MASSACHUSETTS HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION

The results of this examination will be merged with the police officer eligibility list established on November 1, 2007.  The merged list will be used to fill police officer vacancies in civil service municipalities and at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The eligibility list may also be used to fill police officer vacancies in non-civil service jurisdictions.

Please note that if you took the 2007 Police Officer test and subsequently take the 2008 Police Officer test, the exam result from the June 28, 2008 Police Officer test is the one that will be utilized when the list is merged.

DUTIES: A Police Officer works under supervision to perform law enforcement duties, protecting life, property, and the civil rights of individuals. Primary duties include patrol; interacting with citizens to provide service and render assistance; and preparing and completing records, reports, and other paperwork documenting incidents for use in prosecution. A Police Officer is dispatched to crime and emergency scenes in response to reported violations, accidents, domestic disputes and abuses, and other incidents; carries out crime scene duties; makes arrests and performs search and seizure; conducts investigations; and interviews witnesses, suspects, and complainants.

SALARY: Each jurisdiction sets its own salary for Police Officer. Inquiries concerning salary should be directed to the appointing authority at the time of the employment interview.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

1.   Education/Experience Requirement:  As of the date of appointment, applicants must have either:

·          a high school diploma or equivalency certificate approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education OR

·          three years experience in the armed forces of the United States with last release or discharge under honorable conditions.

2.       Age Requirement:  As of the printing of this notice, applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of June 28, 2008 for all civil service jurisdictions. (Please be advised that the list of communities is subject to change and inquiries about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.)

Candidates must also be younger than age 32 as of June 9, 2008, to be appointed as a Police Officer in the following civil service municipalities: Acton, Acushnet, Adams, Arlington, Ashland, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dalton, Dartmouth, Dracut, Easthampton, Easton, Great Barrington, Haverhill, Hingham, Hudson, Ipswich, Leominster, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, Methuen, Milford, Newton, North Andover, North Attleboro, Norton, Orange, Raynham, Rockport, Southbridge, South Hadley, Stoneham, Sudbury, Ware, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Westfield, Westford, West Springfield, Williamstown, and Wilmington. Please be advised that these communities have not accepted the provisions of Chapter 32, Section 5A, of the Massachusetts General Law (MGL) pertaining to medical and physical fitness standards.

Candidates must be younger than age 32 as of June 28, 2008, (Chapter 31, section 58A of the MGL) to be appointed as Police Officers in the following civil service municipalities: Andover, Belmont, Bourne, Canton, Dedham, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Holbrook, Natick, Norwood, Shrewsbury, Swampscott, Taunton, Walpole, Wareham, Westwood, Winchester, Worcester and Wrentham. Candidates seeking appointments in these communities are also subject to the provisions of Chapter 32, Section 5A of the MGL pertaining to medical and physical fitness standards.

Candidates for the Boston Police Department must be younger than age 40 as of June 28, 2008.

Candidates who are over age 32 and who meet certain medical and physical fitness standards are eligible for appointments as a Police Officer in the MBTA and in the following civil service communities: Abington, Agawam, Amesbury, Athol, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Barnstable, Bellingham, Beverly, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Carver, Charlton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Cohasset, Danvers, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Grafton, Greenfield, Halifax, Hanover, Holden, Holyoke, Hull, Kingston, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lee, Leicester, Lexington, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Marlborough, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Middleboro, Millbury, Millis, Milton, Montague, Needham, Newburyport, New Bedford, North Adams, Northbridge, North Reading, Norwell, Oxford, Palmer, Peabody, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy, Randolph, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Salisbury, Sandwich, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Tewksbury, Uxbridge, Wakefield, Waltham, Webster, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Whitman, Winchendon, Winthrop and Woburn. In these communities, as current law requires, candidates will have to meet medical and physical fitness standards for appointment to Police Officer positions, and once hired, will be tested regularly during their employment to be sure that they meet certain medical and physical fitness standards. Copies of the medical standards are available for review at the Human Resources Division (HRD) website, under the Medical and Physical Standards section. Any questions about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.

Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

SELECTION AND HIRING PROCESS

You must take and pass a written examination to be placed on the eligibility list for appointment as a Police Officer.

Written Examination:  The written examination consists of three subtests:  the Written Ability Test (WAT), the Life Experience Survey (LES), and the Work Styles Questionnaire (WSQ).  The WAT is administered to measure cognitive abilities that have been identified as essential to performing the duties of a Police Officer. The WAT includes areas of verbal expression, verbal comprehension, problem sensitivity, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and information ordering.  The LES consists of a series of multiple-choice questions related to candidates' past history and experience of potential relevance to successful performance of entry-level police officers.  The WSQ is designed to assess certain motivational, value-related and attitudinal characteristics that are of potential relevance to successful performance of entry-level police officers. An Orientation and Preparation Guide, which describes the written examination in more detail, is available at mass.gov/civilservice.

Credit for Employment/Experience as a Police Officer:  Pursuant to the provisions of section 22 of Chapter 31, individuals may apply to receive credit for employment or experience in the position title of Police Officer. Information on how to apply for this credit will be included with your notice to appear for the examination. On the day of the examination, you will be asked to provide specific details of any employment or experience you have in the examination title as the result of service on a city or town police force, including dates of service and number of hours worked per week. You must submit documentation supporting these claims. Please note, credit for employment or experience is applicable only to individuals who achieve a passing score on the written examination, and cannot be added to a failing written score in an attempt to achieve an overall passing score. 

Applicants who pass the written examination AND receive a conditional offer of employment from a municipality will be instructed on how to apply for the Physical Abilities Test and other screening processes: Questions about other qualifications should be directed to the city or town, or to the MBTA.

Medical Exam:  Candidates must pass the medical examination before participating in the Physical Abilities Test. The Medical and Physical fitness standards are available for on-line review at Medical and Physical Standards section. In some municipalities, candidates may be required to pass both a medical examination and a psychological evaluation before appointment. Please be advised that the list of communities is subject to change and inquiries about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.

Physical Abilities Test (PAT):  All candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be instructed on how to schedule and take the PAT. The PAT is a test of the candidate’s aerobic capacity and physical capability to perform various tasks required on the job. A separate fee (currently $150) is charged for the administration of the PAT. The PAT Training Guide is available on-line: Medical and Physical Standards section.

Academy Training:  All candidates appointed as full-time police officers as a result of this examination will be required to successfully complete police academy training (MGL, Chapter 41, Section 96B). All inquiries regarding this training should be submitted in writing to the Municipal Police Training Committee, 484 Shea Memorial Drive, South Weymouth, MA 02190.

Smoking Prohibition:  In accordance with MGL, Chapter 41, Section 101A, candidates hired from the Police Officer eligible list resulting from this examination are prohibited from smoking tobacco products at the time of and after appointment.

Character:  No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be appointed as a police officer. A candidate may be disqualified for evidence of character clearly unsuited for police services. Some municipalities include a comprehensive background check as part of the selection process.

Firearms Permit:  A candidate may need to obtain a valid firearms permit to qualify to be a police officer in Massachusetts.

Driver's License:  A candidate may need a valid Massachusetts motor vehicle operator's license before appointment by some police departments.

CLAIMS FOR PREFERENCE

YOU WILL BE ADVISED AT THE EXAMINATION SITE HOW TO CLAIM ANY OF THE PREFERENCES LISTED BELOW.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE:  If you are claiming veterans' preference and if your eligibility for veterans’ preference has not been approved before by HRD, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214 (Release From Active Duty) in order to receive proper credit. Your notice to appear for the examination will indicate whether or not you are already classified as a veteran. Qualifying service must have been in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States. Please note that active duty exclusively for training in the National Guard or Reserves does NOT qualify you for veterans' preference. Guard Members must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code - OR- if activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41, must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the chart below. The Members’ last discharge or release must be under honorable conditions.

DEFINITION OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERAN M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43^rd as amended by the Acts of 2004 Effective August 30, 2004:  To be a “veteran” under Massachusetts law, a person is required to have either 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions OR 90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. A chart defining “wartime” service is available on-line on the Veterans’ Services website. Claims for status as a disabled veteran require written confirmation from the US Veterans Administration of a continuing service-connected disability rated 10% or higher. Applicants wishing to claim status as disabled veterans will get the opportunity to claim such at the test site with further instructions to follow. (See Clause 43, Section 7 of Chapter 4 and Section 1 of Chapter 31 of the Massachusetts General Laws for a full definition of a qualifying veteran.)

CURRENT MILITARY PERSONNEL:  ALL military personnel who, in connection with current service, CANNOT be in Massachusetts on June 28, 2008 should contact the Human Resources Division to request a make up examination. To request a make up, you must file an application and processing fee by the last filing date and request such accommodation in writing, with a copy of your military orders attached. Please include in your letter either your daytime base phone number and/or name and phone number of a Massachusetts resident with whom you are in regular contact.

PREFERENCE FOR THE CHILDREN OF CERTAIN POLICE OFFICERS/FIREFIGHTERS:  The son or daughter of a Firefighter or Police Officer employed in Massachusetts who was killed or died of injuries received in the performance of duty, or who was permanently disabled as a result of injuries received in the performance of duty, is entitled to certification preference under the provisions of Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1985.

RESIDENCY PREFERENCE:  If residency preference is requested by a municipality, applicants who have resided in that municipality for the entire twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of the examination are entitled to be placed on the eligible list for that community ahead of any non-residents. Applicants who have had a break in residence or have moved from one community to another within the twelve-month period preceding the date of the examination will not be entitled to claim residency preference in any community. Applicants will complete a residency preference form at the test site. Verification of residency will be made by the municipality.

RACIAL/ETHNIC PREFERENCE:  Due to a federal consent decree, African-American (Black) and Hispanic applicants are given certification preference in a number of communities, whether or not they are residents of those communities. As of the printing of this notice, the following communities are included in this consent decree: Brockton, Chelsea, Holyoke, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Randolph, Springfield, and Worcester.  This list of communities is subject to change. The definition of Hispanic, for the purposes of the decree, includes any person born in a Spanish-speaking country or any person who grew up in a household in which the predominant language spoken was Spanish.  

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS:  If a position in a municipality requires that a Police Officer hold Emergency Medical Technician certification at the Basic, Intermediate, or Paramedic level prior to appointment, the local appointing authority may request that competition for that vacancy be limited to persons holding such certifications. On the date of the examination, you will have the opportunity to register as a certified Emergency Medical Technician. Proof of possession of a current certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services must be submitted in order to qualify for this selective certification. Although you may supply this proof at any time during the life of the eligible list, it is recommended that you submit it at the time of the examination so that you do not miss out on a potential opportunity. 

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR BILINGUAL POLICE OFFICERS:  If a position in a municipality requires that a Police Officer be fluent in a second language (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, etc.), the local appointing authority may request that candidates for that position be limited to persons who have such skills. You will have the opportunity at the test site to indicate the foreign language(s) in which you are fluent. You will need to prove your language fluency at the time of appointment.

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS:

NOTICE TO APPEAR

Notices to appear to the assigned examination site will be mailed to applicants for this examination. You will be able to get a copy of your notice after June 18, 2008, by logging on to the Human Resources Division Standings and On-line Applicant Record Information system. You will need to register as a first-time user if you have not used the system before.  Please follow the instructions provided: How to Get a Copy of Your Notice to Appear for an Exam.

HOW TO APPLY

You may apply for this examination, using a Visa or Mastercard, on-line at the Human Resources Division website: https://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/hrd/. A confirmation number for each successful transaction will be issued to the applicant.

You may also obtain a paper application form, and file it along with the examination-processing fee (or fee waiver form) in person or by mail at HRD (see address below). Applications and fee waiver forms may also be available at city and town clerks’ offices and civil service police stations across the state. If you mail your application, send all correspondence by certified mail with "return receipt requested," if possible.

EXAMINATION FEE: All applications must be accompanied by a money order, certified bank check, credit card payment, or by a completed fee waiver form. The examination-processing fee is $100 for applications received by midnight  June 9, 2008.  The fee for applications filed after that date is $125.  Payment by money order or bank check should be made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Please print your name, address, social security number, and the examination announcement number on the front of the money order or certified bank check. Payments by Master Card and VISA are also accepted when applying via the web site or in person. NO CASH OR PERSONAL CHECKS.

FEE WAIVER:  The examination fee may be waived for applicants receiving certain state or federal public assistance, unemployment insurance, or workers' compensation. Fee waiver forms are available from and must be filed with the Massachusetts Human Resources Division, Test Administration, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. Fee waiver forms may be downloaded from the Applicant Forms section of the HRD website.  Waiver forms must be accompanied by proof of eligibility, for the subject time period, in the form of signed and dated receipts, check stubs and/or other documentation from the agency providing assistance. If you are claiming a fee waiver, please make sure to fill in item #16 on your application.

SPANISH-SPEAKING APPLICANTS:  You may take the examination in the Spanish language. If you do, you must, on the same day, take another written examination that tests your ability to read and understand English. If you wish to take the examination in the Spanish language, you must submit a separate letter requesting this along with your application and examination processing fee or fee waiver form.

TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:  If you need special testing accommodations due to a documented impairment such as a hearing, learning, physical, mental or visual disability, fill in the circle in item 15 of your application, and include a letter detailing what type of accommodation you require at the exam site. You must also include a letter of support from a qualified professional. Without such a letter, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to grant your accommodation. This information is requested only to provide reasonable accommodation for exams, and will not be used for any other purposes.

NO MAKE-UP EXAMINATION:  With the exception of current military personnel who cannot be in Massachusetts on June 28, 2008, no applicant has a right to a make-up examination due to personal or professional conflicts on the testing date and applicants are advised to consider this BEFORE applying for the examination.

REFUNDS: There will be NO REFUND of the examination-processing fee unless the examination is cancelled by HRD.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS:  Applicants are responsible for notifying HRD in writing of any change of address after applying for the examination. Applicants may submit changes of address on-line at: https://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/standings/, or by sending a written request, including former address, new address, effective date of new address, and social security number to HRD. Failure to keep your records up-to-date may jeopardize opportunities for employment.

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