General
Circular No. 001294
To: Heads of State Agencies and Human
Resource
Directors
Subject: Emergency Closure Of Civil Service Tests
Issue
Date: August 21, 1997
Our
Alexandria Test Center was burglarized resulting in copies
of
nearly all test booklets being stolen.
Because the tests
are
compromised, they can no longer be administered.
Therefore,
we are forced to take the emergency measures of
closing
all written tests to application and closing all walk-in testing at our Baton
Rouge and
New
Orleans Offices until
replacement
forms of the tests are ready.
State
Police is investigating the theft of the Test Booklets.
We will
pursue the strongest legal actions available to us.
We hope
agencies will bear with us as we try to cope with this
difficult
situation. We will try to minimize
inconvenience and
delay
in filling vacancies and keep you apprised as the
situation
evolves. We thank you for your
cooperation.
TEST
GRADES
Written
test scores which would have expired between July 1 and
December
31, 1997 are being given expiration dates of
December
31,
1997. Candidates will NOT be
individually notified, nor
will
they be issued new grade notices showing this extended
expiration
date. These grades were extended
effective August
20,
1997. Certificates of Eligibles issued
prior to August 20,
1997
will not contain the names of candidates whose grades
expired
between July 1, 1997 and August 20, 1997.
As a result
of this
grade extension, this group of candidates will regain
their
eligibility for certification through December 31, 1997.
REGRADES
Candidates
may continue to apply for regrades as usual.
TEST
RE-OPENING SCHEDULE
We plan
to resume walk-in testing at our Baton Rouge and New
Orleans
offices on August 26 for the following test series.
2027 - Accounting Specialist
2374 - Social Service Case Manager-F/S
5000 - Law Enforcement And Protective Services (LEAPS)
We plan
to resume walk-in testing at our Baton Rouge and New
Orleans
offices on Friday, September 12, 1997 for:
4002 - Typing Careers Exam
Testing
for all four of the above series will also resume in
all
Saturday test centers, except Alexandria, on Saturday,
September
13, 1997.
Testing
will resume and additional jobs will be reopened to
application
on a gradual basis as replacement tests are
developed.
We
anticipate replacement tests to be in effect for:
3500 - Professional Supervisor Test - October 18, 1997
1000 - Professional Accountant Test -
November 1, 1997
1500 - Professional Auditor Test -
November 1, 1997
SPECIAL
AND PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Specials
Announcements #11/97 - 14/97 - For some of the jobs
announced
on these specials, testing had not been completed by
all
candidates prior to test closure. For
these jobs,
candidates
will be evaluated on their experience and training,
or
certified as "eligible".
Partially completed promotional
announcements
will be handled similarly. This may
require some
candidates
with established written grades to submit new
applications.
Special
and Promotional announcements will continue to be
issued. However, since testing has been suspended,
state
employees
and other applicants who already have grades for jobs
affected
by this test closure will be required to reapply to
become
eligible. Announcements will state this
requirement
whenever
applicable. Candidates and employees
who previously
established
eligibility by testing will have to reapply to each
individual
announcement to be eligible. CANDIDATES
NEED TO PAY
CLOSE
ATTENTION TO REQUIREMENTS STATED ON THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
PROBATIONAL
APPOINTMENTS
Agencies
with probational vacancies should
continue to send
requests
for certificates (SF-2's) to us routinely.
We will
continue
to certify from existing registers while new test
forms
are developed. Certifiable score appointments may still
be made
from existing lists. Persons may also
still apply for
regrades.
NON-COMPETITIVE
PROMOTIONAL APPOINTMENTS BELOW GS-15
Non-competitive
promotions to jobs below GS-15 may continue to
be made
of employees with existing test scores.
If an employee
who
does not have a test score is proposed for non-competitive
promotion
to a job which requires a passing test score, the
Human
Resource office must contact the Examining Division of
Civil
Service prior to submitting the SF-1. We will determine
on a
case by case basis whether a test will be required.
COMPETITIVE
PROMOTIONS (GS-15 AND ABOVE) UNDER POSTING
AGREEMENTS
For
agencies with internal promotional posting agreements, you
may no
longer require written test grades beforehand. If a
qualified
employee submits an application and does not have a
grade,
he or she must be considered. If there
are five or
fewer
applicants, you may propose a non-competitive promotion.
If more
than five people apply, send the applications of all
applicants
to Civil Service, per your agency contract.
We will
determine
how they will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
COMPETITIVE
PROMOTIONS (GS-15 AND ABOVE) FOR AGENCIES WITHOUT
POSTING
AGREEMENTS
For
competitive promotions at GS-15 and above, send in the
promotional
request for certificates (SF-2). We will announce
or
certify from existing lists as usual
until October 1, 1997.
As
replacement tests are installed, competitive promotional
procedures
will be published.
PROVISIONAL
APPOINTMENTS
Provisional
appointments with an effective date on or after
July 1,
1997 will be approved. Tests will be
administered as
replacement
tests are installed. If no replacement
test is
installed
within the six month provisional period, the
appointing
authority may submit an SF-1 converting the employee
to a probational
apointment.
CONTACT
PERSON
Questions
should be directed to the Examining Division at (504)
342-8536.
Sincerely,
Allen
H. Reynolds
Director