Exam Code: 9TRBD
Department: Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Exam Type: Departmental, Open   
Bulletin Date: 10/07/2018
Final Filing Date: Continuous (cut-off dates for 2024: January 31st, February 29th, March 31st, April 30th, May 31st, June 30th, July 31st, August 31st, September 30th, October 31st, November 30th, December 31st)
Monthly Salary: $3,243.00 - $3,690.00

Question Title

Image
INTRODUCTION
Caltrans is pleased to announce the posting of the Service Assistant (Maintenance), Caltrans examination. Employment from this examination may be offered in all Districts and Sacramento County.

Any information submitted in your examination effort WILL NOT BE FORWARDED or be included in the determination of your qualifications for a position.

Question Title

Image
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Caltrans 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.

Question Title

Image
DRUG FREE STATEMENT
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. All applicants will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, as 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.

Question Title

Image
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated below may apply for this examination.

Once you have list eligibility, you may not reapply for twelve (12) months from your eligibility date. Candidates that are unsuccessful in the examination must wait six (6) months from the testing date before reapplying to take the examination.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted into the examination. Part-time or full-time jobs, regardless of whether paid or volunteer positions, and inside or outside California state service will count toward experience.

Question Title

Image
FILING INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates are required to submit: 1) Training and Experience Evaluation

Training and Experience Evaluations must be received or postmarked no later than the cut-off date. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application. Faxed or E-mailed applications will NOT be accepted. THE EXAMINATION TITLE MUST BE INDICATED ON THE APPLICATION.

Please send the required documents listed above in order for your examination to be processed in a timely manner, incomplete submissions may cause your examination to be delayed.

File by Mail

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

File in Person

Attention: Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
1727 30TH Street, 1st Floor, Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

*Any information submitted in your examination effort WILL NOT BE FORWARDED or be included in the determination of your qualifications for a position.

**Candidates are responsible for obtaining proof of mailing or submission of their application to Exam Services..

Question Title

Image
POSITION STATEMENT
Under close supervision, to learn and to perform the less difficult gardening and maintenance duties in the park, highway, building, or grounds setting; to perform miscellaneous laboring work; and to do other related work.

Question Title

Image
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMITTANCE TO THE EXAMINATION
All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements for this examination by the cut-off date. Submittal of the examination indicates that you read, understand, and possess the minimum qualifications required, and that the information provided is true and complete to the best of your knowledge.

NOTE: Qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as “Either I,” “or II,” “or III,” etc. For example, candidates possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern I, and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern II, may be admitted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirements.

Click on the link below to review the California State Personnel Board class specification which contain the requirements for admittance to the exam:
Service Assistant (Maintenance) Classification Specifications

Question Title

Image
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Either I

Three months of experience as a trainee in maintenance work in a park, highway, building, or grounds setting in the California state service.

Or II

Three months' experience as a corpsmember with the California Conservation Corps.

Or III

Successful completion of a formal training or work experience program in park, highway, building, or grounds maintenance. This work experience training program must have been in either:

1. A setting recognized or sponsored by the California State Department of Rehabilitation. Or

2. A program such as those under the Career Opportunities Development (COD), or similar Federal, State, or local programs. (To meet this qualification, Caltrans offers a 2 hour, online certification HERE)

Question Title

Image
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of:

1. Hand tools, power tools, and equipment used in routine transportation maintenance and repair work

2. Methods and materials used in a variety of transportation maintenance and repair work

3. Traffic regulations to ensure safe conditions for other workers and the traveling public

4. Traffic control for moving operations, lane closures, and shadow protection

5. Safe work practices to protect the safety and health of you and others

6. Safety provisions and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for work tasks being performed
Ability to:

1. Perform park, highway, building, and grounds maintenance work including the safe use and care of equipment and supplies

2. Follow and understand oral, written, and/or gestural directions

3. Work courteously and cooperatively with others (e.g., superiors, peers, and staff from other agencies, contractors, public), utilizing acceptable work habits, to complete projects or assignments, and meet established production standards

4. Work under the pressure of tight timelines and adapt to changes in priorities to ensure work projects and assignments are completed on time and meet established production standards 

5. Perform basic arithmetic (e.g., addition, subtraction, division, multiplication) to calculate ratios, proportions, and percenteges

6. Drive light vehicles (e.g., light trucks, automobiles)

7. Operate highway maintenance construction, and landscape equipment, including hand tools, power tools (e.g., chain saw, pruning shears), and do minor equipment maintenance and repairs

8. Enter and exit vehicles riding power equipment

9. Understand mechanical relationships to determine the correct tools that are needed to perform equipment maintenance and repairs

10. Repair and program irrigation systems in landscape areas

11. Read and understand irrigation blue prints

12. Perform manual weeding on sloped and flat areas

13. Pick up litter by hand

14. Utilize manual-digging tools (e.g., shovel) to dig holes and trenches

15. Respond to emergency situations and use sound judgement

16. Wear a respirator and pass a respirator physical

17. Perform work tasks in an environment that routinely requires constant alertness and concentration and react quickly to unsafe situations

18. Work in and around vehicular traffic to detect roadway/roadside hazards to ensure safe conditions for other workers and the traveling public

Question Title

Image
EXAMINATION INFORMATION
This examination will consist of a Training & Experience Evaluation weighted 100%. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be attained.

Examinations will be accepted on a continuous basis. Testing is considered continuous, as new test dates can be set at any time as the departmental needs warrant. Candidates will be notified of their scores approximately 4-6 weeks after the final monthly submission date.

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list in order of final
score regardless of exam date. Eligibility expires twenty-four (24) months after it is
established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Question Title

Image
ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Possession of a valid Class A, B or C driver license.

Personal Characteristics:

1. Willingness to conform to departmental uniform requirements

2. Consciousness of safe work practices and potential hazards

3. Physical strength and agility at a level required for successful job performance

Question Title

Image
VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Veterans’ Preference will be applied to those competitors who are successful in this examination and who qualify for, and have requested, Veterans’ Preference through the California Department of Human Resources. Veterans who have achieved permanent civil service status are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference.

Question Title

Image
CAREER CREDITS
Career credits will not be added to the final score.

Question Title

Image
CONTACT INFORMATION
General questions on how to apply?  Click HERE for video tutorials.

For more information regarding this examination, please contact the Office of Examinations at (916) 227-7858 or email the Exam Analyst at Darren.Gee@dot.ca.gov.

Question Title

Image
GENERAL INFORMATION
For an examination without a written feature, it is the candidate's responsibility to contact the testing department three weeks after the cut-off date if he/she has not received his/her notice.

Applications are available at Standard State Application (STD 678), California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) offices, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and the testing department on this job bulletin.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirement does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of the others who take this test, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Caltrans 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 competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must complete an STD679 and submit with the requested examination materials.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and 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.  Eligibility lists may be abolished at anytime after one year, per Departmental needs.  It is the candidates responsibility to maintain eligibility throughout the hiring process.

If High School Equivalence is Required: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the candidate is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.
If Veterans’ Preference is Warranted: Pursuant to Assembly Bill 372, Veterans’ Preference will be awarded as follows, starting January 1, 2014:

1.    Any veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran, who achieves a passing score in an open examination, shall be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligibility list.
2.    Any veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released is not eligible for Veterans’ Preference.
3.    Veterans’ Preference is not granted once a person achieves permanent civil service status (Permanent State civil service status means the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This includes permanent intermittent, part-time, and full-time appointments. In addition, individuals who at any time achieved permanent State civil service status and subsequently resigned or were dismissed from State civil service are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference).

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans’ Preference are on the

Veterans’ Preference Application (CalHR Form 1093) which is also available at CalHR and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

If Career Credits is Warranted: In Open, Non-promotional examinations, Career Credits are granted to: 1) State employees with permanent civil service status, 2) full-time employees of the state who are exempt from State civil service pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of Article VII of the California Constitution, and who meet all qualification requirement specified by the Board and have 12 consecutive months of service in an exempt position, and 3) individuals who have served one full year in, or are graduates of, the California Conservation Corps (eligibility shall expire 24 months after graduation from the California Conservation Corps). Three points are added to the final test score of those candidates who meet the above criteria, and who are successful in the examination. Such examinations cannot be for managerial positions described in Government Code Section 3513. Competitors not currently employed in State civil service who have mandatory reinstatement rights may also be eligible for career credits, but they must explain their service status in the appropriate section of the application Form 100-678. (Section 4 of Article VII of the California Constitution is posted at the State Personnel Board, 801 Capitol Mall and Sacramento).

T