Exam Bulletin - Accounting Analyst

State of California

Exam Code: EX-1486

Examination Plans Included:

  • ACCOUNTING ANALYST - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

ACCOUNTING ANALYST: $4,012.00 - $6,213.00 per Month

View the ACCOUNTING ANALYST classification specification.

Application Instructions

This is not a timed examination. If you request a Reasonable Accommodation, your account will be locked and you will not be able to proceed with the examination until the request is processed.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • ACCOUNTING ANALYST - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

    1486

For ACCOUNTING ANALYST, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-01486

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00104582 - ACCOUNTING ANALYST

Either 1

Equivalent to graduation from college with a specialization in accounting. (Registration as a senior student in a recognized institution will admit applicants to the examination, but they must produce evidence of successful completion of the curriculum and the prescribed courses before they may be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or 2

Completion of the equivalent of 45 semester units given by a collegiate-grade residence or correspondence institution, of which 24 units must include courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting, first semester intermediate accounting and advanced accounting (or second semester intermediate accounting), fund/governmental accounting, cost accounting, auditing, business law, computer applications/management information systems. (Persons who will complete course work requirements during the current quarter or semester will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of successful completion of the curriculum and the prescribed courses before they may be considered eligible for appointment.) Successful completion of the State Fund Accounting Course administered by the Department of Finance, shall receive credit for three semester hours toward the required accounting courses.

Position Description

00104582 - ACCOUNTING ANALYST

This is the recruiting, developmental and first journey level class in this series, for persons qualified to perform analytical, forecasting, planning and/or advisory duties in the area of accounting.

Special Personal Characteristic

Ability to qualify for a fidelity bond.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

Preferred additional education includes courses in statistics, business finance, mathematics, college composition, speech/oral communications and/or business composition.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for optimal performance when accessing the examination.

This examination consists of the following components:

  • CalHR Online Exam : 100% of the final score.

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
  1. Accounting principles and procedures
  2. Governmental accounting and budgeting
  3. Principles of electronic data processing
  4. Principles of policy formulation
  5. Statistical methods
  6. Principles of finance
  7. Business law
  8. Principles of business management
Ability to:
  1. Apply accounting principles and practices
  2. Analyze data and draw sound conclusions
  3. Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action
  4. Prepare clear, comprehensive, and concise reports
  5. Apply principles of finance and develop financial policy
  6. Apply statistical methods
  7. Analyze a variety of accounting data
  8. Identify trends, make projections, and draw conclusions
  9. Make sound decisions and recommendations with regard to accounting problems
  10. Work closely with operating managers to identify accounting office capabilities as they apply to a variety of program needs
  11. Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the work
  12. Interpret and apply laws, rules, standards and procedures
  13. Communicate effectively

Eligible List Information

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the ACCOUNTING ANALYST Classification will be established for:

  • State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Accounting Analyst Training and Experience Examination Preview

Instructions:

Rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks.

Respond to each of the following statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every question and provide relevant examples. Also, indicate the reference(s) who can verify the information provided.

In responding to each statement, you may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, your EDUCATION, and/or FORMAL TRAINING COURSES you have completed.

Tasks:
  1. Review expenditures, revenues, abatements, and/or reimbursements to ensure compliance with applicable standards.
  2. Assist in preparing accounting records, reconciliations, financial statements, and/or other financial reports to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable standards.
  3. Report accounting issues and/or inefficiencies (e.g. resource utilization, expenditures, cash management) to relevant parties (e.g. supervisors, coworkers, subordinate staff, program, other departments, customers).
  4. Analyze and interpret policy and procedural memoranda to ensure you are in compliance with applicable standards.
  5. Maintain and update accounting records (e.g., invoices, production level, claims) in databases and/or spreadsheets to accurately report the financial position of the entity.
  6. Develop record keeping and accounting systems for the accounting office to maintain support documentation for accounting transactions.
  7. Write reports, project summaries, or other more complex documents using word processing and spreadsheet software to document relevant accounting issues.
  8. Research and analyze documents (e.g., invoices, returns, claims, refunds) to gather relevant information.
  9. Analyze and evaluate numerical and financial data to compile and maintain financial records.
  10. Identify general ledger accounts to process transactions and review reports.

Testing Departments

  • State of California

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

State of California
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@calhr.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

State of California reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.
Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)