking a timed test, you will be able to review and make changes to your responses within the test time allotted. However, if you run out of time and/or submit the test, you will not be able to review and/or make changes to your response(s) to the test question(s). For remote proctored tests, we strongly encourage you to take the online practice test by visiting our Platforms and Compatibility webpage and/or review the instructions for navigating the test in order to determine how to review your test responses and monitor your test time. You will be informed of the specific amount of time allotted to take the test prior to beginning your test session.
The City uses various platforms to deliver and administer online tests, each with different methods for resolving technical issues. We strongly encourage you to refer to the notice that you will receive when invited to take the test to determine the specific platform and method for contacting a vendor’s support team. You should attempt to contact the platform vendor prior to reaching out to the City, as they will have the technical expertise to resolve most issues; however, if they are unable to assist you, please contact the Personnel Department immediately, as all requests for technical assistance must be submitted to the Personnel Department no later than the date/time stated in the test notice you will receive. It should be noted that the Personnel Department is not responsible for technical difficulties (e.g., poor and/or loss of internet connection, power failure) during an online test. Such issues may not be grounds for re-administration of a test. As a result, you are urged to check your system compatibility and submit the test early in order to ensure that there is sufficient time to resolve any technical issues you may encounter.
Scratch paper and/or calculators may be permitted for some online tests. Prior to the first day of testing, you will be notified by email on whether or not these items are permitted for the test that you are taking and any specific steps and/or requirements you need to follow when using such resources/aides. You should not use any resources or aides that are not permitted, as doing so will result in your disqualification from the examination.
No, only those tests that are remote proctored will require you to complete a room scan. Please note that a room scan is required when taking a remote proctored test to ensure candidates are alone and are not using any outside resources. This ensures the security and integrity of the examination process. To determine if the test you will be taking will be remote proctored, please refer to the job bulletin and the test notice sent from the City. For additional information regarding how to complete a proper room scan, please visit our Check-In Process webpage.
Yes, for remote proctored online tests, you must verify your identity during the check-in process. Please be prepared to show your valid State or Federal issued photo identification card during this process. Your identification card must have your first and last name as listed on your job application and not be expired. Acceptable forms of identification include: a Passport, Driver’s License, and/or State Identification Card. You cannot use your employee ID, work badge, and/or Military ID. If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to take the test and/or you will be disqualified.
If your ID is expired and you do not have another acceptable form of identification that is valid, you will still be permitted to take the online test and should present the expired identification during the check-in process, as instructed. If your ID was lost or stolen, you will still be permitted to take the online test; however, you must contact the Central Services Section of the Personnel Department prior to your test date to determine the acceptable form(s) of alternative identification that you can use to temporarily verify your identity. The Central Services Section can be reached at percsvc@lacity.org. In both instances, you will receive an email notification at a later date, requesting that you provide a copy of your valid (non-expired) ID in order to process your results. If you are unable to provide the requested information, then your results will not be processed and you will be disqualified from the examination.
Items in your immediate testing area should be put away and/or taken down especially if the items are written materials (e.g., notes, reports, charts, etc.) even if these items are not related to the test. It is difficult for the City to confirm that these materials are not intended to be used to assist you while taking the test.
If you have any general inquiries related to an examination, you should contact the Personnel Department’s Examining Section at 213-473-9163 or per.testing@lacity.org. Please note that the Personnel Department Examining Section is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Personnel Department staff will only respond to examination questions and/or requests for technical assistance during normal business hours.