Applying for the CDCR Exam, and What Happens If You Fail

The current status, and its date

As of 23 August 2026, CDCR's peace officer recruitment site states that Correctional Officer applications are temporarily closed and are expected to re-open on 1 October 2026. "Expected" is CDCR's word rather than ours, and a date like that can move — check cdcr.ca.gov before making plans around it. The site offers a notification sign-up for when filing re-opens.

The examination bulletin's own final filing date reads "Continuous", so this is a pause in an ordinarily continuously-filed examination rather than a change in how the examination works.

What happens after you apply

CDCR states that applicants receive an email invitation to the written exam within two business days of submitting an online application, and that official results are emailed within two business days of the test, with a rank score for those who pass.

Passing the written test places you on the eligibility list. Clearing the background investigation brings a conditional offer, contingent on the remaining components.

If you do not pass

The bulletin states that candidates unsuccessful at the written examination or the physical fitness test "are eligible to reapply 30 days from the date of disqualification". A disqualification at the background investigation, the pre-employment medical examination or the peace officer psychological examination carries a six-month wait instead.

Thirty days is short enough that a failed written test is a setback rather than a disaster — and long enough to be worth avoiding. CDCR publishes that 79% of participants pass.

Related guides

• How the CDCR Correctional Officer Score Is Used
• What Is on the CDCR Correctional Officer Written Test
• CDCR Correctional Officer Sample Questions: What They Look Like