• Updated dates.

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 7/24/2025
• 9/11/2025
• 10/30/2025
• 12/18/2025

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.

NOTE: Dates printed on mobile bar codes, such as Quick Response codes available at the United States Postal Service, are not considered postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit their application on time and to ensure the envelope is postmarked.

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):

• PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

3727

For PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-03727

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:

• California Highway Patrol
  Selection Standards and Examinations Section
  097/Examination Services
  P.O. Box 942898
  Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
  

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 Highway Patrol
  Selection Standards and Examinations Section
  097/Examination Services
  601 North 7th Street
  Sacramento, CA 95811
  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.

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.

NOTE: All applicants must meet the experience and/or education requirements for this examination by the cut-off date. Part-time or full-time jobs, regardless of whether paid or volunteer positions, and inside or outside California state service will count towards experience.

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.

Either I

Six months of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Public Safety Operator, California Highway Patrol.

Or II

One year of experience in dispatching work involving the operation of radio communications equipment; or as an operator of a telephone switchboard or console.

Or III

Two years of experience involving a substantial amount of telephone contact or three years of direct contact with the public or other employees. Such experience must involve the responsibility to perform numerous tasks simultaneously or progressively responsible experience in a field requiring decision-making ability and the exercise of judgment. (Thirty semester or 45 quarter units of college level courses may be substituted for one year of the required experience.)

Or IV

Successful completion of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of college level courses. (Persons who will complete the required units during the current semester/quarter will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of successful completion of the units before they may be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or V

Successful completion of the POST Certified Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Course and six months of experience involving a substantial amount of direct and/or telephone public contact.

NOTE: Applications using college level courses to meet minimum qualifications must contain the following information on all courses completed: Title, semester or quarter credits, name of institution, and completion date. Evidence of completion of required course work must be attached to the application at the time of filing (i.e., copy of transcript). Applications received without this information will be rejected.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

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

The Public Safety Dispatcher performance examination utilizes the computer-based software, CritiCall, and tests a candidate's multi-tasking ability under stress. Helpful information about the CritiCall software can be found at: CritiCall 911 Dispatcher Emergency Calltaker Testing Software.

The CritiCall study guide can be found at: CHP Examination Bulletins (ca.gov).

Candidates who are accepted into the examination will receive an e-mail from OnlineTesting with instructions and link to the CritiCall performance examination. The CritiCall test link will NOT work with any mobile device running on a mobile operating system (Android or IOS).

CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT COMPLETE THE PERFORMANCE EXAMINATION BEFORE THE TEST LINK EXPIRES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

The Public Safety Dispatcher examination is an intensive, multidimensional test battery, developed by CritiCall. The examination is designed to measure underlying skills and abilities a person needs to possess prior to any training by the California Highway Patrol, including the ability to effectively navigate and use a computer.

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 PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL Classification will be established for:

• California Highway Patrol

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 24 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.

• California Highway Patrol

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.

California Highway Patrol 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.