How CalCareers Exam Scores and Ranks Work

Every exam bulletin has an Examination Information section that lists the exam's components and their weights. Many CalCareers exams have a single online component weighted 100%. Nearly every bulletin also says: "A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list."

Once you pass, the law takes over. Government Code §19057.1(c) says scores "shall be rounded to the nearest whole percent," and "a rank shall consist of one or more eligibles with the same whole percentage score." So:

• A rank is one score, not a range. If the top three scores on a list are 96%, 94%, and 93%, those are Ranks 1, 2, and 3. A candidate at 92% is in Rank 4.
• Everyone in a rank is tied. There's no ordering inside a rank.
• Some exams only award fixed scores. Under CalHR's Limited Three-Rank Model (HR Manual 1102), some exams award only 95, 85, or 75. On those lists, every passing score lands in one of three ranks.

CalHR's Generalist Consolidation FAQ says the Analyst I–IV, Supervisor, and Manager exams establish eligible lists with three ranks, so any passing score on those lists is reachable.

You can see your results and eligibility in your CalCareers account under the Exams/Assessments Records tab. The CalCareers FAQ says to allow up to three business days for online exam results and six to eight weeks for in-person written exams.

Ranks are relative to whoever is on the list right now. Rank 1 is the highest whole-percent score among active eligibles, Rank 2 the next highest, and so on. That has a few consequences people don't expect:

• Your rank can drop without your score changing. Many continuous-filing bulletins say successful competitors "will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date." On a list with many possible scores, new candidates who score above you push you down. (This doesn't happen on three-rank lists like the Generalist exams, where any passing score stays reachable.)
• It can rise, too. When people above you are hired, let their eligibility expire, or are removed, everyone below moves up.
• "Reachable" means top three ranks. Under the Rule of Three (§19057.1), a department can consider and hire eligibles in the three highest ranks who are willing to accept the job's conditions. Rank 3 is just as hireable as Rank 1. See what the Rule of Three is for the exceptions.
• Ranks that don't apply get cleared. Under State Personnel Board waiver rules that took effect July 1, 2026, you show interest in a vacancy by filing a timely, complete application. If nobody in a rank applies, that rank is "cleared" for that vacancy and the next rank becomes reachable. So even from Rank 4 or 5, applying can pay off when the ranks above you don't. Declining interviews or offers no longer uses up "waivers": SPB says candidates "may decline an unlimited number of hiring interviews or job offers… and remain active on the eligible list."
• Location and job conditions count. The Rule of Three covers eligibles who've indicated a willingness to accept appointment under the job's conditions. The CalCareers FAQ explains how to update your preferences: open Exams/Assessments Records, select the classification, and click "Change Conditions of Employment."

Priority lists also come ahead of ranked lists: reemployment lists, then SROA and surplus candidates, then promotional lists, then open lists. See what SROA means.

Two programs change where you land on a list.

Veterans' preference places you in the top rank. It doesn't add points. Government Code §18973.1 says that when an eligible veteran, the widow or widower of a veteran, or the spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran "achieves a passing score on an entrance examination, he or she shall be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligibility list." Per the CalCareers Veterans Information page:

• It applies to open exams you pass, not promotional exams.
• You apply once with the CalHR 1093 form and a DD-214. After approval, it's applied automatically to future qualifying exams.
• It stops once you gain permanent civil service status (GC §18973.5), and it doesn't apply to anyone dishonorably discharged.
• Currently serving members can apply up to 6 months before separation with a transitional waiver (CalHR 1094).

Career credits are for current state employees. The CalCareers FAQ says permanent civil service employees "may acquire Career Credits for certain open, non-promotional examinations," and the bulletin says whether they apply. The Office Technician (Typing) bulletin (EX-2012), for example, adds them to the final score of successful candidates on an "Open, Non-Promotional basis." The Analyst I and Analyst II bulletins say career credits are not granted. Veterans receiving veterans' preference aren't eligible for career credits.

On lists with many possible scores, a higher score can move you into reach or give you more margin. (On three-rank lists like the Analyst series, any passing score is already reachable, so retesting matters less.) Check three things on the bulletin first:

1. The retest wait. It varies by exam: 12 months for Analyst I (EX-2105) and Office Technician (EX-2012), 6 months for Analyst II (EX-4815). Peace officer and department exams set their own rules.
2. How long your eligibility lasts. Analyst I and Analyst II eligibility lasts 12 months, Office Technician 24 months. The general information section of many bulletins says lists "will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin." Bulletins with merged lists say you "must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility" when it expires.
3. What kind of exam it is. On a timed multiple-choice exam like Analyst I, a better score comes from preparation, such as the official study guide. On a training-and-experience (T&E) exam like Analyst II, your score reflects the experience you report, so new experience, a promotion, or a finished degree can legitimately raise it. Answer truthfully, since departments can check your responses against your application.

The bulletins don't say whether a retest score replaces your earlier score on a continuous list. If you're thinking about retesting while your current eligibility is still active, ask the testing department listed on the bulletin before you do.

For exam prep, see how to pass a California state exam and the Analyst I and II exam guide.