Exam Given Year-Round

Scheduled times for August are Monday at 5 p.m., Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Testing will be canceled Aug. 26, 28 and 30. The exam is given year-round; for future schedules, visit http://nypdrecruit.com at the beginning of each month.

The current minimum base salary is $41,975 per year. Pay increases regularly and reaches $76,488 after 5½ years. (The city says the range is $44,744 to $90,829 when longevity pay, holiday pay, uniform allowance and average night-shift differential are included.)

Other benefits include health insurance and city contributions to welfare and annuity funds. Newly-hired officers are eligible for retirement after 22 years.

Police Officers perform general police duties and related work in the New York Police Department. They patrol an assigned area on foot or in a vehicle; apprehend crime suspects; intervene in crimes in progress; assist people who are emotionally disturbed or otherwise need help; respond to and investigate vehicular accidents; investigate specific offenses; interact with prisoners; operate and maintain patrol vehicles; issue summonses; and obtain information by interviewing witnesses, victims and/or complainants.

They safeguard and voucher found, seized or recovered property; provide information to the public; handle situations involving abused or missing children; interact with juveniles; prepare forms and reports; testify in court; and perform related work.

Shifts Around the Clock

Police Officers are required to work shifts that can include Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and nights. They must work rotating tours, change tours or work overtime when ordered.

Some of the physical activities they perform and environmental conditions they experience are working outdoors in all kinds of weather; walking and/or standing in an assigned area during a tour; driving or sitting in a patrol car while remaining alert; running after a fleeing suspect, physically struggling with a suspect and restraining him or her with handcuffs; climbing stairs; carrying an injured adult with assistance; detecting odors such as those caused by smoke or gas leaks; being physically active for long periods of time; understanding verbal communication over the radio with background noise; reading and writing under low-light conditions; carrying or wearing heavy equipment; and wearing a bullet-resistant vest.

In order to qualify, you must, by the time you are appointed, have completed 60 college semester credits with a cumulative index of at least 2.0, or have a high school diploma or its equivalent and two years of military service with an honorable discharge.

Age Requirements

You must be at least 17½ years old to take the test; Police Officers are not appointed until they are 21. You must be under age 35 when you take it unless you are a veteran, in which case you can deduct up to six years of military service from your age.

You must be a U.S. citizen and have a New York State driver’s license by the time you are appointed.

Medical, physical-fitness, psychological and drug tests are required, as is a background and character investigation. If you have been convicted of a felony or a domestic-violence misdemeanor, you will be ineligible for appointment because you are legally barred from carrying a firearm.

You will be given a multiple-choice test at a computer terminal. The questions may require the use of the following abilities: reading comprehension, writing, memorization, sensitivity to existing or developing problems, deductive reasoning (applying general rules to specific problems and coming up with logical answers), inductive reasoning (combining separate pieces of information to form general conclusions), spatial orientation (determining where you are in relation to an object) and visualization (imagining how something would look after its parts are rearranged).

You must score at least 70 percent in order to pass. Your score will be used to determine your place on an eligible list. You will be notified by mail of your test results.

Residency Advantage

People who live in New York City continuously from the day they take the test to the day the eligible list is completed will receive an extra five points on top of their passing score.

Selective certification is also available for candidates who speak a foreign language. If you pass a qualifying test, you may be given preferred consideration for positions requiring this ability. You can indicate your interest on the day you take the test or anytime during the life of the list.

To take the test, just show up at one of the testing centers when one is scheduled. Seating is not guaranteed. You can pay the application fee using a credit, debit or bank card, or a money order made out to DCAS (Exams).

You may not bring cell phones, calculators or other electronic devices into the test site. You will need to bring a photo ID; the city will accept a driver’s license, passport, military identification card, alien registration card, or an employer or student ID with photo.

The exam number is 5305. The number changes every month.

The MTA advises that if you applied earlier this year you should not apply again. Your previous application may still be under consideration.

A Signal Helper performs physical labor that includes but is not limited to excavating for installation cables, airlines and foundations; trimming trees and cutting brush; painting various types of signal equipment, driving company vehicles; and providing protection for gangs (equipment arranged to operate together in a group) in accordance with LIRR Rules and Roadway Worker Rules.

Signal Helpers work indoors and outdoors in all types of weather and conditions. They often deal with confined spaces and heights.

Basic qualifications include a high school diploma or GED; some experience, on-the-job training or technical-school training in electronics; knowledge of Ohm’s law and series/parallel circuits; ability to use hand tools; ability to perform tasks involving heavy lifting, and a valid driver’s license.

Preferred qualifications include some college work in electronic technology, work with electronics in the military or in other railroad or transit signal departments, experience as a construction helper or in a job requiring heavy lifting, mechanical experience in a job such as auto or airplane mechanic, and strong troubleshooting skills.

What to Shoot For

Signal Helpers must complete computerized training within 40 hours of computer time or face termination. They also must qualify as Assistant Signalmen within four years of being hired or face termination.

The selection process may include, but is not limited to, a pre-screening assessment (i.e. physical, written and/or practical evaluation) and interview. Candidates forfeit further consideration if they fail to participate in any step of the process when scheduled. The LIRR warns that not every qualified applicant will be interviewed.

In addition, LIRR employee applicants must be in their current position for the 12 months immediately before the application deadline and must possess a satisfactory work history, including attendance and discipline record. This requirement may be overridden by a supervisor and the Human Resources Department.

A background investigation, medical examination and safety-sensitive drug/alcohol test may also be required.

Apply on Computer

You may apply electronically by going online to the MTA page at http://new.mta.info and clicking the “Employment” button at the bottom left corner of the page. That will take you to a list of agencies. Click on “Long Island Rail Road” and follow the job listings until you get to Signal Helper. Select the “Apply Now” button.

You must attach a resume during the application process. You should receive a confirmation e-mail that your application was accepted. If you encounter problems, call the BSC Customer Management Center at (646) 376-0123 Monday through Friday (except MTA headquarters holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The job ID is 80431.