Exam Bulletin

Department of Transportation

Exam Code: EX-1936

Examination Plans Included:

  • ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER - Promotional

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

Bulletin Updates

  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Continuous filing dates have been added.
  • Any editable section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.
  • Any editable section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.

Classification Details

ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER: $9,284.00 - $11,626.00 per Month

View the ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER classification specification.

Application Instructions

Final Filing Date: Continuous 

Results may take between 4-6 weeks to process after each cut-off date indicated below. 


Cut-off dates for 2025: January 31, February 28, March 31, April 30, May 31, June 30, July 31, August 31, September 30, October 31, November 30, December 31)

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

  • 1/31/2025
  • 2/28/2025
  • 3/31/2025
  • 4/30/2025
  • 5/31/2025
  • 6/30/2025
  • 7/31/2025
  • 8/31/2025
  • 9/30/2025
  • 10/31/2025
  • 11/30/2025
  • 12/31/2025

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

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.

Promotional Examination(s):

  • ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER - Promotional

In addition to meeting the Minimum Qualifications, competition is limited to individuals who meet at least one of the following filing criteria:

  • 1. Have a permanent civil service appointment with a promotional testing department (see Testing Departments), or
  • 2. Are current or former employees of the legislature for 2 or more years as defined in Government Code 18990, or
  • 3. Are current or former non-elected exempt employees of the executive branch for 2 or more consecutive years as defined in Govt. Code 18992, or
  • 4. Are persons retired from the United States military honorably discharged from active duty with a service disability or honorably discharged from active duty as defined in Government Code 18991. Applicants must provide a copy of discharge papers (DD 214) for verification purposes at the time of application.

Under certain circumstances other employees may be allowed to compete under provisions of Rules 234, 235 and 235.2. California Code of Regulations Rules 233, 234, 235.2 and 237 contain provisions regarding civil service status and eligibility for promotional examinations.

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

    1936

For ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-01936

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.

You may apply by mail to:

  • Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
    Caltrans
    Examination Services
    P.O. Box 168036
    Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

  • Caltrans
    Examination Services
    1727 30th Street
    Sacramento, CA 95816
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    **Candidates are responsible for obtaining proof of mailing or submission of their exam.

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

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.

00103403 - ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER

Either I

Either I

Two years of experience performing the duties of an Assistant Chemical Testing Engineer in the California state service.

Or II

Or II

Experience: Four years of responsible chemical testing engineering experience, two years of which must have been in the chemical testing of construction materials. (Graduate work in chemistry or chemical engineering may be substituted for one year of the required general experience on a year-for-year basis.) and Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with major work in chemistry or chemical engineering. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Position Description

00103403 - ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER

Performs the more difficult or specialized work in chemical analyses of raw materials and finished products, such as: ferrous and nonferrous metals, protective coatings, traffic line paints, and other paints, fuel and weed oils, asphaltic materials, cement and concrete aggregates, soils, foundation materials, water, water for concrete, and other engineering and miscellaneous materials; assists in developing specifications and, as required, prepares specifications for various construction materials; assists in conducting research and investigational work and developing methods and tests to determine the chemical composition and related qualities of road building and construction materials; makes field and shop inspections for compliance with specifications and suitability and durability of the product; witnesses manufacturer's tests on products as a basis for acceptance or rejection and confers with manufacturers as to methods of correcting deficiencies in finished products; assists in investigating complaints from the field and makes recommendations for solution of the problems; as required, makes recommendations for appropriate material substitutions for those specified; as required, makes the necessary physical analysis of products in connection with any particular project; assists in supervision of the staff of the chemical testing section; prepares reports on results of analyses and investigations.

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

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Education/ExperienceN/A100%

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: General chemical laboratory testing procedure and equipment and organic and inorganic chemistry as applied to the testing of highway building and construction materials; chemical characteristics and properties of various engineering construction materials and methods and equipment used in sampling and making chemical tests of construction and maintenance materials; uses of the materials of engineering construction; chemical factors affecting material substitutions; standard specifications and tests of the American Society for Testing Materials, the standard specifications of the American Association of State Highway Officials, Federal specifications, and standard specifications of the California Division of Highways; principles of effective supervision; department's Affirmative Action Program objectives; a manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.

 

Skill and accuracy in: Performing difficult chemical testing work.

 

Ability to: Make recommendations on material substitutions; supervise the work of others; analyze situations and adopt an effective course of action; initiate and conduct independent chemical research and investigational work, write specifications, dictate correspondence, and prepare reports; effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Promotional eligible list for the ASSOCIATE CHEMICAL TESTING ENGINEER Classification will be established for:

  • Department of Transportation

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 48 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 is not granted for promotional examinations.

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

Testing Departments

  • Department of Transportation

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
Examination & Recruitment Services MS-86
P O Box 168036
Sacramento, CA 95816-8036
Phone: (916) 227-7858
askexams@dot.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.

Department of Transportation 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)
By Mail
In Person (see bulletin for details)
Alternate Application Process

While we recommend that you utilize your CalCareer Account to take advantage of all the tools available, you may choose to apply for this examination without using your account. In this case, print and complete the Exam Application Package Checklist and include it if you submit a hard copy application.

Exam Application Package Checklist

Blank Application Form (STD678)

Accommodation Request (STD679)