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

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 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.

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):

• MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN III - 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):

4039

For MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN III, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-04039

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.

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.

Either I

Experience: Two years of experience as a Mechanical Engineering Technician II in the California state service.

Or II

Experience: Broad and extensive (more than five years) of drafting and design experience in an engineering office (two years of which may be specification writing only), three years of which must have been mechanical drafting and design experience equivalent in level of responsibility to a Mechanical Engineering Technician II in the California state service. and

Education: Equivalent to completion of a two-year terminal curriculum in mechanical technology at a community college, or completion of the sophomore year (at least 60 semester units or equivalent quarter units) of a professional mechanical engineering college or university curriculum. [Candidates may substitute mechanical drafting experience for the education on the basis that one year of experience is equivalent to one year (at least 30 semester units or equivalent quarter units) of education.]

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:

Knowledge of: Design of mechanical systems, components and materials; installation and construction methods; drafting symbols, devices and mechanisms; state-of-the-art technology, i.e., CADD, personal computers, stand-alone interactive systems and various technical aids; air conditioning, ventilation and heating systems, piping and duct work and fan, turbine, pump, highway maintenance equipment and equipment components and installations; mechanical theory, and practice; engineering mathematics; the department's safety and health policies and procedures; basic safety practices contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 8 Industrial Relations, Safety Orders, and the General Industry Safety Orders regarding personal protective equipment; lead person responsibilities; training methods; methods of directing and scheduling the work of others. 

Ability to: Follow directions; prepare design and contract drawings for mechanical work from existing drawings and from design notes and sketches; interpret all drawings, plans and specifications of any kind encountered in the work and incorporate mechanical and associated drawings, plans and specifications into general design and contract documents; prepare as-built plans; use state-of-the-art technology, i.e., CADD, personal computers, stand-alone interactive systems and automated lettering devices; prepare neat and accurate drafting and freehand and machine lettering; report the status of work and the completed results; prepare basic, or assist in preparation of complex plans, specifications and quantity and cost estimates of mechanical work; do mechanical design and layout work of average difficulty and detail drafting of the most complex nature; work independently; prepare engineering calculations; check and plot from field notes and prepare and check complex plans, quantity and cost estimates and specifications of mechanical work; do complex layout work; specify and estimate mechanical systems and components; do shop and field inspection of equipment and mechanical systems; correlate plans, designs, drawings and data with physical conditions; do difficult mechanical design, the most difficult layout work and mechanical detail drafting of the most complex nature; check as-built plans; act in a lead capacity; train drafting persons and technicians.  

A Departmental Promotional eligible list for the MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN III 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.

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.

• Department of Transportation

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 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.