(A) Examinations.
(1) Examinations may be held at such places as the Commission deems advisable and shall be administered under its direction.
(2) Examinations shall be scheduled upon request of an appointing authority or upon the Commission's own motion. Examinations need not be administered until and unless an appointing authority intends to fill a vacant position. The existence of vacant positions need not create the need for examinations. The Commission may conduct examinations in anticipation of vacant positions or in anticipation of the expiration of an eligible list.
(B) Notice of examination.
(1) Entrance examination. Notice of competitive entrance examinations shall be given through the local newspapers and by posting notices conspicuously on the City Hall bulletin boards and in such other places as may be deemed advisable, not less than two weeks prior to the last day on which applications will be accepted for such examinations.
(2) Promotional examination. Notice of competitive closed-promotional examinations shall be given either by posting bulletins in conspicuous places in the departments whose employees may be interested or by individual communications to the employees eligible for such promotion. Such notice shall be given not less than two weeks prior to the last day on which applications will be accepted for the examination.
(C) Identity of examinees concealed. The identity of all persons taking competitive examinations shall be concealed by the use of an identification number which shall be used on all examination papers. This number shall be used from the beginning of the examination until the papers have all been rated.
(D) Subjects and weights.
(1) Minimum qualifications.
(a) The minimum qualifications for a classification shall be considered as a part of the examination process. Minimum qualifications are those skills, knowledge, or abilities required for each classification. The qualifications contained in the classification specifications shall be followed in determining admittance to examinations.
(b) The minimum qualifications for a classification or a position must be made a part of the announcement of a vacancy or of an examination. Following the publication of an announcement, no modification of the minimum qualifications shall be permitted.
(2) Examinations shall be designed to fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the particular duties of the position or classification for which appointment is sought. Where minimum and/or maximum requirements are established for any examination, they shall be specified in the examination announcement. The Commission shall prescribe the subjects of each examination and the relative weights to be attached thereto prior to the date of the publication of the examination announcement.
(3) Entrance examinations. Examinations may include an evaluation of such factors as education, training, capacity, knowledge, manual dexterity, and physical or psychological fitness. Tests may be written, oral, physical, demonstration of skill, or an evaluation of training and experiences and shall be designed to fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the particular duties of the position for which appointment is sought.
(4) Promotional examinations. All examinations for promotions, except those for promotional examinations within the Police and Fire Departments, shall be competitive and may be conducted in the same manner as entrance examinations.
(5) Police and fire promotional examinations.
(a) Promotions to positions above the rank of Patrol Officer in the Police Department shall be in accordance with the provisions of Ohio R.C. 124.44, unless the Commission determines that special circumstances exist and the Commission utilizes the process of Ohio R.C. 124.30 and 124.31.
(b) Promotions to positions above the rank of regular firefighter in the Fire Department shall be in writing and shall be in accordance with the provisions of Ohio R.C. 124.45, 124.46 and 124.48, unless the Commission determines that special circumstances exist and the Commission utilizes the process of Ohio R.C. 124.30 and 124.31.
(c) The public notice of the holding of a promotional examination for a position or positions in a Fire Department shall, unless waived by all persons eligible to participate, be published not less than 30 days prior to the examination and shall contain a description of the source material from which the examination questions are prepared. Such source material shall be readily accessible to the examinee. Failure to comply with this requirement shall make void the pursuant examination. This division does not prohibit the use of questions having answers based on experience in the fire service within the Fire Department in which the promotional examination is being given.
(E) Special positions for firefighters. Within any rank, the City Council may establish such special positions having special duties with preferential pay as the Council deems necessary, but the holding of any such special positions shall not establish eligibility to the next higher rank to the exclusion of other persons in the same rank who do not hold such special positions. No special position established by Council within a rank in a Fire Department shall be filled without promotional examination in the same manner as promotions from rank to rank.
(F) Special credits.
(1) Credit for military service in entrance examinations.
(a) When proper proof of acceptable service in the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined in Ohio R.C. 124.23 is presented to the Commission and such veteran being otherwise eligible has received a passing grade in any regular entrance examination, he or she shall be granted additional credit of 20% of his or her total grade.
(b) Requests for the additional credit for military service, together with an honorable discharge or other proof of satisfactory service, shall be submitted with the application for the examination. Credit for military service will not be given if the request for such credit is received after the examination has been administered.
(c) Credit for service in the Armed Forces of the United States shall not be a part of, but shall be a credit to be added to, the applicant's earned grade resulting from the competitive examination provided that the applicant receives a passing grade in the competitive examination.
(2) Seniority credit on promotional examinations. Seniority points shall be added to the written score and shall form a part of the final grade, provided that the applicant receives a passing grade. Credit for seniority shall equal one percent of total grade attainable for the first four years of service, plus for each fifth through fourteenth years of service, six-tenths percent of the total grade attainable shall be added to the score attained. This rule may be amended or limited by the Civil Service Commission or by City Council.
(3) Efficiency credit on promotional examinations.
(a) The efficiency rating for examination purposes shall be based upon one or more years of service depending upon the position to be filled and the Commission's determination as to the period of time which shall be a fair test for the position. If more than one year's rating is used, the Commission shall arrive at an average yearly rating which shall be the employee's efficiency rating for grading purposes.
(b) The additional credit for efficiency shall not exceed ten percent of the employee's efficiency rating, computed from a base of 100 attainable points, and shall be added to the written test score to form a part of the final grade, provided that the applicant receives a passing grade.
(G) Admitting applicants to examination. No applicant shall be admitted to any assembled examination more than 30 minutes after the advertised time for beginning such examination, or after any applicant competing in any such examination has completed his or her work and left the examination room, except by special permission of the person in charge who, in his or her discretion, may admit the applicant conditionally subject to the final approval or disapproval of such admission by the Commission.
(H) Time limit. No applicant in any examination shall be given a longer time on any subject than prescribed by the Commission except as an accommodation to a disabled applicant.
(I) Frauds in examinations prohibited. No person or officer shall:
(1) Willfully or corruptly by himself or herself or in cooperation with one or more persons defeat, deceive, or obstruct any person in respect of his or her right of examination, appointment or employment arising under the civil service law or under any rules and regulations prescribed pursuant thereto;
(2) Willfully or corruptly, falsely mark, grade, estimate, or report upon the examination or proper standing of any person examined, registered or certified pursuant to the provisions of the civil service law, or aid in doing so;
(3) Willfully or corruptly make any false representations concerning the results of such examinations or concerning any person examined;
(4) Willfully or corruptly furnish to any person any special or secret information for the purpose of either improving or injuring the prospects or chances of any person so examined, registered or certified, or to be examined, registered or certified;
(5) Personate any other person, or permit or aid in any manner any person to personate him or her, in connection with any examination, registration, appointment, application, or request to be examined, registered or appointed;
(6) Furnish any false information about himself or herself, or any other person in connection with any examination, registration, appointment, application, or request to be examined, registered or appointed;
(7) Make known, or assist in making known, to any applicant for examination, any question to be asked on such examination;
(8) For any applicant taking an examination to assist any other applicant in any manner whatsoever; or
(9) Personally solicit a favor from any member of the Commission, appointing authority, or have any person on his or her behalf solicit a favor.
(10) Any applicant in any examination found to be using any means of information, other than that provided in the examination itself, such as memoranda, pamphlets or books of any kind to assist him or her in answering the questions shall have his or her examination papers taken up and filed with a zero marking when the circumstances justify such action.
(J) Visitors at examinations. No visitor shall be admitted to the examination room during any examination except by special permission of the person in charge or as a reasonable accommodation for an applicant.
(K) Inspection of examination papers.
(1) Any competitor shall have the right at any time within the period of 15 days after receiving notice of examination grade to review his or her own papers to learn the markings given on each subject or question and to submit, in writing for the Commission's consideration, any objection or protest he or she may wish to make concerning the grades given. No objection or protest concerning an examination, not submitted in writing, shall be considered unless it relates to the conduct of examiners, the securing of unlawful assistance by a competitor or such other circumstances in connection with an examination as would call for an investigation on the part of the Commission, and which would require that the information submitted be given in confidence.
(2) An applicant who exercises the right to inspect his or her examination papers shall not be permitted to again take an examination for the same classification within a four month period following the inspection, unless an alternate form of examination is given. Inspection shall not be permitted of standardized tests prepared by experts outside the Commission, where such inspection would tend to reduce the validity of test results.
(L) Religious or political opinion of affiliation questions prohibited. No questions on any examination shall relate to religious or political opinions or affiliations.
(Ord. 2001-03, passed 1-16-01)