# Civil Service Exam April 30, 2005



## Gil

Police Officer, Entry Level
Municipal Service, Boston Municipal Police &
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Open Competitive Examination
Exam Date: April 30, 2005
*Last date to Apply: See Exam Announcement

MASSACHUSETTS HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION
AMENDED - AGE REQUIREMENT
OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 9866
POLICE OFFICER
MUNICIPAL SERVICE, BOSTON MUNICIPAL POLICE, AND MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MBTA)
Examination Date: April 30, 2005

Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Apply on-line with Visa or Mastercard at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/csintro.htm

This examination is held to establish an eligibility list from which to fill vacancies in this classification for 169 Massachusetts municipalities, the Boston Municipal Police Department, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

DUTIES: A Police Officer works under supervision to perform law enforcement duties, protecting life, property, and the civil rights of individuals. Primary duties include patrol; interacting with citizens to provide service and render assistance; and preparing and completing records, reports, and other paperwork documenting incidents for use in prosecution. A Police Officer is dispatched to crime and emergency scenes in response to reported violations, accidents, domestic disputes and abuses, and other incidents; carries out crime scene duties; makes arrests and performs search and seizure; conducts investigations; and interviews witnesses, suspects, and complainants.

SALARY: Each jurisdiction sets its own salary for Police Officer. Inquiries concerning salary should be directed to the appointing authority at the time of the employment interview.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Education/Experience Requirement: As of the date of appointment, applicants must have either:
"	a high school diploma or equivalency certificate approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education OR
"	three years experience in the armed forces of the United States with last release or discharge under honorable conditions.

2.	Age Requirement: As of the printing of this notice, applicants must be at least 19 years of age as of April 4, 2005 for all civil service jurisdictions. (Please be advised that the list of communities is subject to change and inquiries about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.)
"	Candidates must also be younger than age 32 as of April 4, 2005, to be appointed as a Police Officer in the following 49 civil service municipalities: Acton, Acushnet, Adams, Arlington, Ashland, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dalton, Dartmouth, Dracut, Easthampton, Easton, Great Barrington, Haverhill, Hingham, Hudson, Ipswich, Leominster, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, Methuen, Milford, Newton, Northampton, North Andover, North Attleboro, Norton, Norwood, Orange, Raynham, Rockport, Southbridge, South Hadley, Stoneham, Sudbury, Ware, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Westfield, Westford, West Springfield, Williamstown, and Wilmington. Please be advised that these communities have not accepted the provisions of Chapter 32, Section 5A, of the Massachusetts General Law (MGL) pertaining to medical and physical fitness standards.
"	Candidates must be younger than age 32 as of April 30, 2005, (Chapter 31, section 58A of the MGL) to be appointed as Police Officers in the following 15 civil service municipalities: Belmont, Boston, Bourne, Canton, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Holbrook, Natick, Shrewsbury, Swampscott, Taunton, Wareham, Westwood, Winchester, Worcester and Wrentham. Candidates seeking appointments in these communities are also subject to the provisions of Chapter 32, Section 5A of the MGL pertaining to medical and physical fitness standards. 
1.	Candidates who are over age 32 and who meet certain medical and physical fitness standards are eligible for appointments as a Police Officer in the MBTA and in the following 105 civil service communities: Abington, Agawam, Amesbury, Andover, Athol, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Barnstable, Bellingham, Beverly, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Carver, Charlton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Cohasset, Danvers, Dedham, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Grafton, Greenfield, Halifax, Hanover, Holden, Holyoke, Hull, Kingston, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lee, Leicester, Lexington, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Marlborough, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Middleboro, Millbury, Millis, Milton, Montague, Needham, Newburyport, New Bedford, North Adams, Northbridge, North Reading, Norwell, Oxford, Palmer, Peabody, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy, Randolph, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Salisbury, Sandwich, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Tewksbury, Uxbridge, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Webster, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Whitman, Winchendon, Winthrop and Woburn. In these communities, as current law requires, candidates will have to meet medical and physical fitness standards for appointment to Police Officer positions, and once hired, will be tested regularly during their employment to be sure that they meet certain medical and physical fitness standards.

POLICE OFFICER Examination Date: April 30, 2005	ANNOUNCEMENT # 9866

Entrance Requirements continued:

All applicants who pass the civil service written test and receive a conditional offer of employment from a police department are also subject to meeting the following criteria:

3.	Medical and Physical Fitness Standards: Candidates must pass the medical examination before participating in the Physical Abilities Test. The medical standards are available for review at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/physicalabilitytest.htm. In some municipalities, candidates may be required to pass both a medical examination and a psychological evaluation before appointment. Please be advised that the list of communities is subject to change and inquiries about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.
4.	Physical Abilities Test (PAT): All candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be instructed on how to schedule and take the PAT. The PAT is a test of the candidate's aerobic capacity and physical capability to perform various tasks required on the job. A separate fee (currently $150) is charged for the administration of the PAT. The PAT Training Guide is available on-line at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_pat/police_pat_prep_guide.doc.
5.	Academy Training: All candidates appointed as full-time police officers as a result of this examination will be required to successfully complete police academy training (MGL, Chapter 41, Section 96B). All inquiries regarding this training should be submitted in writing to the Municipal Police Training Committee, 484 Shea Memorial Drive, South Weymouth, MA 02190.
6.	Smoking Prohibition: In accordance with MGL, Chapter 41, Section 101A, candidates hired from the Police Officer eligible list resulting from this examination are prohibited from smoking tobacco products at the time of and after appointment.
7.	Character: No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be appointed as a police officer. A candidate may be disqualified for evidence of character clearly unsuited for police services. Some municipalities include a comprehensive background check as part of the selection process.
8.	Firearms Permit: A candidate may need to obtain a valid firearms permit to qualify to be a police officer in Massachusetts.
9.	Driver's License: A candidate may need a valid Massachusetts motor vehicle operator's license before appointment by some police departments.
Information about other qualifications should be directed to the city or town, the Boston Municipal Police or MBTA.
CIVIL SERVICE WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Applicants must take and pass a written examination in order to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a Police Officer. The written test covers nine areas pertaining to the duties of a Police Officer: 
Deductive Reasoning	Ability to apply general rules or regulations to specific cases or to proceed from stated principles to logical conclusions; 
Inductive Reasoning	Ability to find a rule or concept which fits a particular situation; 
Information Ordering	Ability to apply rules to a situation for the purpose of putting the information in the best or most appropriate order;
Problem Sensitivity	Ability to recognize or identify the existence of a problem; 
Memorization Ability to reproduce or recall information, events, symbols, etc.;
Spatial Orientation	Ability to keep a clear idea of where you are in relation to the space in which you are located; 
Verbal Comprehension	Ability to understand spoken and written language; 
Verbal Expression	Ability to use spoken or written language to communicate information and ideas to others; and
Visualization Ability to form a mental image of what an object will look like after it has been changed in some way.

The Entry Level Police Officer Orientation and Preparation Guide, which describes the written examination in more detail, is available on-line at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/civil_service_publications.htm.

Private School or Service: The Human Resources Division does not recommend or endorse any private school or service offering preparation for examinations and is not responsible for their advertising claims.

Credit for Employment/Experience as a Police Officer: Pursuant to the provisions of Section 22 of Chapter 31, individuals may apply for credit for employment or experience in the position title of Police Officer. Information on how to apply for this credit will be available on-line at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/em_civil_service_forms/exam_forms.htm by March 18, 2005. On the day of the examination, you will be asked to provide the details of any such employment or experience you have as a police officer as the result of service on a city or town police force, or service on a state-run transit police force, including location, dates of service, and number of hours worked per week, and to submit documentation supporting these claims

Spanish-Speaking Applicants: You may take the examination in the Spanish language. If you do, you will also have to pass another written examination given on the same day that tests your ability to read and understand English. If you wish to take the examination in Spanish, you must send a separate letter requesting this when you submit your application and examination fee or fee waiver form

POLICE OFFICER Examination Date: April 30, 2005	ANNOUNCEMENT # 9866

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR VETERANS

CURRENT MILITARY PERSONNEL: ALL military personnel who, in connection with current service, CANNOT be in Massachusetts on April 30, 2005 should contact the Human Resources Division to request a make up examination. To request a make up, you must file an application and processing fee by the last filing date and request such accommodation in writing, with a copy of your military orders attached. Please include in your letter either your daytime base phone number and/or name and phone number of a Massachusetts resident with whom you are in regular contact.

DEFINITION OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERAN M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2004 Effective August 30, 2004: To be a "veteran" under Massachusetts law, a person is required to have either 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions OR 90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. A chart defining "wartime" service is available on-line at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/civil_service_legal_guides.htm#vet.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you are claiming veterans' preference and if your eligibility for veterans' preference has not been approved before by HRD, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214 (Release From Active Duty) in order to receive proper credit. Your notice to appear for the examination will indicate whether or not you are already classified as a veteran. Qualifying service must have been in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States. Please note that active duty exclusively for training in the National Guard or Reserves does NOT qualify you for veterans' preference. Guard Members must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code - OR- if activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41, must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the chart below. The Members' last discharge or release must be under honorable conditions.

Those who otherwise qualify for veterans' preference, but are still in military service may, as of July 1, 1998, claim such credit by supplying proof, on official letterhead with appropriate signature, of their military service to date, including the dates of active duty, current assignment, and estimated time of separation. The individual must provide official documentation of honorable discharge at the time of appointment. [See 1998 Amendment to MGL, Chapter 31, Section 3, Clause (f)].

Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability): It is not necessary for an applicant to complete the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability.

Training Duty Exemption: Active service in the armed forces as used in this clause shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Disabled Veteran Status: Claims for status as a disabled veteran require written confirmation from the US Veterans Administration of a continuing service-connected disability rated 10% or higher. Applicants wishing to claim status as disabled veterans will get the opportunity to claim such at the test site with instructions to follow.

OTHER CLAIMS FOR PREFERENCE

Preference for the Children of Certain Police Officers/Fire Fighters: The son or daughter of a Police Officer or Fire Fighter employed in Massachusetts who was killed or died from injuries received in the performance of duty, or who was permanently disabled as a result of injuries received in the performance of duty, is entitled to certification/list preference under the provisions of Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1985.

Residency Preference: If residency preference is requested by a municipality, applicants who have resided in that municipality for the entire twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of the examination are entitled to be placed on the eligible list for that community ahead of any non-residents. Applicants who have had a break in residence or have moved from one community to another within the twelve-month period preceding the date of the examination will not be entitled to claim residency preference in any community. Applicants will complete a residency preference form at the test site. Location lists and residency preference worksheets will be available on-line at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/em_civil_service_forms/exam_forms.htm by March 18, 2005 Verification of residency will be made by the municipality.

Racial/Ethnic Preference: Due to a federal consent decree, African-American (Black) and Hispanic applicants are given certification preference in a number of communities, whether or not they are residents of those communities. As of the printing of this notice, the following communities are included in this consent decree: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Holyoke, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Randolph, Springfield, Winthrop, and Worcester. This list of communities is subject to change. The definition of Hispanic, for the purposes of the decree, includes any person born in a Spanish-speaking country or any person who grew up in a household in which the predominant language spoken was Spanish.

Selective Certification for Bilingual Police Officers: If a position in a municipality requires that a police officer be fluent in a second language (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese, Laotian, Khmer, Haitian Creole, or Chinese), the local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such language fluency. Applicants will have the opportunity at the test site to indicate fluency in languages other than English. Applicants will need to prove language fluency at the time of hire.

POLICE OFFICER Examination Date: April 30, 2005	ANNOUNCEMENT # 9866

CLAIMS FOR PREFERENCE (CONTINUED)

Selective Certification for Emergency Medical Technicians: If a position in a municipality requires that a police officer be certified as an Emergency Medical Technician at the Basic, Intermediate, or Paramedic level, the local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such certifications. On the date of the examination, applicants will have the opportunity to register as a certified emergency medical technician. Applicants will need to supply proof of possession of a current certification as a Massachusetts Emergency Medical Technician (issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services) in order to qualify for this selective certification. While proof of certification may be submitted at any time during the life of the eligible list, applicants are encouraged to submit it at the time of the examination so that they do not miss out on a potential job opportunity.
HOW TO APPLY

You may apply for this examination, using a Visa or Mastercard, on-line at the Human Resources Division website: https://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/hrd/. A confirmation number for each successful transaction will be issued to the applicant.

You may also obtain a paper application form, and file it along with the examination-processing fee (or fee waiver form) in person or by mail at HRD (see address below). Applications and fee waiver forms may also be available at city and town clerks' offices and civil service police stations across the state. If you mail your application, send all correspondence by certified mail with "return receipt requested," if possible.

EXAMINATION FEE: All applications must be accompanied by a money order, bank check, credit card payment, or by a completed fee waiver form. The examination-processing fee is $60 for applications received by midnight February 21, 2005. The fee for applications received after that date is $85. Applications will not be accepted after April 4, 2005. Payment by money order or bank check should be made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Please print your name, address, social security number, and the examination announcement number on the front of the money order or bank check. Payments by Master Card and VISA are also accepted when applying via the web site or in person. NO CASH OR PERSONAL CHECKS.

FEE WAIVER: The examination fee may be waived for applicants receiving certain state or federal public assistance, unemployment insurance, or workers' compensation. Fee waiver forms are available from and must be filed with the Massachusetts Human Resources Division, Test Administration, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. Fee waiver forms may be downloaded from the HRD website at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/em_civil_service_forms/em_cs_feewaiverform.doc. Waiver forms must be accompanied by proof of eligibility, for the subject time period, in the form of signed and dated receipts, check stubs and/or other documentation from the agency providing assistance. If you are claiming a fee waiver, please make sure to fill in item #16 on your application.

REFUNDS: There will be NO REFUNDS of the examination-processing fee unless the examination is cancelled by HRD.

MAKE-UP TEST: No applicant has a right to a makeup examination due to personal or professional conflicts on the testing date. Applicants are advised to check their calendar BEFORE applying for the examination.

TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: If you need special testing accommodations due to a documented impairment such as a hearing, learning, physical, mental or visual disability, fill in the circle in item 15 of your application, and include a letter detailing what kind of accommodation you require at the exam site. Without such a letter, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to grant your accommodation. This information is asked only to provide reasonable accommodation for exams, and will not be used for any other purposes.

A copy of your notice of specific reporting time and test site is posted on the HRD Standings and On-line Applicant Record Information system website approximately four weeks prior to the examination date. Test results will be sent to all persons taking the examination.

PRIVATE SCHOOL OR SERVICE: The Human Resources Division does not recommend or endorse any private school or service offering preparation for examinations and is not responsible for their advertising claims.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Information about this examination can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.mass.gov/hrd/csintro.htm or by contacting the Human Resources Division, One Ashburton Place, Room 301, Boston, Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except holidays, during these hours at the following numbers:

In the Boston area: (617) 878-9895 Outside the Boston area, within MA: (toll free) 1-800-392-6178
TDD Number: (617) 878-9762 FAX Number: (617) 727-0399
Recorded information regarding this examination and other upcoming open competitive examinations is available at any time by calling: (617) 878-9895.


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