RankHighCompetitive Exam Prep

Eligibility and how the DOCCS Sergeant score is used

Two years of service as a Correction Officer gets you into the room; seniority and veterans' credit decide where you land on the list once you are scored.

Eligibility
2 years as Correction Officer (or equivalent)
Sergeant-eligible pool
9,937 Correction Officers (Jul. 2025)
List scope
Statewide DOCCS promotional list

Who can sit

The announcement restricts eligibility to DOCCS employees with two years of permanent competitive (or equivalent 55-b/55-c) service as Correction Officer, Correction Officer (Spanish Language), or Community Correctional Center Assistant. Service as a trainee does not count toward the two years.

Seniority and veterans' credit

Once the written test produces a score, seniority credit — one credit for each five-year period of service, excluding the first year — is added to a passing score, and wartime veterans' credit is added after that. Both are arithmetic on your service record rather than anything preparation changes.

How large is the field

DOCCS's own July 2025 Fact Sheet reports 9,937 filled Correction Officer positions statewide — the pool eligible to sit this exam whenever DOCCS next opens it. That is a current staffing figure, not a published exam-turnout number; DOCCS does not publish how many candidates actually sit a given administration.

Sources

Related guides