The number of examinations for scientific and technical positions has been steadily increasing, and examinations of this type consume a relatively large share of the time of the examiners. It is, of course, impossible to rate as many sets of papers of this character in a given time as in case of ordinary clerical examinations. While much valuable assistance in the preparation and rating of these high grade examinations has been rendered by experts in the State departments, experience, nevertheless, shows that an examination suited to measure relative ability for almost any kind of work can best be framed under the supervision of one with practical experience in the preparation of competitive examinations. Questions submitted to the Commission by scientific experts in various lines frequently need revision, for the reason that the expert has not had actual experience in the preparation of competitive tests and the rating of examination papers. EXAMINATIONS HELD FOR HIGH SALARIED POSITIONS IN 1915 $3,600 2. Director, Division of Communicable Diseases, State Department of Health... 3. Director (female) Division of Public Health Nursing, State Department of Health.. 4. Chief or Deputy Chief, Automobile Bureau, Office of Secretary of State.. 5. Assistant Engineer, Water Power, Storage and Drainage, Conservation Commission.. 6. Assistant for Field Work, Examinations Division, State Education Department. ... 7. Expert Appraiser, Bureau of Special Franchises, State Tax Department.. 3,000 8. Statistician, State Department of Agriculture.. 2,700 10. Deputy Commissioner, Compensation Bureau, State Industrial Commission... 11. Deputy Claim Agent, State Department of Public Works.... 12. Special Agent, Audit Bureau, Comptroller's Office.... 13. Special Auditor for Canal Board, Comptroller's Office. 14. Superintendent, Yorktown Training School for Boys... 15. Editor of the Official Bulletin, State Department of Labor.. 16. Manager of Auction Markets, Department of Foods and Markets.. 17. Physician, Public Service Commission, First District.. 18. Assistant Counsel, Bronx Parkway Commission.. Special attention is called to a number of the above examinations which were held to fill responsible executive positions involving the supervision of an institution or a bureau as follows: Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, State Department of Health; Director (female) of the Division of Public Health Nursing, State Department of Health; Chief or Deputy Chief of the Automobile Bureau, office of the Secretary of State; Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Industrial Code, State Industrial Commission; Deputy Commissioner, Compensation Bureau, State Industrial Commission; Superintendent of the New York State Training School for Boys, Yorktown Heights. This position is one of the most important ever filled by competition under this Commission, salary $4,500 and maintenance for the Superintendent and his family, making it equivalent to about $6,000 per annum; Manager of Auction Markets, Department of Foods and Markets. In addition to the positions mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the following executive positions have been filled through competitive examination: Superintendent, County Tuberculosis Hospital, Onondaga County. Superintendent, Western House of Refuge for Women, Albion. Chief Mercantile Inspector (promotion) Department of Labor. Stenographer Examination The stenographer examination held in the early summer of 1915 brought out the largest number of competitors ever secured for this examination in the history of the Commission. About 2,000 candidates of both sexes were examined, and it is believed that the eligible registers resulting from this examination will be ample to supply all needs for more than two years. Court Stenographer Examination In February and March, 1915, was held one of the most successful examinations for Supreme Court Stenographer ever conducted in the history of the Commission. The first test, held February 13th, was a preliminary or elimination test consisting of straight dictation by one voice at 175 words per minute. The final or rating test held on March 27th, consisted of dictation of about 3,000 words by four voices at speeds varying from 165 to 200 words per minute. In the conduct of this examination able assistance was rendered by a committee of Supreme Court Stenographers of the First and Second Judicial Districts, viz.: Willard B. Bottome, Nathan Behrin, William C. Booth, Henry L. Davis, Harry W. Wood, Frank N. Appelgate and Reuben Cantor. The examination for Court Attendant, First and Second Judicial Districts, held in October, 1914, and reported in 1915 was the largest single competition ever conducted by this Commission. About 7,000 applications were filed and 4,500 took the examination which was held in Manhattan and Brooklyn Boroughs in New York City and required four high schools to accommodate the competitors. The holding of an examination of this kind entails an immense amount of labor and expense and it is suggested that it should hereafter be in effect, if not in form, a promotion examination. A method of promotion could in this way be opened for competent employees of the public service in Greater New York and vicinity, many of whom would otherwise be barred from promotion or salary increase. Oral Examinations The use of oral examinations has been continued to determine personal qualifications and general fitness. The oral test has been given in connection with the following written examinations: 1. Assistant examiner, Insurance Department. 2. Italian interpreter. 3. Probation officer, Steuben county. 4. Probation officer, Niagara county. 5. Probation officer, St. Lawrence county. 6. Director, Division of Communicable Diseases, Department of Health. 7. Director, Division of Public Health Nursing, Department of Health. 8. Children's agent, Westchester county. 9. Probation officer, Orange county. 10. Polish probation officer, Erie county. 11. Assistant superintendent, State Employment Bureau, Department of Labor. 12. Home teacher, State Commission for the Blind. 13. Chief or deputy chief, Automobile Bureau, Secretary of State's office. 14. County detective, Bronx county. 15. Probation officer, Westchester county. 16. Special agent, Class A, State Tax Department. 18. Mortgage tax examiner, State Tax Department. 20. Deputy commissioner, State Industrial Commission. 21. Game protector, Genesee county. 22. Deputy claim agent, Department of Public Works. 23. Special agent, Audit Bureau, State Comptroller's office. 24. Special Auditor for Canal Board, State Comptroller's office. 25. Superintendent, New York State Training School for Boys, Yorktown Heights. 26. Interpreter, Russian, Polish and Yiddish. 27. Editor of Official Bulletin, Department of Labor. The following examinations were wholly oral: 1. Farm supervisor, with wife as matron, State Agricultural and Industrial School, Industry. 2. Instructor, with wife as matron, State Agricultural and Industrial School, Industry. 3. Assistant for field work, Examinations Division, Education Department. 4. Manager of auction markets, Department of Foods and Markets. 5. Inspector of heating, lighting and plumbing, office of Fiscal Supervisor of Charities. 6. Assistant counsel, Bronx Parkway Commission. Oral examinations are sometimes criticized as affording an opportunity for 'favoritism. This must be conceded. But what form of examination is not open to the same criticism? Business, public as well as private, must be conducted on the theory that all men are honest until proven the contrary. Oral examinations should be open to the public under reasonable restrictions; opportunity should be afforded doubters to observe the way in which oral examinations are conducted. Appointing officers should be invited to be present at such examinations without participating in the rating. When civil service examinations were first introduced it was deemed essential that the examiners should not be aware of the identity of candidates or papers rated; in the old days a civil service examination was a mysterious method of determining comparative merit; a sort of "sight-unseen " process; an examination |