Some vacancies require an applicant to take an exam (either online or in-person) before they can apply. In order to be considered for a vacancy that requires an exam, you must first apply to the exam posting and take the exam.
After you take an online exam, your experience and training will be evaluated. If you qualify, you will receive an email containing a score and its expiration date. You will also be added to a list of other eligible applicants.
If the job title requires you to take a written exam, your experience and training will be evaluated to determine if you qualify for the job title. If you do qualify, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to schedule the exam.
Once you have your score, please feel free to apply to as many vacancies as you wish prior to your score's expiration.
The exam does not count as an application to a vacancy.
There are two kinds of exams:
Applying to an Online Exam
1. Start your search.
Visit www.employment.pa.gov and click the "Open Jobs" tile. You will then be given these options:
Once you're ready, check out our open jobs! Feel free to use the search bar at the top if you know the particular type of job you're looking for. You can also use the "Sort" option to list jobs by posting date, or the "Filter" option if you're looking for something specific, such as work location (county).
If you know the job title you're looking for, try searching "[job title] exam" in the search bar at the top of the open jobs page. Look for the posting that says (ONLINE EXAM) following the job title. For example, if you searched "county caseworker exam", the posting title would look like "COUNTY CASEWORKER 1 – CHILDREN AND YOUTH (ONLINE EXAM)".
2. Sign in or create an account.
If you have an account, please sign in now.
If you've forgotten your username and/or password, click on the "Forgot Username?" and/or "Reset Password" button. If you are still unable to access your account, please contact 855-524-5627.
To create an account, enter your email, a unique username that doesn't contain any special characters, and a password that has:
- At least 8 characters
- Upper and lowercase letters
- Numbers and symbols
You'll need to agree to the Terms of Service after you create your account.
3. Apply to the exam posting.
Find something you like? We're glad to hear it! Click on "Apply" to begin the application to the exam.
4. Import your resume (optional).
Importing your resume may save you a few steps. To upload your resume, click on the gray "Upload from Computer" icon or drag and drop your resume from your desktop. This will pre-populate the appropriate fields on your application.
After you upload your resume, double-check that each field of the application transferred correctly. After updating each section of the application, click "Save" to move to the next section.
If you'd prefer, you can choose to skip this step and to manually enter your application. You will have an opportunity to upload your resume as an attachment at the end of the application process.
5. Fill out the application in detail.
Job seekers must meet the required minimum experience and training as indicated on the posting in order to be considered for the job. If you believe you qualify, you will need to provid ;as much detail as possible about your relative job duties to ensure you qualify for the job.
6. Add skills.
You can choose to add additional skills to your application, such as proficiency with Adobe products or knowledge of another language.
7. Add attachments.
Some of our jobs will require you to include a resume, college transcript, certification, etc. as an attachment to your application. If the posting requires one of these items, the attachment will be verified by evaluation staf ;to ensure you meet the requirements and/or have included the appropriate information;
You may also attach any other items that you feel are relevant, such as a cover letter or a letter of recommendation.
Note: If your qualifying education was obtained outside of the United States, you will need to provide documentation prepared by a professional foreign credentials evaluation organization.
8. Answer supplemental questions.
The supplemental questions at the end of this application are considered an exam. They are designed to give you the opportunity to relate your experience and training background to the major activities or work behaviors, performed in the positio.
All answers to supplemental questions will be verified by evaluation staff to ensure the applicant has the identified experience and training.
9. Review and certify.
You will not be able to make any changes after you submit your application. When you've finished reviewing your application proceed to "Certify and Submit".
10. Submit your application.
Ready to submit? We're looking forward to hearing from you! Click on "Accept and Submit" to finalize and submit your application.
You've successfully completed your online exam! A confirmation email will be sent to the email address used when creating your account.
Your exam will be evaluated, and if you qualify, you will receive an email with a score and its expiration date.
11. Apply to a vacancy.
Once you receive your score, you will be able to apply to any vacancies for that job title. Make sure to log into the open jobs website using the same account information as you used for the exam application.
Applying to a vacancy will look very similar to applying to the online exam. For additional information on applying to a vacancy, check out these
instructions.
12. Final steps.
When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation via email. Congratulations on applying to an exam-based vacancy!
Those with the top scores may be contacted by the hiring agency.
Back to top.
Applying to an In-Person (Written) Exam
1. Start your search.
Visit www.employment.pa.gov and click the "Open Jobs" tile. You will then be given these options:
Once you're ready, check out our open jobs! Feel free to use the search bar at the top if you know the particular type of job you're looking for. You can also use the "Sort" option to list jobs by posting date, or the "Filter" option if you're looking for something specific, such as work location (county).
If you know the job title you're looking for, try searching "[job title] exam" in the search bar at the top of the open jobs page. Look for the posting that says (EXAM) following the job title. For example, if you searched "driver license examiner assistant exam", the posting title would look like "DRIVER LICENSE EXAMINER ASSISTANT (EXAM)".
2. Sign in or create an account.
If you have an account, please sign in now.
If you've forgotten the username and/or password, click on the "Forgot Username?" and/or "Reset Password" button. If you are still unable to access your account, please contact 855-524-5627.
To create an account, enter your email, a unique username that doesn't contain any special characters, and a password that has:
- At least 8 characters
- Upper and lowercase letters
- Numbers and symbols
You'll need to agree to the Terms of Service after you create your account.
3. Apply to the exam posting.
Find something you like? We're glad to hear it! Click on "Apply" to begin the application to the exam.
4. Import your resume (optional).
Importing your resume may save you a few steps. To upload your resume, click on the gray "Upload from Computer" icon or drag and drop your resume from your desktop. This will pre-populate the appropriate fields on your application.
After you upload your resume, double-check that each field of the application transferred correctly. After updating each section of the application, click "Save" to move to the next section.
If you'd prefer, you can choose to skip this step and to manually enter your application. You will have an opportunity to upload your resume as an attachment at the end of the application process.
5. Fill out the application in detail.
Job seekers must meet the required minimum experience and training as indicated on the posting in order to be considered for the job. If you believe you qualify, you will need to provide as much detail as possible about your relative job duties to ensure you qualify for the job.
6. Add skills.
You can choose to add additional skills to your application, such as proficiency with Adobe products or knowledge of another language.
7. Add attachments.
Some of our jobs will require you to include a resume, college transcript, certification, etc. as an attachment to your application. If the posting requires one of these items, the attachment will be verified by evaluation staff to ensure you meet the requirements and/or have included the appropriate information.
You may also attach any other items that you feel are relevant, such as a cover letter or a letter of recommendation.
Note: If your qualifying education was obtained outside of the United States, you will need to provide documentation prepared by a professional foreign credentials evaluation organization.
8. Review and certify.
You will not be able to make any changes after you submit your application. When you've finished reviewing your application proceed to "Certify and Submit".
9. Submit your application.
Ready to submit? We're looking forward to hearing from you! Click on "Accept and Submit" to finalize and submit your application.
You've successfully completed your application to an in-person exam posting! A confirmation email will be sent to the email address used when creating your account.
10. Schedule your exam.
Once you’ve submitted your application to the in-person exam posting and have been deemed eligible, you will receive an email that provides instructions on how to schedule your exam.
Hours of operation and directions to different test centers can be found
instructions.
12. Final steps.
When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation via email. Congratulations on applying to an exam-based vacancy!
Those with the top scores may be contacted by the hiring agency.
Back to top.