Section 174 - Applications for Civil Service Examinations(a) For online examinations, the Department or designated appointing power may require that only application forms submitted online shall be accepted, except those documents and materials specified in section 170, subdivision (d). For all other examinations, the Department or designated appointing power shall allow applicants the option to file an application form along with any other required documents or materials, except those documents and materials specified in section 170, subdivision (d), by way of an online application system, U.S. mail, parcel delivery or courier service, or in person.(b) Whenever the Department or designated appointing power receives an application form that is filed online for an examination, the Department or designated appointing power shall do all of the following, in accordance with Government Code section 18934: (1) Provide the electronic communication address of the Department or the electronic communication address of the designated appointing power to the applicant.(2) Communicate with the applicant using electronic communication instead of postal mail, unless the applicant specifically requests otherwise.(3) Prior to sending applicants any examination related information using electronic communication, inform the applicant that he or she will be provided with employment inquiry notifications and his or her score and rank on the examination using electronic communication, unless the applicant specifically requests to be notified using postal mail.(c) All applications must be filed at the place, within the time, in the manner, and on the form specified in the examination announcement. Unless otherwise set forth in this Article, applications failing to satisfy any of these criterion shall not be accepted. A separate application shall be filed for each examination unless otherwise specified in the examination announcement. All applications shall be available and accepted free of any charge to the applicant. Under no circumstances shall applications for examinations in progress or testing materials for examinations be returned to applicants. The names of applicants shall not be made public.(d) The Department or designated appointing power may indicate in the application instructions that applicants must provide their employment history on the STD 678 application form rather than attaching a resume to the form. If the application instructions do not include such a requirement, and the applicant attaches a resume to the application form in lieu of providing employment history on the STD 678, the application should be accepted or the applicant shall be notified of the defect and provided the opportunity to resubmit the application containing the information, so long as the original application was timely filed.(e) Where an applicant properly completes, certifies, and files the application form by way of the online application system, his or her handwritten signature is not required on the paper version of the application form. The applicant's digital certification of the application form shall have the same legal effect as if the applicant hand signed the paper version of the application form.(f) Filing an application "within the time" shall mean:(1) Postmarked by the United States Postal Service (USPS) or depositing with a parcel delivery or courier service no later than the final filing date specified on the examination announcement, provided that the parcel contains proof of timely deposit with the parcel delivery or courier service; or(2) Date stamped at one of the Department's offices or at the appropriate office of the agency administering the examination no later than the final filing date specified on the examination announcement; or(3) Electronically transmitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the final filing date specified on the examination announcement.(g) For purposes of determining whether an application has been filed within the time as set forth in subdivision (f)(1), any dates printed on mobile barcodes or equivalent mobile print technology shall not be considered postmarks and, as such, are not acceptable proof of the date the application was filed.(h) An application not timely filed as specified in subdivision (f) shall be accepted if one of the following conditions applies: (1) The application was delayed due to a verified error on the part of the staff of the Department or other agency conducting the examination or through a documented administrative error by postal authorities or the parcel delivery or courier service.(2) An application for an examination is filed in error to the wrong agency and was postmarked by the postal service or date stamped by the receiving agency on or before the final filing date specified on the examination announcement, or contains proof of timely deposit with the parcel delivery or courier service.(3) For a promotional examination, the appointing power verifies distribution problems with the examination announcement that prevented timely notification to an employee seeking to take the examination. Posting in a centralized location of each branch, district, institution, region, or office of the appointing power shall constitute notification of the promotional examination to employees.(4) The appointing power verifies that the employee seeking to take a promotional examination failed to receive timely notice of the examination because the employee was away from his or her place of work during the entire examination announcement period due to a work assignment, vacation, sick leave, or leave of absence.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 2, § 174
1. Amendment filed 9-15-53; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 53, No. 16).
2. Amendment of NOTE filed 4-8-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 15).
3. Amendment filed 5-6-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 19).
4. Amendment filed 7-3-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 27).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending section and NOTE filed 9-9-2014 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2014, No. 37).
6. Amendment of section heading, section and NOTE filed 4-27-2017; operative 7-1-2017. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code section 18211 (Register 2017, No. 17).
7. Amendment of section heading, section and NOTE filed 3-4-2020; operative 7-1-2020 pursuant to Government Code section 18211. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code sections 18211 and 18213 (Register 2020, No. 10). This database is current through 9/15/23 Register 2023, No. 37.1. Amendment filed 9-15-53; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 53, No. 16). Note: Authority cited: Sections 18502, 18660 and 18701, Government Code. Reference: Section 18934, Government Code.
1. Amendment filed 9-15-53; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 53, No. 16).
2. Amendment of NOTE filed 4-8-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 15).
3. Amendment filed 5-6-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 19).
4. Amendment filed 7-3-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 27).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending section and Note filed 9-9-2014 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2014, No. 37).
6. Amendment of section heading, section and Note filed 4-27-2017; operative 7-1-2017. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code section 18211(Register 2017, No. 17).
7. Amendment of section heading, section and Note filed 3-4-2020; operative 7/1/2020 pursuant to Government Code section 18211. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code sections 18211 and 18213 (Register 2020, No. 10).