The Special Investigator Assistant examination package consists of an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and a Training and Experience examination. The link to the examination can be found under the Examination Information section on this bulletin.

This examination utilizes bimonthly cutoffs. The cutoff dates for this examination will be the 1st and 15th of each month. Cutoff dates are subject to change, please see below for the most current cutoff dates. 

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 12/31/2024
• 1/15/2025
• 2/1/2025
• 2/15/2025
• 3/1/2025
• 3/15/2025
• 4/1/2025
• 4/15/2025
• 5/1/2025
• 5/15/2025
• 6/1/2025
• 6/15/2025

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.

Results will be sent by mail or electronically within 2 weeks following each cut-off date.

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):

• SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ASSISTANT - Open

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

Exam Code(s):

2165

For SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ASSISTANT, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-02165

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:

• Examination Unit
  California Department of Social Services
  P. O. Box 944243 - MS 8-15-58
  Sacramento, CA 94244-2430
  

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:

• California Department of Social Services
  744 P Street MS 8-15-58
  Sacramento, CA 94244-2430
  8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit their State Examination Application and Training and Experience Assessment packets on time and to ensure the envelope is postmarked if applying by way of U.S. mail or contains proof of timely deposit with a parcel delivery or courier service. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the United States Postal Service (USPS), are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an examination application.

Application packets may be personally delivered between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except State holidays), to the Department of Social Services, HRSB - Examination Unit, Mail Station 8-15-58.

The following items must be submitted with your Examination/Employment Application form. Failure to submit these items may result in rejection of your application.

• Transcript (Official or Unofficial)

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.

Education: Equivalent to completion of two years of college (60 semester units) with a major in criminal justice, law enforcement, criminology, administration of justice, or police science. (Students who have completed at least 30 semester units of college will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of completion of the required 60 semester units before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)

Note: Applicants must submit a copy of their unofficial college transcripts along with the application package.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Components that are due with your application will be scored and will count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items may result in disqualification or elimination from the examination.

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

Complete and submit the following items with your application. These will be scored and count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items will result in disqualification from the examination.

Special Investigator Assistant Examination: SpecialInvestigatorAssistantExamination.pdf

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 SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ASSISTANT Classification will be established for:

• Department of Social Services

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.

• Department of Social Services

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 Social Services 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.