List Eligibility

An eligible list is a list of applicants who have passed all parts of the examination and can be considered for employment based on their scores. Generally the top three ranks (highest scores) are considered reachable and will be contacted first.

If you have questions regarding your list eligibility, you can request a printout of your list eligibility status by writing to the State Personnel Board, Attn: List Eligibility, 801 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814. You must include the following information with your request:

First, M.I. and Last Name
Social Security Number
The Classification (job title) of the eligible list
You must also sign your request

Ranking

When you receive your notice of exam results, it will indicate your total score and the rank on the list this score represents. If you are in Rank 1, 2, or 3, you can immediately begin looking for job openings/vacancies. Even if you are in lower ranks, you could become reachable as hires are made, and employment preferences for individual positions are not selected by persons in higher ranks. Your rank as indicated on your notice of testing will give you a general indication of when you might be reachable.

Contact Letters

If you receive an employment contact letter from a State department, your name was certified on the eligible list and you are probably reachable for consideration for that position. Due to employment preferences, you may be contacted as reachable for one position and not be reachable for another position. You must respond to all contact letters; failure to do so will place your name inactive on the eligibility list. If candidates decline 3 employment inquiries (contact letters), their name will be placed inactive permanently and they must re-test at the next available exam to regain list eligibility.

If you are reachable on an eligible list, you can apply for position vacancies in that classification. Many of the State departments post their vacancies on the SPB Web site.

It is recommended that you contact the department you tested with to inquire how they post their vacancies to ensure you do not miss any opportunities.

• Departmental Testing Headquarters Listings

Once you locate a vacancy you are interested in applying for, you must submit an employment application to the address indicated on the vacancy notice. Please refer to instructions on how to apply on the exam bulletin. You must mail or deliver your application if the department is requesting an application. At this time, you can not submit your application electronically.

Change of Address or Status on an Eligibility List

If you move, it is your responsibility to contact the Department you tested with and provide your new information. If for any reason you are no longer available for vacancies (extended vacation, school, etc), contact the department you tested with and request to have your name placed inactive on the eligibility list. This ensures that you do not receive any contact letters when you are not interested/available for employment and risk jeopardizing your status on the list. Once you are ready to reactivate, contact the department you tested with and request to become reactivated on the eligibility list.

• Change of Address Form 

If you have not passed a state exam please refer to the Exam Bulletins or the section titled No Exam Required.

Information

You may obtain a copy of a printout containing information regarding your list eligibility. This printout will include the lists on which you currently have eligibility, whether you are still active on the list, what address is on file for you and what your score is. However, it is not possible to determine what your current ranking is on any list.

To obtain a copy of your printout, you must submit a written request and include your full name and social security number.

All requests should be addressed to the State Personnel Board, Attention: List Eligibility, 801 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California, 95814.

Change List Information

Each Testing Department administering the examination maintains its own employment list. You must contact the Testing Department to change any information regarding your eligibility including name or address change, location preference or request to be placed active or inactive.

For employment lists maintained by State Personnel Board, you can change your current address, employment locations, and request to be placed on active or inactive status. These requests to change information must be submitted in writing to the State Personnel Board, 801 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California 95814.