• 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.

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 7/13/2026
• 8/3/2026
• 8/17/2026
• 9/8/2026
• 9/21/2026

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.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

• STAFF PROGRAM AUDITOR, CALPERS - Open

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

Exam Code(s):

4504

For STAFF PROGRAM AUDITOR, CALPERS, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-04504

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:

• Selection Services – Exams
  Public Employees’ Retirement System
  Human Resources Division
  P. O. Box 942718
  Sacramento, CA 94229-2718
  

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:

• Public Employees’ Retirement System
  Human Resources Division
  400 Q Street, Lincoln Plaza North
  1st floor drop box by security desk
  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.

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):

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.

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:

                                      TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION - WEIGHTED 100% 

The Training and Experience (T&E) examination consists of job-related questions designed to assess an applicant’s education, training, and experience with performing relevant job duties, as well as the possession of job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. Responses to the questions will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. All competitors will be ranked competitively based on the responses. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, you must meet the examination requirements and must attain a minimum score of 70% on the examination. 

NOTE: Please ensure the name used to take the examination matches the name on the STD 678. Incomplete examination responses, application packages, or otherwise missing information may lead to an inability to process a candidate’s examination. CalPERS is not responsible for contacting candidates who fail to submit either the online examination or application materials by the cut-off date. Examination results are anticipated to be mailed to candidates within 2-4 weeks of the cut-off date to which they applied. If you do not receive examination results within 4 weeks of the cut-off date to which you applied, please contact CalPERS using the information provided.

Knowledge of:

1. Principles and practices of business and organizational management.
2. General accounting and auditing principles and procedures.
3. Elementary statistics; basic research methods.
4. Basic word processing and spreadsheet software.
5. Current trends and problems in governmental management.
6. The financial organization and procedures of CalPERS and California state and local government. 
7. Principles of information systems.
8. Cost effectiveness analysis.
9. Operations, procedures, and work standards of the office.
10. Organization and management of public pension fund financial and program operations.
11. Current trends and problems in public pension fund management.
12. Principles of data processing systems design, programming, operations, controls, and evaluation.
13. Fraud investigation techniques, methods, and procedures.

1. Apply the required knowledge.
2. Learn and apply general and specialized accounting and management auditing principles and procedures.
3. Learn and apply standards of the auditing profession.
4. Review and analyze local government, State and Federal laws and regulations, accounting records and controls, management and other related controls, and program data. 
5. Conduct effective interviews with staff at all levels. 
6. Conclude as to the adequacy, completeness, accuracy, and fairness of financial data and/or financial statements.
7. Prepare clear, complete, and concise work papers and reports to effectively communicate results of work.
8. Effectively incorporate the use of microcomputers in performing evaluations and investigative tasks and preparing reports.
9. Gain and maintain the confidence and cooperation of those contacted during the course of work.
10. Conduct financial and management audits and evaluations of CalPERS and entities doing business with CalPERS. 
11. Make investigations of financial and program management policies, procedures, and problems.
12. Clearly define objectives and develop approaches and methodologies to meet those objectives.
13. Identify controversial or sensitive issues affecting assignments.
14. Reason logically and creatively and use a variety of analytical techniques to resolve problems.
15. Develop and evaluate alternatives, make decisions, and take appropriate action.
16. Communicate effectively.
17. Act as a team leader; establish and maintain assignment priorities.
18. Complete comprehensive, complex investigations of accounting, financial, and business organization procedures and recommend solutions to problems and issues.
19. Analyze complex problems and recommend effective courses of action.
20. Consult with and advise administrators and other interested parties on a variety of subject-matter areas.

A Departmental Open eligible list for the STAFF PROGRAM AUDITOR, CALPERS Classification will be established for:

• Public Employees Retirement System

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.

• Public Employees Retirement System

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.

Public Employees Retirement System 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.