Careers in Labor Services Test Guide

8/8/2019 Careers in Labor Services Test Guide

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New York State

Department of Civil Service

Committed to Innovation, Quality, and Excellence

A Guide to the Written Test

for the

Careers in Labor Services Series

David A. Paterson Nancy G. Groenwegen

Governor Commissioner


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INTRODUCTION

The New York State Department of Civil Service has developed this test guide to familiarize you withthe written test for the Careers in Labor Services Series. This test guide provides a general descriptionof the subject areas which will be tested and the different types of questions you may see on the test.

The written test for the Careers in Labor Services Series has an overall time allowance of 6 1/2 hours.

The following lists all of the subject areas that are included in this series. The exam announcement willtell you which of the following subject areas you will be tested on.

1. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts These questions will consist of a set of factsand a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the factsor if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not bespecific to a particular field.

2. Interacting with the public These questions test for the ability to interact with other people in acourteous and professional manner. Topics include obtaining and presenting information andproviding assistance, advice, and customer service to people with diverse needs, perspectives,personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations.

3. Interviewing These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in

obtaining information from individuals through structured conversations. These questions requireyou to apply the principles, practices, and techniques of effective interviewing to hypotheticalinterviewing situations. Included are questions that present a problem arising from an interviewingsituation, and you must choose the most appropriate course of action to take.

4. Understanding, interpreting and applying written material based on unemployment issuesunder the Labor Law These questions are designed to test how well candidates read,understand and apply the provisions of the Labor Law to hypothetical case situations. Thecandidates will be provided with a brief reading selection from the Labor Law, Commissioner'sRegulations or a Departmental Directive along with a set of facts describing the hypothetical casesituation and be required to answer a series of questions which require applying the law, regulationor directive to the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge of the LaborLaw to the test, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabular data in

order to arrive at the answers to the questions.5. Preparing written material These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and

accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you willbe given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information.You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs withtheir sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for thesentences.

6. Understanding and interpreting written material These questions test how well youcomprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be askedquestions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will bepresented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to thesubject areas of the selections.

7. Understanding and interpreting tabular material These questions test your ability tounderstand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may beasked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing datatrends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, andproportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a majorfactor in the test.

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INTRODUCTION (continued)

8. Understanding, interpreting and applying written material based on selections of law Thesequestions are designed to test how well candidates can read, understand and apply provisions oflaw to hypothetical case situations. The candidates will be provided with a brief reading selection ofa law, regulation and/or directive along with a set of facts describing the hypothetical situation andbe required to answer a series of questions which require applying the law, regulation or directive to

the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge of any particular law to thetest, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabular data in order toarrive at the answers to the questions.

The remainder of this test guide explains how you will be tested in each of the subject areas listedabove. A TEST TASK is provided for each subject area. This is an explanation of how a question willbe presented and how to correctly answer it. Read each explanation carefully. This test guide providesat least one SAMPLE QUESTION for each subject area. The sample questions will be similar to whatwill be presented on the actual test. This test guide provides the SOLUTION and correct answer(s) toeach sample question. You should study these in order to understand how the correct or best answerswere determined.

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SUBJECT AREA 1

EVALUATING CONCLUSIONS IN LIGHT OF KNOWN FACTS: These questions test for the ability toevaluate conclusions in the light of known facts. The test area consists of sets of facts and conclusions.You must decide whether the conclusion is proven by the facts, disproven by the facts, or neitherproven nor disproven. The questions are not specific to any job title.

TEST TASK: You will be given a set of statements (FACTS) you are to assume to be true and aCONCLUSION based on the statements. The conclusion is derived from these statements onlyNOTon what you may happen to know about the subject discussed. Each question has three possibleanswers. You must then select the correct answer in the following manner:

Select A, if the statements prove that the conclusion is TRUE.Select B, if the statements prove that the conclusion is FALSE.Select C, if the statements are INADEQUATE to prove the conclusion EITHER TRUE OR FALSE.

SAMPLE QUESTION 1:

FACTS: All file folders are delivered by the Conroy Company. Blue file folders are delivered onMondays or Fridays; green or brown file folders are delivered on Wednesdays. Human Resources andFinance use blue file folders, Legal uses green file folders and Data Processing uses brown file folders.

CONCLUSION: The file folders Finance uses are delivered on Wednesdays.

SOLUTION: The last sentence of the FACTS says that Finance uses blue file folders. The secondsentence of the FACTS says that blue file folders are delivered on Monday or Friday. TheCONCLUSION says the file folders Finance uses are delivered on Wednesday. Wednesday is neitherMonday nor Friday. Therefore, the conclusion must be FALSE (choice B).

The correct answer to this sample question is B.

SAMPLE QUESTION 2:

FACTS: If Zhili works overtime, the assignment will be completed. If the assignment is completed,then all unit employees will receive a bonus. Zhili works overtime.

CONCLUSION: A bonus will be given to all unit employees.

SOLUTION: The CONCLUSION follows necessarily from the FACTS. Zhili works overtime. The

assignment is completed. Therefore, all unit employees will receive a bonus.

The correct answer to this sample question is A.

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SUBJECT AREA 1 (continued)

SAMPLE QUESTION 3:

FACTS: Dennis has more seniority than Isabel. Amaya has more seniority than Dennis. Sarah hastwice as much seniority as Isabel.

CONCLUSION: Sarah has more seniority than Amaya.

SOLUTION: We know from the facts that both Sarah and Amaya have more seniority than Isabel. Wedo not have any other information about the relative seniority of Sarah and Amaya. Therefore, noconclusion about whether or not Sarah has more seniority than Amaya can be made.

The correct answer to this sample question is C.

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SUBJECT AREA 2

INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC: These questions test for the ability to interact with other people ina courteous and professional manner. Topics include obtaining and presenting information andproviding assitance, advice, and customer service to people with diverse needs, perspectives,personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations.

TEST TASK: You will be presented with a variety of situations in which you must apply knowledge ofhow best to interact with other people.

SAMPLE QUESTION:

A person approaches you expressing anger about a recent action by your department. Which one ofthe following should be your first response to this person?

A. Interrupt to say you cannot discuss the situation until he calms down.B. Say you are sorry that he has been negatively affected by your departments action.C. Listen and express understanding that he has been upset by your departments action.D. Give him an explanation of the reasons for your departments action.

SOLUTION:

Choice A is not correct. It would be inappropriate to interrupt. In addition, saying that you cannotdiscuss the situation until the person calms down will likely aggravate him further.

Choice Bis not correct. Apologizing for your departments action implies that the action was improper.

Choice C is the correct answer to this question. By listening and expressing understanding that yourdepartments action has upset him, you demonstrate that you have heard and understand his feelingsand point of view.

Choice D is not correct. While an explanation of the reasons for the action may be appropriate at alater time, at this moment the person is angry and would not be receptive to such an explanation.

The correct answer to this sample question is choice C.

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SUBJECT AREA 3

INTERVIEWING: These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed inobtaining information from individuals through structured conversations. These questions require youto apply the principles, practices, and techniques of effective interviewing to hypothetical interviewingsituations. Included are questions that present a problem arising from an interviewing situation, andyou must choose the most appropriate course of action to take.

TEST TASK: You will be presented with situations in which you must apply knowledge of the principlesand practices of interviewing in order to answer the questions correctly.

SAMPLE QUESTION:

An interview has just been completed at a government agency. Which one of the following interviewoutcomes best demonstrates that the interview was successful?

A. The person being interviewed stated at the finish that she had learned a great deal about theagency.

B. The person being interviewed praised the interviewers approach to asking questions.

C. The person being interviewed had a high level of meaningful participation.D. The person being interviewed kept all answers very brief.

SOLUTION:

Choice A is not correct. How much a person learns about the agency during an interview is of fairly lowimportance. The near opposite of this how much the agency has learned from the person beinginterviewed is most important.

Choice Bis not correct. The persons opinion of how the interviewer asked questions does not relate tothe main purpose of an interview, gathering accurate, pertinent information from the person.

Choice Cis the correct answer to this question. When the person being interviewed has a high level ofmeaningful participation, she is giving a high amount of pertinent information, thereby meeting thepurpose of the interview and making it successful.

Choice Dis not correct. When the person being interviewed gives very brief answers to all questions, itis likely that the information received is not full and complete. During a typical interview, somequestions may require only brief answers, but some other questions require a longer response for theinterviewer to obtain clear, complete information.


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SUBJECT AREA 4

UNDERSTANDING, INTERPRETING AND APPLYING WRITTEN MATERIAL BASED ONUNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNDER THE LABOR LAW: These questions are designed to test howwell candidates read, understand and apply the provisions of the Labor Law to hypothetical casesituations. The candidates will be provided with a brief reading selection from the Labor Law,Commissioner's Regulations or a Departmental Directive along with a set of facts describing the

hypothetical case situation and be required to answer a series of questions which require applying thelaw, regulation or directive to the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge ofthe Labor Law to the test, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabulardata in order to arrive at the answers to the questions.

TEST TASK: You will be provided with passages to read and questions to answer about each.Everything you need to know to answer the question is contained in the passage. To answer thequestions correctly, you must base your answers only on the information contained in the passage.

SAMPLE QUESTION:

Base your answer to the SAMPLE QUESTION on the following reading selection.

"Suspension of Accumulation of Benefit Rights. 1) Industrial Controversy. The accumulation of benefitrights by a claimant shall be suspended during a period of seven consecutive weeks beginning with theday after he lost his employment because of a strike, lockout, or other industrial controversy in theestablishment in which he was employed, except that benefit rights may be accumulated before theexpiration of such seven weeks beginning with the day after such strike, lockout, or other industrialcontroversy was terminated."

Lena Applegate works as a secretary at the Excelsior Ship Building Company. She does not belong toa union. The members of the pipefitters' union at the Company go on strike at 9:00 a.m. onJuly 11, 2010 and the Company is immediately completely shut down. Lena files a claim for

unemployment insurance on July 11, 2010. Which one of the following most accurately states thestatus of her claim for benefits?

A. Lena is subject to suspension of benefit rights for a period of seven consecutive weeks beginningJuly 11, 2010, unless the strike ends sooner.

B. Lena is subject to suspension of benefit rights for a period of seven consecutive weeks beginningJuly 12, 2010, unless the strike ends sooner.

C. Lena is not subject to suspension of benefit rights, as she is not a member of the pipefitters' union,and she did not go on strike.

D. Lena is subject to suspension of benefit rights beginning July 12, 2010, for as long as the strikelasts.

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SOLUTION: To answer this question correctly, you must evaluate each choice against the informationcontained in the passage. Reject the choices that are not completely supported by information in thepassage. Select the choice that is completely supported by information in the passage.

Choice A is incorrect. According to the passage, "the accumulation of benefit rights by a claimant shall

be suspended during a period of seven consecutive weeks beginning with the day after he lost hisemployment because of a strike" According to the facts in the question, Lena lost employmentbecause of a strike at her company on July 11, 2010. Therefore, according to the information in thepassage, the seven consecutive week period of suspension of benefit rights would begin onJuly 12, 2010, not on July 11, 2010 as stated in Choice A.

Choice Bis the correct answer to this question. As discussed above, Lena is subject to suspension ofbenefit rights for a period of seven consecutive weeks beginning July 12, 2010, unless the strike endssooner, as the passage goes on to specify, "except that benefit rights may be accumulated before theexpiration of such seven weeks beginning with the day after such strike was terminated." That is ifthe strike lasts less than seven weeks, the claimant may again accumulate benefit rights starting theday after the strike ends.

Choice C is incorrect. According to the passage, any claimant who loses employment because of astrike in the place of employment is subject to the seven week period of suspension of accumulation ofbenefit rights, not just claimants who are members of the striking union.

Choice Dis incorrect in stating that the period of suspension is "for as long as the strike lasts." If thestrike continues for longer than seven weeks, the period of suspension will not continue to last. Rather,as specified in the passage, the period of suspension will last only for "a period of seven consecutiveweeks."


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SUBJECT AREA 5

PREPARING WRITTEN MATERIAL: These questions test for the ability to present information clearlyand accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you willbe given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. Youmust then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with theirsentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.

TEST TASK:

There are two separate test tasks in this subject area.

For the first, Information Presentation, you will be given information in two or three sentences,followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version.

For the second, Paragraph Organization, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out oforder, and then be asked to choose, from among four suggestions, the best order for thesentences.

INFORMATION PRESENTATION SAMPLE QUESTION:

Martin Wilson failed to take proper precautions. His failure to take proper precautions caused apersonal injury accident.

Which one of the following best presents the information above?

A. Martin Wilson failed to take proper precautions that caused a personal injury accident.B. Proper precautions, which Martin Wilson failed to take, caused a personal injury accident.C. Martin Wilsons failure to take proper precautions caused a personal injury accident.D. Martin Wilson, who failed to take proper precautions, was in a personal injury accident.

SOLUTION:

Choice A conveys the incorrect impression that proper precautions caused a personal injury accident.

Choice Bconveys the incorrect impression that proper precautions caused a personal injury accident.

Choice Cbest presents the original information: Martin Wilson failed to take proper precautions andthis failure caused a personal injury accident.

Choice Dstates that Martin Wilson was in a personal injury accident. The original information statesthat Martin Wilson caused a personal injury accident, but it does not state that Martin Wilson was in apersonal injury accident.

The best answer to this sample question is C.

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PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION SAMPLE QUESTION:

The following question is based upon a group of sentences. The sentences are shown out of sequence,but when correctly arranged, they form a connected, well-organized paragraph. Read the sentences,and then answer the question about the best arrangement of these sentences.

1. Eventually, they piece all of this information together and make a choice.

2. Before actually deciding upon a job, people usually think about several possibilities.

3. They imagine themselves in different situations, and in so doing, they probably think about theirinterests, goals, and abilities.

4. Choosing an occupation is an important decision to make.

Which one of the following is the best arrangement of these sentences?

A. 2-4-1-3B. 2-3-4-1C. 4-2-1-3D. 4-2-3-1

SOLUTION:

Choices A and Cpresent the information in the paragraph out of logical sequence. In bothA andC,sentence 1 comes before sentence 3. The key element in the organization of this paragraph is thatsentence 3 contains the information to which sentence 1 refers; therefore, in logical sequence,sentence 3 should come before sentence 1.

Choice B also presents the information in the paragraph out of logical sequence. Choice B placessentence 4 in between sentence 1 and sentence 3, thereby interrupting the logical sequence of theinformation in the paragraph.

Choice D presents the information in the paragraph in the best logical sequence. Sentence 4introduces the main idea of the paragraph: choosing an occupation. Sentences 2-3-1 then follow upon this idea by describing, in order, the steps involved in making such a choice. ChoiceDis the bestanswer to this sample question.

The best answer to this sample question is D.

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SUBJECT AREA 6

UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING WRITTEN MATERIAL: These questions test how well youcomprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be askedquestions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented inthe selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas ofthe selections.

TEST TASK: For each question, you will be provided with a brief written selection, followed by aquestion and a set of alternative statements relating to the selection. You must choose the statementthat best answers the question. Your answer should be based on the information found in the selectiononly, NOT on knowledge you may have about the subject from other sources.

SAMPLE QUESTION:

The increasing demands upon our highways from a growing population and the development of formsof transportation not anticipated when the highways were first built have brought about congestion,confusion, and conflict, until the yearly toll of traffic accidents is now at an appalling level. If the deathand disaster that traffic accidents bring throughout the year were concentrated into one calamity, we

would shudder at the tremendous catastrophe. The loss is no less catastrophic because it is spreadout over time and space.

Which one of the following statements concerning the yearly toll of traffic accidents is best supported bythe passage above?

A. It is increasing the demands for safer means of transportation.B. It has resulted in increased congestion, confusion, and conflict on our highways.C. It does not shock us as much as it should because the accidents do not all occur together.D. It has resulted mainly from the new forms of transportation.

SOLUTION: To answer this question correctly, you must evaluate each choice against the writtenselection and determine the one that is best supported by the written selection.

Choice A: Nowhere in the passage does it say that there has been any demand for safer means oftransportation. Someone who picks this choice may believe that there could be or should be a demandfor safer transportation, but there is nothing in the passage to base it on. This choice is incorrect.

Choice B: The passage states that it is the congestion, confusion, and conflict which results in thehigh toll of traffic accidents and not the other way around. A person who picks this choice could eitherbe confused as to which is the cause and which is the effect or not have read the choice carefully. Thischoice is incorrect.

Choice C: This choice is supported by the last two sentences in the passage. The writer says, If ,we would shudder. (A shudder is a response to shock.) The implication is that we dont shudderbecause traffic accidents do not all occur at the same time and place. The writer then points out that

we should think of the yearly toll as being catastrophic (shocking) even though the accidents are spreadout over time and space. This choice is supported by the information in the passage.

Choice D: There are two reasons given in the passage for the high accident rate. One is thedevelopment of new forms of transportation; the other is the increased highway use from a growingpopulation. Neither one is described as the main reason. It is clearly incorrect to say that the newforms of transportation are the main reason. This choice is incorrect.


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SUBJECT AREA 7

UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING TABULAR MATERIAL: These questions test your ability tounderstand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked toperform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends orinterrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion aretested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test.

TEST TASK: The questions in this subject area are contained in two or more sets. Each set consists ofdata presented in one or more tables, followed by a number of questions. You must use theappropriate data from the tables, in combination with the information given in each question, in order toanswer the questions correctly.

NOTE: You will be allowed to bring a calculator and use it during the test.

SAMPLE TABLE:

DIRECTIONS: Base your answers to the following two questions on the information in the table below.

Population of a City in 2007 by Age and Gender(in Thousands)

Age Female Male TotalUnder 25 70 72 14225-34 ? 27 ?35-44 ? 28 5345-54 27 28 5555-64 30 ? 5765 and over 85 75 160

Total 261 257 518

NOTE: Spaces with question marks can be filled in using information given in the table and in thequestions.

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SUBJECT AREA 7(continued)

SAMPLE QUESTION 1:

How many people in the city in 2007 were between 25 and 34 years old?

A. 51

B. 27,000C. 51,000D. cannot be determined from the information provided

SOLUTION: To answer this question correctly, you must first note that the numbers in the tablerepresent thousands of people (see the table heading). You are asked to find the total number ofpeople aged 25-34. Since this information is missing from the table, it is necessary to calculate it byusing other information which is in the table. You must add the number of people in all of the agegroups other than 25-34, and then subtract this sum from the total population of the city. This will thengive the number of people aged 25-34.

The correct answer to sample question 1 is C. (see the solution below).

142,000under

+ 53,000 35-44 518,000 total population (all ages)

+ 55,000 45-54 -467,000 total population (all ages except 25-34)

+ 57,000 55-64 51,000 population aged 25-34

+160,000 65 and over

467,000

There are 51,000 people in the city between the ages of 25 and 34 (Choice C).

SAMPLE QUESTION 2:

Most nearly what percent of the total population of the city was female aged 35 to 54?

A. 5%B. 10%C. 14%D. 20%

SOLUTION:To answer this question correctly you must find the number of females aged35 to 54. This

requires you to add the number of females aged 35-44 to the number aged 45-54. You must first findthe number of females who are aged 35 to 44. This information is missing from the table, but you cancalculate it by subtracting the number of males who are aged 35 to 44 from the total number of peoplein that age group. (53 000- 28,000 =25,000; there are 25,000 females aged 35-44). You then need toadd the number of females aged 35- 44 to the number of females aged 45 to 54; (25,000 + 27,000 =52,000; there are 52,000 females between the ages of 35 and 54). You must then divide this numberby the total population of the city, and convert the answer to a percent. (52,000/518,000 = .100386;this is nearest to 10%, which is choice B).

The correct answer to sample question 2 is B.

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SUBJECT AREA 7(continued)

SAMPLE QUESTION 3:

If 40% of the total male population of the city earns wages, and 30% of the total female population ofthe city earns wages, which one of the following statements comparing the number of males earningwages to the number of females earning wages is true?

A. There are 24,500 more males than females earning wages.B. There are 27,300 more males than females earning wages.C. There are 51,800 more males than females earning wages.D. There are 27,300 fewer males than females earning wages.

Solution:To answer this question correctly you must use some information given in the question and someinformation given in the table. It is important to be careful and apply the correct percentage for eachgender. (The percentage for males is given first in the question, but the number of males is second inthe table).

To calculate the number of males earning wages, multiply the total number of males by 40%.(257,000 x .40 = 102,800)

To calculate the number of females earning wages, multiply the total number of females by 30%.(261,000 x .30 = 78,300)

To compare the two numbers, subtract the number of female wage earners from the number of malewage earners. (102,800 78,300 = 24,500)

There are 24,500 more male wage earners than female wage earners (choice A).

The correct answer to sample question 3 is A.

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SUBJECT AREA 8

UNDERSTANDING, INTERPRETING AND APPLYING WRITTEN MATERIAL BASED ONSELECTIONS OF LAW: These questions are designed to test how well candidates can read,understand and apply provisions of law to hypothetical case situations. The candidates will be providedwith a brief reading selection of a law, regulation and/or directive along with a set of facts describing thehypothetical situation and be required to answer a series of questions which require applying the law,

regulation or directive to the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge of anyparticular law to the test, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabulardata in order to arrive at the answers to the questions.

TEST TASK: You will be provided with passages to read and questions to answer about each.Everything you need to know to answer the questions is contained in the passage. To answer thequestions correctly, you must base your answers only on the information contained in the passage.

BASE YOUR ANSWERS TO THE NEXT 2 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ON THE FOLLOWING READINGSELECTION.

"If a child protective caseworker or other children's services staff person in a district is reported as a

subject of a child abuse or maltreatment report, the recommended course of action is to arrange,through assignment by the SCR (State Central Register), for a contiguous county to conduct theinvestigation.

All reports of suspected child abuse and maltreatment involving any employee of the local districtdepartment of social services must be shared by the local Child Protective Service (CPS) with theappropriate Regional Office of the State Central Register. Regional Office staff are responsible foroversight and technical assistance and will determine the nature of necessary follow-up action (e.g.,determining whether or not a personal contact with the caseworker responsible for the investigation isnecessary). In order to oversee the investigation, the Regional Office may request information from orcontact with the investigating district, in addition to being notified of the determination.

In the event a contiguous county finds that abuse or maltreatment is present and the initiation of a courtproceeding is necessary, action based upon such findings must be undertaken by the subject's "home"district in its own jurisdiction. When the child(ren)'s welfare and protection have been assured, adetermination rendered, and a rehabilitative treatment plan of services developed, the contiguouscountys child protective service may terminate its involvement with the case. If the contiguous county

has indicated* the case and recommended the provision of a rehabilitative services plan, the plan maybe transferred with SCR approval to the local district in which the subject(s) reside(s). If a subject of areport requests an expungement review and/or a fair hearing, the contiguous county which made theoriginal determination will be required to substantiate the basis for the indicated determination as part ofthe normal expungement review process. This county must also participate in the fair hearing in thesubject's home district.

All reports of suspected child abuse and maltreatment involving other than child protective or children'sservices staff (e.g., staff of income maintenance programs, medical assistance programs, etc.) will beassigned to the local child protective service in the county of the subject's residence. Other specialcircumstances which may arise should be handled on a case-by-case basis in consultation with theSCR and the Regional Office."

*indicated - term used when evidence of abuse or maltreatment is found

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SUBJECT AREA 8 (continued)____

SAMPLE QUESTION 1:

An Alpha County Income Maintenance Worker who resides in Alpha County is accused of neglectinghis child. In which one of the following ways, if any, should Alpha County most properly handle theinvestigation?

A. There are no additional requirements for the investigation, because an Income MaintenanceWorker's position does not require direct contact with children.

B. Immediately contact the district in a contiguous county and ask them to take responsibility for theinvestigation.

C. Unless other special circumstances exist, Alpha County may conduct the investigation and shouldshare the information contained in the report with the State Central Register.

D. The State Central Register will conduct the investigation because the Income Maintenance Workerworks for the county.

SOLUTION: To answer this question correctly, you must evaluate each choice against the information

contained in the passage. Reject the choices that are not completely supported by information in thepassage. Select the choice that is completely supported by information in the passage.

Choice A is incorrect. It states that there are no additional requirements for the investigation, becausean Income Maintenance Workers position does not require direct contact with children. There isnothing stated in the reading that exempts any Local District workers from investigation.

Choice B is incorrect. It states that the Local District should immediately contact the district in acontiguous county and ask them to take responsibility for the investigation. Paragraph one states this isto be done if the subject is a Child Protective Worker or other childrens services staff person.

Choice Cis correct.Itstates that unless other special circumstances exist (the question does not state

that they do), Alpha County may conduct the investigation and should share the information containedin the report with the State Central Register. Paragraph four states that, in the absence of specialcircumstances, the Income Maintenance Workers home county, Alpha County, should conduct theinvestigation and, according to paragraph two, share the information with the State Central Register.

Choice D is incorrect. Itstates that the State Central Register will conduct the investigation becausethe Income Maintenance Worker works for the county. Nothing in the reading states that the StateCentral Register performs such investigations.


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SUBJECT AREA 8 (continued)__

SAMPLE QUESTION 2:

According to the reading selection, an action against a Child Protective Caseworker indicated for childabuse would be brought by

A. the contiguous county which did the investigationB. the county in which the Caseworker residesC. a county assigned by the State Central RegisterD. regional office staff of the State Office of Children and Family Services

SOLUTION: To answer this question correctly, you must evaluate each choice against the informationcontained in the passage. Reject the choices that are not completely supported by information in thepassage. Select the choice that is completely supported by information in the passage.

Choice A is incorrect.It states that an action against a Child Protective Caseworker indicated for childabuse would be brought by the contiguous county. The reading states that, while the investigation

would be done by a contiguous county, theactionto be taken as a result of such investigation is to betaken by the workers home county (paragraph three).

Choice B is correct. It states that an action against a Child Protective Caseworker indicated for childabuse would be brought by the county in which the Child Protective Worker resides. See theexplanation for Choice A.

Choice Cis incorrect. Itstates thatan action against a Child ProtectiveCaseworker indicated for childabuse would be brought by a county assigned by the State Central Register. Nothing in the readingstates that this is to be done.

Choice Dis incorrect.Itstates thatan action against a Child Protective Caseworker indicated for child

abuse would be brought by regional staff of the State Office of Children and Family Services. Nothing inthe reading states that this is to be done.


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It is the policy of the New York State Department of Civil Service to provide reasonableaccommodation to ensure effective communication of information to individuals withdisabilities. If you need an auxiliary aid or service to make this information available to you,please contact the New York State Department of Civil Service Public Information Office at(518) 457-9375.

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Visit the New York StateDepartment of Civil Service web site

www.cs.state.ny.us

New York StateDepartment of Civil Service

Albany, NY 12239

2010

Careers in Labor Services Test Guide

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Transcript of Careers in Labor Services Test Guide