General Employment FAQs
Approximately 70% of state government jobs are covered by the civil service merit system, as are many local government jobs.
The key difference between civil service and non-civil service jobs is that non-civil service positions do not require an exam. For civil service jobs, candidates must pass a competitive examination, either online or at a testing center.
Both job types follow the same salary structures and offer the same benefits and retirement plans at the state level. Local government jobs have their own pay, benefits, and retirement packages.
A Job Alert notifies job seekers of new vacancies by email. Sign up to receive alerts for categories you're interested in.
Since job seekers are only considered if they meet the minimum experience and training requirements, carefully review the job posting before applying. If you qualify, describe your experience and training fully, including paid work, volunteer work, employment dates, and any relevant coursework.
Provide all required documentation, such as college transcripts if needed. If your education is from outside the U.S., include an evaluation from a professional foreign credentials organization.
Follow the application instructions closely and apply by the closing date if listed. Review your application carefully before submitting, as changes cannot be made afterward.
If you are relying on your education acquired outside of the United States to qualify, we cannot determine if it is equivalent to education from an accredited U.S. college or university. To confirm this, you must submit documentation from a professional foreign credential evaluation organization who have reviewed your credentials based on U.S. accrediting standards.
Accepted Foreign Credential Evaluations: We only accept evaluations from organizations who are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) (this link provides a list of current members). Please note, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not endorse or regulate these organizations or their services.
Course-by-Course Evaluation: When pursuing a foreign credential evaluation, consider requesting a course-by-course evaluation. Some positions may require specific coursework. If you already have an evaluation from a NACES member, be sure to upload it to your application’s attachments section.
Before You Apply: If you have not obtained your foreign credential evaluation yet, it is a good idea to do so before applying for a job with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Having your evaluation ready when you apply can help ensure you do not miss out on opportunities.
After you submit your application and have been deemed eligible, you will receive an email that provides instructions on how to schedule your exam. More information on scheduling or rescheduling examinations can be found at www.prometric.com/Pennsylvania.
To update your account profile, sign in to the job portal website and click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. From the dropdown, select "Profile." Job seekers may update the information previously submitted to the profile such as contact information, personal information, work experience, education, etc.
Please note: While you are able to update your applicant profile information at any time, you will be unable to revise a specific application after it has been submitted. If you are updating your address, ensure that you also update your County of Residence, if applicable.
- Go to the job portal website.
- Click Sign In at the top right corner of the screen.
- In the Sign In box, choose either Forgot Username? or Reset Password, depending on what you need.
- For additional help, call 855.524.5627.
Civil Service Examination FAQs
You can access all of the email notifications you have received regarding specific postings you applied for by signing in to your www.employment.pa.gov account and viewing the messages in your Inbox.
If you anticipate the need for a testing accommodation, you must complete and submit a Request for Accommodation form and your request must be approved prior to scheduling your test.
This form can also be requested by calling 717.787.7811. All information you provide is confidentially maintained.
Information on the location of test centers and scheduling or rescheduling an examination can be found at www.prometric.com/Pennsylvania.
Please note: Applicants who do not report for scheduled in-person testing without a valid reason will not be permitted to take any in-person examinations for a period of six months from the date of the missed examination appointment. Repeated failures to appear for future examinations may result in being prohibited from taking in-person examinations for up to two years. Permissible reasons for not reporting for a scheduled in-person examination are provided below and will require supporting documentation to be considered.
- death in the immediate family
- verifiable disabling transportation situation
- confirmed civil or public disturbance
- court appearance or jury duty
- weather emergency
- military duty
Once you submit an application, and are deemed eligible, you will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule your exam. Once you receive that email, you will be able to select an available location, date, and time that fits your schedule.
The Office of Administration does not maintain or provide study guides for specific examinations, nor do we recommend the purchase of any study materials. The best method of preparing is to carefully read the job posting, particularly the "Examination Information" section, and seek out any relevant sources of information on the topics described.
You may cancel or reschedule your examination by visiting www.prometric.com/Pennsylvania or by calling (877) 370-4099.
Information about retesting appears on the job posting under the "Examination Information" section. If a retest is permitted, you must submit a new application in order to be retested. Your most recent examination score results will be the only score considered.
Normally, you should receive your "Notice of Examination Results" via email within 15 business days from the date of your examination or from the time your application is received. When a new examination is announced, it may take additional time to establish a new list of eligible job seekers. In these cases, you will receive your examination results via email as soon as possible.
The "Notice of Examination Results" sent via email to applicants who are made ineligible provides specific instructions on how to request a reconsideration of that decision. These directions specify that reconsideration requests must be submitted via email.
Reconsideration requests must include:
- the applicant’s name
- email address
- job title
- job number
- An explanation as to why the determination made regarding ineligibility is incorrect.
Please note: only information initially provided on the application will be re-reviewed. New information that was not included on the application will not be considered.
Reconsideration requests must be submitted within 5 business days of the date of the Notice of Examination Results, or they will be rejected as untimely. The referral, interview, and selection processes will not cease pending the resolution of reconsideration requests.
Applicants who believe an error was made in determining a score may request a reconsideration of their score within 5 business days of the date of the Notice of Examination Results. Requests for a score reconsideration must be submitted via email.
Reconsideration requests must include:
- The applicant’s name
- Email address
- Job title
- Job number
- An explanation as to why the determination made regarding ineligibility is incorrect.
Please note: only information initially provided on the application will be re-reviewed. New information that was not included on the application will not be considered.
Reconsideration requests must be submitted within 5 business days of the date of the Notice of Examination Results, or they will be rejected as untimely.
Hiring FAQs
Most civil service jobs require job seekers to be a Pennsylvania resident or a former resident who meets certain requirements. Please refer to the Required Experience, Training and Eligibility section of the job posting to determine if Pa residency is required for a particular job. View the residency guidelines to determine if you meet the Pennsylvania residency requirements.
Positions responsible for the safeguarding or security of people or property, law enforcement, or those involving contact with vulnerable populations will be asked about criminal history on the job application.
For other positions, Pennsylvania has a "fair chance" hiring policy. This means that most applications for employment do not include questions about criminal history.
For all positions, agencies may inquire about criminal history after the initial interview has been conducted and a criminal history check will be conducted prior to making a job offer.
Yes. Job seekers who pass civil service examinations receive additional benefits in recognition of their military service. These benefits are commonly referred to as veterans' preference. The authority for veterans' preference in Pennsylvania government is contained in the Veterans' Preference Act, 51 Pa.C.S. § 7101--7111, as amended.
Note: Veterans' preference does not apply to promotions.
Visit our Veterans Preference to learn more.
Employment preference will be granted to job seekers aged 60 and over for jobs in the Department of Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. Job seekers may refer to the job posting to determine if this employment preference applies.
For some agencies (such as, but not limited to, local government agencies), employment preference may be given to residents of the county, region, and/or district in which the job is located. Also, promotional preference may be given to employees who work in the county, region, and/or district where job openings occur. Refer to the job posting to determine if preference applies.
If you are interviewed and selected for a job, the hiring agency will verify the experience and training used to qualify you for the job title, conduct other necessary background reviews, and then establish a start date.
Yes. Former employees who resigned from their previously held civil service position may be reinstated to a classified service position, provided they held regular status in the same job title and they meet the requirements for the job.
If you are a former civil service employee who is interested in reinstatement, it is your responsibility to pursue reinstatement.
To determine job opportunities that are available for reinstatement job seekers, please visit the internal postings and, after finding a job of interest, review the "Recruitment Methods" section to see if the agency is accepting reinstatement applications. Agencies may consider your request for reinstatement, but they are not required to do so. When filling vacancies, agencies have several options from which to choose, including eligible lists from the examination process, transfers, promotions, demotions, reassignments, and reinstatements.
A transfer may occur between state agencies, local government agencies with a merit system contract with the Office of Administration, or between state and local government agencies with such a contract.
f you're a civil service employee with regular or probationary status, you may transfer to the same job title with a different agency.
It is your responsibility to seek transfer opportunities. Visit the internal postings page and review the "Recruitment Methods" section of a job listing to see if the agency is accepting transfer applicants. Agencies may fill vacancies through eligible lists, transfers, promotions, demotions, or reinstatements.