N.J. Admin. Code § 4A:4-2.15

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 4A:4-2.15 - Rating of examinations

(a) Ratings may be computed by a valid statistical method based on the use of scoring formulas and/or conversion tables.

1. When education and experience are to be rated as part of an examination, they shall be graded through the use of scales prepared by the Chairperson or designee.

(b) Examinations consisting of more than one part may be rated independently.

1. Candidates failing to meet minimum standards on one part of the examination shall be ineligible for the remaining parts.

2. Candidates who do not receive a passing score on one part of an examination shall be deemed to have failed the entire examination.

3. Candidates who fail an entire examination shall not receive Performance Assessment Review (PAR) credit or credit for seniority. See (c) and (d) below.

(c) Candidates for State service promotional examination shall receive credit for the final PAR rating on file in the candidate's personnel office as of the announced closing date for the rating period immediately preceding the announced closing date.

1. When the PAR consists of a three-level rating scale, credit shall be awarded as follows:

i. Three points for Exceptional; or

ii. One point for Successful.

2. When the PAR consists of a five-level rating scale, credit shall be awarded as follows:

i. Three points for a rating of Five - Exceptional Performance;

ii. Two points for a rating of Four - Commendable Performance; and

iii. One point for a rating of Three - Successful Performance.

3. When there is no final rating on file for a candidate as of the announced closing date, the rating for that period shall be deemed Successful in the case of both a three-level rating scale and a five-level rating scale, and credit shall be given for that rating.

4. Performance ratings shall not be used as a scoring factor in promotions when the supervisor who completes a performance rating for a subordinate or acts as a reviewer for a subordinate's rating competes in the same promotional examination as the subordinate.

(d) In calculating seniority for promotional examinations:

1. Continuous permanent service accumulated prior to an intergovernmental transfer pursuant to 4A:4-7.1A (except as provided in (d)3 below), voluntary furloughs and the following types of leaves shall not be deducted from seniority.

i. All leaves with pay including sick leave injury (SLI);

ii. Military, educational, gubernatorial appointment, personal sick, disability, family, furlough extension, and voluntary alternative to layoff leaves of absence without pay; and

iii. In local service, leave without pay to fill elective office.

2. A resignation/new appointment pursuant to 4A:4-7.9 shall not be considered a break in continuous service.

3. Continuous permanent service accumulated prior to an intergovernmental transfer pursuant to 4A:4-7.1A shall be deducted from seniority for all firefighters, and for those law enforcement officers, including sheriff's officers and county correction officers, who have waived all accumulated seniority rights in agreeing to an intergovernmental transfer.

(e) Suspensions, other leaves of absence without pay not identified in (d) above, and any period an employee is laid off shall be deducted when calculating seniority.

1. In local service police and fire examinations, credit for record of service will be reduced by disciplinary suspensions received during the five-year period immediately preceding the announced closing date.

(f) Employees reappointed from a special reemployment list shall be considered as having continuous service for seniority purposes. However, the elapsed time between the layoff or demotion in lieu of layoff and reappointment shall be deducted from the employee's seniority.

(g) When a municipality has a volunteer fire company and paid positions are created, any volunteer firefighter who has actively served for at least two years as of the announced closing date is entitled to service credits in addition to his or her earned examination score. The highest possible score for examination performance shall be 100 percent, to which the service credit shall be added. Service credits shall be not less than three nor more than 10, and shall be added only to a passing score. The service credit shall be calculated by adding one point to the number of years of service: for example, add three points for two years of service, four points for three years of service, and so on. Any service time in excess of nine years shall be awarded the 10-point maximum.

(h) The score earned by a candidate on an examination announced for more than one title area at a time shall be used for all examinations in those title areas for which the candidate files and is found eligible.

(i) A candidate for an examination may be permitted to use an examination score for a period of time, or for more than one title or more than one test, as determined by the Chairperson or designee.

(j) Ties in final earned ratings shall not be broken.

N.J. Admin. Code § 4A:4-2.15

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 2239(a), effective 7/17/2017