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N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.16 Retention and inspection of examination records

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.16, Retention and inspection of examination records. The following examination records shall be retained until the expiration of the eligible list: 1. The public announcement; 2. All applications; 3. The exami Full text with 3 recorded amendments, 1 citing decision, cited by 2 other

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

Some of it is public. Most of it is not. Seven categories of examination record are kept until the eligible list expires: the public announcement, all applications, the examination papers and scoring keys, a description of the examination including date held, rating system and any minimum score, the list of eligibles, the failure roster, and other pertinent information. Three are open to public inspection, being the announcement, the examination description and the list of eligibles. Applications are closed to the public, but an appointing authority may inspect one where the application was completed by an eligible, that eligible has been certified to it for appointment, and it has a reasonable suspicion of inconsistent information about qualifications, on condition it does not pass the record to outsiders. The failure roster is closed to the public and open to the appointing authority the list was certified to, on the same condition. Disclosure in breach of either condition may bring sanctions under 4A:10-2.1.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.16. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) The following examination records shall be retained until the expiration of the eligible list: #

1. The public announcement; #

2. All applications; #

3. The examination papers and scoring keys; #

4. A description of the examination, including the date held, rating system and minimum score required, if any; #

5. The list of eligibles; #

6. The failure roster; and #

7. Any other pertinent information. #

(b) All examination records listed in (a)1, 4, and 5 above shall be open to public inspection. #

1. Examination records listed in (a)2 above shall not be open to public inspection but may be open to inspection by an appointing authority, on condition that the appointing authority not disclose the records to outside persons, where: #

i. An application was completed by an eligible; #

ii. The eligible's name has been certified to the appointing authority for appointment; and #

iii. The appointing authority requests inspection of the application due to a reasonable suspicion that the eligible has submitted inconsistent information regarding his or her qualifications for employment. #

2. Examination records listed in (a)6 above shall not be open to public inspection but shall be open to inspection by the appointing authority to which the eligible list has been certified, upon request by the appointing authority and on condition that the appointing authority not disclose the records to outside persons. #

3. Should an appointing authority, in violation of (b)1 or 2 above, disclose examination records with which it has been provided to outside persons, the appointing authority may be subject to sanctions in accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:10-2.1. #

4. The Chairperson or designee shall determine which other records may be open to public inspection and the conditions for such inspection. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 3 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2017 d.142
    49 N.J.R. 492(a); 49 N.J.R. 2239(a)
  2. AmendedR.2006 d.104
    37 N.J.R. 4351(a); 38 N.J.R. 1425(a)
  3. AmendedR.1992 d.41
    23 N.J.R. 2906(b); 24 N.J.R. 229(b)

How this rule has been applied

1 decision has cited N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.16. 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.

Civil Service Commission final determinations (1)
  • In re Cox, Office Supervisor (PS4341K), Dep't of Children & Families, CSC Docket No. 2020-9242019 N.J. CSC LEXIS 773Docket 2020-924

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