• Salary section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.

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

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):

• HYDROELECTRIC PLANT OPERATOR - Open

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

Exam Code(s):

1740

For HYDROELECTRIC PLANT OPERATOR, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-01740

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.

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.

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.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

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:

A Departmental Open eligible list for the HYDROELECTRIC PLANT OPERATOR Classification will be established for:

• Department of Water Resources

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.

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.

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.  In responding to each statement, you may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, you have completed.  

PLEASE NOTE:  This examination is designed to gain an overall assessment of your experience as it directly relates to the duties and the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this position.  All components of this examination have been carefully validated by tying them directly to job requirements and documenting their relevance to the position. In preparing your responses please note each exam item response textbox has a maximum of 1,000 character count.   

 Tasks

1. Performing high and low voltage electrical and mechanical switching procedures in order to ensure safe lockout/tag-out of systems.
   
2. Inspecting plants, aqueduct, dams, and reservoir facilities to document and ensure there are no abnormal conditions.
   
3. Preparing clearances (i.e. lock-out/tag-out) utilizing safe operating procedures.
   
4. Reading and interpreting schematics and manuals to prepare clearances (i.e. lock-out/tag-out). 
5. Operating units (e.g. pump, turbine, and generator) and associated auxiliary equipment either directly or by utilizing remote operating systems.
   
6. Operating and monitoring plant control systems for optimal individual plant or system wide operation.
   
7. Operating aqueduct facilities, reservoirs, dams, and turnouts either directly or by use of remote operating systems to meet water and power schedule deliveries.
   
8. Implementing power and water schedules to maintain appropriate water surface elevations.
   
9. Performing minor maintenance and adjustments (e.g. transferring and filtering of oil, operating bridge and gantry cranes, relamping) on equipment and plant activities utilizing safe working practices.
10. Documenting plant activities in a digital log in order to establish a permanent record.
    
11. Completing documentation (e.g. reading sheets, logs) in order to establish a record of equipment performance operations.
    
12. Preparing reports to document work and equipment conditions while prioritizing maintenance execution.

• Department of Water Resources

Technical questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Administrative questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

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.

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.

Department of Water Resources 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.