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N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.15 Rating of examinations

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.15, Rating of examinations. Ratings may be computed by a valid statistical method based on the use of scoring formulas and/or conversion tables. 1. When education and experience are to Full text with 14 recorded amendments, 37 citing decisions, cited by 5 other rules.

Selection and Appointment · Competitive Examinations

Current through New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 14, July 20, 2026. Reviewed as of July 26, 2026.

This is an annotated mirror, not the official publication. Verify against the Civil Service Commission before relying on it.

In plain language

Performance rating credit is a State service matter. Candidates for State service promotional examinations receive credit for the final PAR rating on file as of the announced closing date, three points for Exceptional down to one for Successful, and where no final rating is on file the period is treated as Successful and credited. Where the supervisor who completed or reviewed a subordinate's rating competes in the same promotional examination, performance ratings are not used as a scoring factor at all. Examinations with more than one part may be rated independently, and failing one part fails the whole examination and forfeits both PAR and seniority credit. Seniority keeps continuous permanent service through paid leaves, listed unpaid leaves including military, educational, personal sick, disability and family leave, and voluntary furloughs, while suspensions, other unpaid leaves and any layoff period are deducted. In local service police and fire examinations, credit for record of service is reduced by disciplinary suspensions in the five years before the closing date. Volunteer firefighters with two or more years of active service add three to ten points to a passing score. Ties are not broken.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.15. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) Ratings may be computed by a valid statistical method based on the use of scoring formulas and/or conversion tables. #

1. When education and experience are to be rated as part of an examination, they shall be graded through the use of scales prepared by the Chairperson or designee. #

(b) Examinations consisting of more than one part may be rated independently. #

1. Candidates failing to meet minimum standards on one part of the examination shall be ineligible for the remaining parts. #

2. Candidates who do not receive a passing score on one part of an examination shall be deemed to have failed the entire examination. #

3. Candidates who fail an entire examination shall not receive Performance Assessment Review (PAR) credit or credit for seniority. See (c) and (d) below. #

(c) Candidates for State service promotional examination shall receive credit for the final PAR rating on file in the candidate's personnel office as of the announced closing date for the rating period immediately preceding the announced closing date. #

1. When the PAR consists of a three-level rating scale, credit shall be awarded as follows: #

i. Three points for Exceptional; or #

ii. One point for Successful. #

2. When the PAR consists of a five-level rating scale, credit shall be awarded as follows: #

i. Three points for a rating of Five - Exceptional Performance; #

ii. Two points for a rating of Four - Commendable Performance; and #

iii. One point for a rating of Three - Successful Performance. #

3. When there is no final rating on file for a candidate as of the announced closing date, the rating for that period shall be deemed Successful in the case of both a three-level rating scale and a five-level rating scale, and credit shall be given for that rating. #

4. Performance ratings shall not be used as a scoring factor in promotions when the supervisor who completes a performance rating for a subordinate or acts as a reviewer for a subordinate's rating competes in the same promotional examination as the subordinate. #

(d) In calculating seniority for promotional examinations: #

1. Continuous permanent service accumulated prior to an intergovernmental transfer pursuant to N.J.A.C. 4A:4-7.1A (except as provided in (d)3 below), voluntary furloughs and the following types of leaves shall not be deducted from seniority. #

i. All leaves with pay including sick leave injury (SLI); #

ii. Military, educational, gubernatorial appointment, personal sick, disability, family, furlough extension, and voluntary alternative to layoff leaves of absence without pay; and #

iii. In local service, leave without pay to fill elective office. #

2. A resignation/new appointment pursuant to N.J.A.C. 4A:4-7.9 shall not be considered a break in continuous service. #

3. Continuous permanent service accumulated prior to an intergovernmental transfer pursuant to N.J.A.C. 4A:4-7.1A shall be deducted from seniority for all firefighters, and for those law enforcement officers, including sheriff's officers and county correction officers, who have waived all accumulated seniority rights in agreeing to an intergovernmental transfer. #

(e) Suspensions, other leaves of absence without pay not identified in (d) above, and any period an employee is laid off shall be deducted when calculating seniority. #

1. In local service police and fire examinations, credit for record of service will be reduced by disciplinary suspensions received during the five-year period immediately preceding the announced closing date. #

(f) Employees reappointed from a special reemployment list shall be considered as having continuous service for seniority purposes. However, the elapsed time between the layoff or demotion in lieu of layoff and reappointment shall be deducted from the employee's seniority. #

(g) When a municipality has a volunteer fire company and paid positions are created, any volunteer firefighter who has actively served for at least two years as of the announced closing date is entitled to service credits in addition to his or her earned examination score. The highest possible score for examination performance shall be 100 percent, to which the service credit shall be added. Service credits shall be not less than three nor more than 10, and shall be added only to a passing score. The service credit shall be calculated by adding one point to the number of years of service: for example, add three points for two years of service, four points for three years of service, and so on. Any service time in excess of nine years shall be awarded the 10-point maximum. #

(h) The score earned by a candidate on an examination announced for more than one title area at a time shall be used for all examinations in those title areas for which the candidate files and is found eligible. #

(i) A candidate for an examination may be permitted to use an examination score for a period of time, or for more than one title or more than one test, as determined by the Chairperson or designee. #

(j) Ties in final earned ratings shall not be broken. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 14 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2017 d.142
    49 N.J.R. 492(a); 49 N.J.R. 2239(a)
  2. AmendedR.2014 d.045
    45 N.J.R. 525(a); 46 N.J.R. 497(a)
  3. AmendedR.2009 d.95
    40 N.J.R. 5891(a); 41 N.J.R. 1206(a)
  4. AmendedR.2007 d.358
    39 N.J.R. 2680(a); 39 N.J.R. 4923(b)
  5. AmendedR.2006 d.104
    37 N.J.R. 4351(a); 38 N.J.R. 1425(a)
  6. AmendedR.2001 d.420
    33 N.J.R. 2567(a); 33 N.J.R. 3895(b)
  7. AmendedR.2000 d.11
    31 N.J.R. 2824(a); 32 N.J.R. 35(a)
  8. AmendedR.1998 d.291
    30 N.J.R. 890(a); 30 N.J.R. 1975(a)
  9. AmendedR.1997 d.482
    29 N.J.R. 3385(a); 29 N.J.R. 4864(b)
  10. AmendedR.1995 d.12
    26 N.J.R. 4126(a); 27 N.J.R. 145(a)
  11. AmendedR.1993 d.270
    25 N.J.R. 1085(b); 25 N.J.R. 2509(a)
  12. AmendedR.1993 d.45
    24 N.J.R. 3589(a); 25 N.J.R. 291(a)
  13. AmendedR.1989 d.569
    21 N.J.R. 1766(a); 21 N.J.R. 3448(b)
  14. AmendedR.1989 d.570
    21 N.J.R. 2429(a); 21 N.J.R. 3451(a)

How this rule has been applied

37 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.15. The list below is citations to those decisions, not the decisions. We have not written summaries for this section. A citation with no summary is deliberate: we do not paraphrase a decision we have not read. Nothing here is legal advice.

New Jersey Supreme Court (1)
  • 59 N.J. 273; 281 A.2d 535
Appellate Division (1)
  • Honachefsky v. N.J. Civil Service Comm'n174 N.J.Super. 539; 417 A.2d 67
Civil Service Commission final determinations (34)
  • In re Hall, Fire Fighter (M1867W), Pleasantville, CSC Docket No. 2023-28882024 N.J. CSC LEXIS 15Docket 2023-2888
  • In re Irvington, Dep't of Pub. Works, OAL Docket No. CSV 10339-212022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 813
  • In re Estremera, et al., Police Sergeant (PM4605C), Newark, CSC Docket Nos. 2023-21, et al. (Consolidated)2022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 809Docket 2023-21
  • In re Akel et al., Police Sergeant (PM4594C), Middletown Twp., CSC Docket Nos. 2022-1490 and 2022-14852022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 43Docket 2022-1490 and 2022-1485
  • In re McNair et al., Cnty. Corr. Police Sergeant (PC4825C), Hudson Cnty., CSC Docket Nos. 2022-1636 and 2022-1641 (Consolidated)2022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 254Docket 2022-1636 and 2022-1641
  • In re Bandurski, Police Sergeant (PM4564C), Hopatcong, CSC Docket No. 2022-13842022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 133Docket 2022-1384
  • In re Hoffman, Hum. Serv. Spec. 3 (PC4485C), Ocean Cnty. Bd. of Soc. Servs., CSC Docket No. 2022-9182021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 553Docket 2022-918
  • In re Bennett Sr., Reg'l Forester (PS3804G), N.J. Dep't of Envtl. Prot., CSC Docket No. 2021-17752021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 452Docket 2021-1775
  • In re Doderer, Claims Adjudicator Supervisor Disability Determinations (PS0927N), Dep't of Labor & Workforce Dev., CSC Docket No. 2021-15852021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 231Docket 2021-1585
  • In re Stigliano, Corr. Police Major (PS8871I), Dep't of Corrs., CSC Docket No. 2020-21092021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 27Docket 2020-2109
  • In re Gonzalez et al., Dep't of Envtl. Prot., CSC Docket Nos. 2021-651 and 2021-652 (Consolidated)2021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 22Docket 2021-651 and 2021-652
  • In re Blake, Resource Interpretive Specialist 3 (PS9470G), Dep't of Env't. Prot., CSC Docket No. 2021-1002020 N.J. CSC LEXIS 922Docket 2021-100
  • In re Alvarez, Police Lieutenant (PM0927A), Elizabeth, CSC Docket No. 2020-10612020 N.J. CSC LEXIS 152Docket 2020-1061
  • In re Trumpet II, Fire Fighter (M1837W), Harrison, CSC Docket No. 2020-8912020 N.J. CSC LEXIS 10Docket 2020-891
  • In re Jeans, Fire Fighter (M1856W), Millburn, CSC Docket No. 2020-10692019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1072Docket 2020-1069
  • In re Rodriguez, Fire Fighter (M1863W), Paterson, CSC Docket No. 2020-8112019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1060Docket 2020-811
  • In re Magee, Fire Fighter (M1864W), Pennsauken, CSC Docket No. 2019-28972019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 389Docket 2019-2897
  • In re Antonucci, et al., Police Chief (PM1120V), Long Branch, CSC Docket Nos. 2018-931, et al. (Consolidated)2019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 145Docket 2018-931
  • In re Wood, Jr., Fire Fighter (M1562T), Passaic, CSC Docket No. 2019-14492019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 20Docket 2019-1449
  • In re Raymond Coleman III, Corr. Police Sergeant (PS6184I), Dep't of Corrs., CSC Docket No. 2018-31422018 N.J. CSC LEXIS 841Docket 2018-3142
  • In re McMonagle, Fire Fighter (M1537T), Harrison, CSC Docket No. 2019-6272018 N.J. CSC LEXIS 751Docket 2019-627
  • In re Fuentes, Fire Fighter (M1544T), Jersey City, CSC Docket No. 2019-52018 N.J. CSC LEXIS 674Docket 2019-5
  • In re Correction Sergeant (PS6184I) et al., CSC Docket Nos. 2018-2327 and 2018-2328 (Consolidated)2018 N.J. CSC LEXIS 347Docket 2018-2327 and 2018-2328
  • In re Armato, Firefighter (M1557T), N. Hudson Fire & Rescue Svc., CSC Docket No. 2018-9062017 N.J. CSC LEXIS 717Docket 2018-906
  • In re Opacka, Claims Adjudicator Supervisor Disability Determinations (PS3520N), Dep't of Labor and Workforce Dev., CSC Docket No. 2017-40792017 N.J. CSC LEXIS 571Docket 2017-4079
  • In re Lisowski, Fire Fighter (M1563T), Paterson, CSC Docket No. 2017-29612017 N.J. CSC LEXIS 570Docket 2017-2961
  • In re Dengah, Fire Fighter (M1556T), Newark, CSC Docket No. 2017-29652017 N.J. CSC LEXIS 326Docket 2017-2965
  • In re Willhouse, Police Sergeant (PM1193T), Delanco Twp., CSC Docket No. 2016-14572015 N.J. CSC LEXIS 23Docket 2016-1457
  • In re Corr. Lieutenant (PS9465I) and Corr. Sergeant (PS9466I), Dep't of Corrs., CSC Docket Nos. 2015-3038 and 2015-30392015 N.J. CSC LEXIS 384Docket 2015-3038 and 2015-3039
  • In re Li, Envtl. Eng'r 3 (PS8742G), Dep't of Envtl. Prot., CSC Dkt. No. 2015-16862015 N.J. CSC LEXIS 372
  • In re Shah, Data Entry Operator 3 (PS1583I), State Parole Bd., CSC Dkt. No. 2014-1222013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1121
  • In re Marisol Heredia, Human Services Specialist 1, Bilingual Spanish/English (C0056P), Morris Cnty., CSC Docket No. 2013-7802013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 326Docket 2013-780
  • In re Mark McDermott, Fire Captain (PM5229N), Kearny, CSC Docket No. 2013-17292013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 187Docket 2013-1729
  • In re Wendy Razzoli, Assistant Municipal Court Director (PM1155N), Jersey City, CSC Dkt. No. 2013-15252013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 86
Office of Administrative Law initial decisions (1)
  • In re Irvington, Dep't of Pub. Works, OAL Docket No. CSV 10339-212022 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 895

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