§2552. Tests

Tests to determine the eligibility of applicants for entry upon the promotional and competitive employment lists shall be provided, as follows:

(1)(a) The board shall provide through the state examiner for promotional or competitive tests. Official notice of examination shall be posted on the bulletin board in each station of the respective department. The notice shall state (i) class of positions for which tests will be given, (ii) whether the tests will be given on a promotional or competitive basis, and (iii) the final date on which applications for admission to the tests will be received. The notice shall be posted for a continuous period of thirty days preceding the date for administering the tests.

(b) In addition to the posted notice, public notice for all tests to be given on a competitive basis shall be published at least four times during the thirty-day period in the official journal of the municipality, parish, or fire protection district, as the case may be, in which such tests are to be held. This notice of examination need not state the exact date on which tests shall be administered, but all applicants shall be advised of the date, place, and time to report for an announced test at least five days in advance thereof in any manner the board may prescribe.

(2) As may be necessary from time to time, the state examiner may call for and administer examinations for the entrance classifications of firefighter, police officer, and for the entrance classes for positions of which the operation and maintenance of a radio, alarm, or signal system for the fire or police service is the primary duty. Tests may be administered at the discretion of the state examiner in any municipality, parish, or fire protection district to which this Part applies. Official notification shall not be made to the extent required under Paragraph (1) of this Section; however, public notice shall be published at least four times during a thirty-day period in the official journal of the state of Louisiana and may be posted on the bulletin board in each station of the respective department. This notice of examination need not state the exact date on which tests shall be administered, but all applicants shall be advised of the date, place, and time to report for an announced test at least five days in advance thereof in any manner the state examiner may prescribe.

(3) Each person in a group of candidates being tested at a given time for the same class of employment shall be given the same test, and it shall be administered in the same manner to each candidate. No questions shall be framed so as to elicit information concerning the political, factional, or religious opinions or affiliations of any applicant.

(4) All tests shall be restricted to those matters which will fairly test the relative capacity and fitness of the candidates to discharge the duties characteristic of positions of the class to which they seek to be appointed. Tests may include written or oral questions, trials on the performance of work characteristic of the class, inquiries into facts relating to education, experience, or accomplishments in specialized lines of endeavor, or any combination of these and other elements duly related to the purpose of the tests.

(5) Seventy-five percent shall constitute a passing score for all tests administered under the provision of this Part.

(6) Promotional tests for positions in the various classes in the classified service, except those classes in which positions shall be filled only from the competitive list, may be held as the needs of the service require, but must be given at least one time during each successive period of eighteen months.

(7) Competitive tests shall be held only as the needs of the service require and shall be given for classes comprising only the following duties or positions:

(a) Chief of the departmental service.

(b) The entrance or lowest ranking class in the classified service.

(c) The entrance or lowest ranking class in any group of classes where the various classes have been divided into groups by the classification plan.

(d) Operation, maintenance, and supervision of radio, fire alarm, and other signal systems.

(e) Automotive or fire apparatus mechanics and repairmen.

(f) Secretary to the chief.

(g) Departmental records clerk.

(h) For a position in any class in the classified service after reasonable efforts by preceding methods provided by this Part have failed to produce names of persons eligible for regular appointment thereto.

(8) All tests required by this Part shall be prepared, administered, and scored by the state examiner in accordance with the provisions of this Part. The results of the tests shall be furnished the board for which the tests have been held as soon as practicable after the tests have been administered. All tests, questions, answers, and papers shall be kept at all times in the custody of the state examiner and shall be produced by him and exhibited by him at the domicile of any board upon its written request.

(9) The board for which any tests are administered may, at any time up to six months after receiving the results from the state examiner, receive and review any or all parts of the test and the methods used in its grading, in order to determine whether the test was a fair and reasonable one and was fairly graded. If, after the board reviews any test and consults with the state examiner, it concludes that any item or part of the test was unfair or unreasonable or it finds errors in the grading, it may, at its discretion, cause a regrading of the test, and, thereupon, it shall correct or establish the appropriate employment list in accordance with the revised ratings. If the board finds that a fair rating can be determined only from an entirely new test, it may cause a new test to be given to all persons taking the previous test and establish a new employment list for the class from the results of such new test.

(10) Each applicant who makes a passing score on a test provided by the board through the state examiner under the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Section shall be advised, in any manner the board prescribes, of his final score and relative standing on the list appropriate for the class for which he was tested.

(11) Each applicant who makes a passing score on a test administered by the state examiner pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Section shall be advised, in any manner the state examiner prescribes, of his final score. Such score may be reported and approved by the board under the provisions of R.S. 33:2551(9). The original eligibility of an applicant under the provisions of this Paragraph shall be the period of not more than eighteen months after the date on which the signature of the state examiner was affixed to his notification of score.

Acts 1964, No. 282, §1. Amended by Acts 1965, No. 146, §1; Acts 2006, No. 493, §2, eff. July 1, 2006.