$25 to $45 fee waived for NYS Civil Service exams until 2026 to grow recruitment pool

Job seekers wanting to work for New York State won’t have to pay a fee to take a Civil Service exam for the next 2½ years, a savings of between $25 and $45 per test, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.

Passing a Civil Service exam is a requirement for thousands of state jobs, from Workers’ compensation and Medicaid eligibility examiners to building construction program managers and laboratory animal caretakers.

New York employs nearly 183,250 people. But Hochul estimated in February there will be a shortage of more than 12,500 workers as more than 26% of the state workforce becomes eligible to retire within the next five years.

She said on Friday that waiving exam fees will “lower barriers to ensure that our civil servants reflect the rich diversity of our state.”

Fees are already waived for veterans, the unemployed and those receiving public assistance.

However, many test-takers were subject to the fee. The State Legislature approved the universal waiver through December 2025 in the 2023-24 budget in May.

Lawmakers also assented to making Civil Service exams available year-round at 12 proposed testing centers to be run by the state and increased employment opportunities for the disabled.

Separately, in May, Hochul waived the testing requirement for one year for more than 100 job titles in health and human services because of the worker shortage. The move affects positions at Stony Brook University Hospital and the Long Island State Veterans Home.

Timothy R. Hogues, the Civil Service commissioner, said on Friday that the state is “making improvements to eliminate barriers to entry for Civil Service jobs.”

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.