What is on the NYS DOCCS Correction Sergeant written test?

The three subject areas

DOCCS's archived announcement for exam 31-109010 names the areas in this order:

• Rules, regulations, and procedures relevant to the operation of a correctional facility — knowledge of the Employee Manual, the Incarcerated Individual Rule Book, and DOCCS directives.
• Supervision in a correctional facility — issuing directions, demonstrating leadership, evaluating staff performance, maintaining work standards, motivating and developing staff, and handling absenteeism, morale and discipline.
• Controlling emergency situations and maintaining security — controlling and containing emergencies, identifying security cues, and drawing appropriate conclusions and reasoned responses.

This is the state exam, not the county one

New York has two separate correction-sergeant written examinations. County jails use the First Line Correction Supervisors Series, prepared by the Department of Civil Service and administered by each county's own civil service agency. DOCCS's own state prisons use a different exam entirely — exam 31-109010, open only to DOCCS employees — with its own three subject areas and its own source list. If your eligibility runs through DOCCS rather than a county sheriff's office or jail, this is your exam.

What DOCCS does not publish

No item count. No time allowance. No weighting between the three areas. No passing score for this administration — the county series prints 70; this announcement prints no number at all. Seniority credit (one credit per five-year period, excluding the first year) and wartime veterans' credit are added to a passing score afterward, as fixed arithmetic on your service rather than anything preparation changes.

Related guides

• The DOCCS Employee Manual, and what it does not show you
• Supervision in a correctional facility, DOCCS's way
• Controlling emergency situations and maintaining security