2024 NJ Law Enforcement Exam Application Process Explained
March 1, 2024 - Posted by Ed Esposito
On March 1, 2024, The New Jersey Civil Service Commission (NJ CSC) issued examination announcements for Entry Level Law Enforcement (LEE) titles. While this announcement was highly anticipated, it has again come with some significant changes to the application process that were established in 2022. Previously, applicants filed one application, selected the titles that they were interested in, and when the results were issued the successful applicants were placed in a “pool.” Now, applicants must file a SEPARATE application for each particular job and title they are interested in. Under the new process, the NJ CSC has issued individual entry-level exam announcements for each specific department and in 2024 only some jurisdictions are included in the announcement. Click here to see the list of jurisdictions that are included in the 2024 announcement.
For example, if a person is interested in being a police officer in Town A, Town B and Town C, and is also interested in being a sheriff’s officer in County A, the person MUST file four separate applications, one for each and every department they are interested in. However, the same examination is used for all of the different departments and titles they file an application for. In the example provided, the applicant would take one exam and would be on the list for all four departments. In short, candidates will only have one opportunity to take the upcoming examination, regardless of the number of applications that they apply for.
Applications can be submitted now and will only be accepted through the NJ CSC Online Application System at: https://info.csc.state.nj.us/jobannouncements/DefaultJobAnnouncement/JobList. Applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on April 1, 2024, and the fee for each application is $30.00. Candidates will receive a confirmation email from the NJ CSC for each application that is completed and successfully submitted with the required fee. I always recommend that applications be submitted well in advance of the posted deadline. Bilingual entry-level positions are included in this announcement but interested candidates for these positions must also complete a separate application for the particular bilingual announcement.
Another significant change is that the applicant must review the individual announcement for the department they are interested in to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements posted for that specific department. Some jurisdictions require you to live in a specific municipality to be eligible for a position, while other jurisdictions allow you to live in a nearby town within the same county to be eligible for that position. Due to variations in residency requirements, applicants must ensure they are using the correct residency code on their application, at the time they submit their application.
It is also important to note, the NJ CSC does not assess a candidate’s eligibility when they are filing the online application. Therefore, a person can complete an application and pay the fee for employment in a department for which they would not be eligible. Accordingly, a careful review of each individual announcement in the section of the announcement labeled “Open to Residents of” is necessary before an application is filed.
With respect to residency, the information submitted with the online application will be used to place the applicant’s name in the appropriate “tier” for the municipal, county or state eligibility listed for each department they applied. Applicants must be a legal resident of the jurisdiction used for residency, as of the announcement closing date, which is April 1, 2024. However, some jurisdictions require the residency requirement to be met by the date of appointment, so it is always best to ensure residency is established as of the closing date to be certain a disqualification will not occur. The only way to definitively determine residency requirements is to check with each specific jurisdiction.
Since eligibility normally needs to be established as of the closing date of the announcement (4/1/24), the NJ CSC does not allow applicants to change their residency code after the closing date – even if you change your address. According to the NJ CSC, if you change your address and live in another jurisdiction after the closing date, you may not be eligible for appointment in your former or new jurisdiction. Since this exam is normally offered every few years, I recommend that anyone interested in becoming a law enforcement officer begin the process by taking an interest in the exam application procedures and the specific eligibility rules that apply.
The NJ CSC has created a "Fact Sheet" that contains specific information about this exam. Click here to access the document online.
CSC has also stated that “ANY previous announcement examination cycle will NOT be carried over to the 2024 announcement. Anyone wishing to receive a score and be included on one or more of the 2024 LEE eligible lists MUST apply for the specific announcement/symbol issued for the jurisdiction and title in which you are interested, pay the related fee(s), and take and pass the examination scheduled for 2024.” In other words, even if you are on the list NOW for a jurisdiction, your score will no longer be valid on the NEW list once the 2024 exam results are released.
While no specific exam dates have been announced, the NJ CSC has tentatively scheduled this exam to be administered in the Summer of 2024. An Entry-Level Exam Administration Guide was posted on the NJ CSC website, which explains the exam administration process. Click here to access the administration guide.
The last entry-level exam was administered in 2022 and applying a “similar exam administration timeframe” to the current announcement means we can expect the exam to be administered in June and July of 2024. It should be noted that this is not a guarantee and only the NJ CSC official announcements should be used when they are released.
It is also anticipated that the NJ CSC will use SignUp GeniusTM or a similar system to allow candidates to select the date and location where they will take the exam about 4-6 weeks prior to the actual exam administration dates. During the previous entry exam cycle, the test was administered on Saturday mornings/afternoons and Thursday evenings at various locations throughout the state. Candidates were allowed to select if they preferred a morning exam or an afternoon exam. They were also able to choose between taking the test in the following counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Ocean and Union.
For information on the maximum hiring age, please click here to access the NJ CSC "Municipal Police Officer Maximum Hiring Age Information Sheet."
For information on obtaining "veteran's preference," please click here to access the NJ CSC webpage dedicated to this topic.
ESPOS Test Prep is committed to providing the most comprehensive training course available for the upcoming Entry-Level Examination administered by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission (NJ CSC) to become a law enforcement officer.
At ESPOS, we utilize an established system that combines beneficial materials and instructor-led training focused on maximizing each participant’s ability to understand, retain and recall information. Click here to see the most recent results of our promotional course participants and click here to see testimonials from those who have attended our promotional test preparation courses.
Classes to prepare for this exam are being scheduled now and will be posted on our entry-level exam registration page. All future information on our entry-level prep courses will be posted on our entry-level page.
Click here to join our mailing list and receive the entry-level class announcements as they are made.
At ESPOS, we utilize an established system that combines beneficial materials and instructor-led training focused on maximizing each participant’s ability to understand, retain and recall information. Click here to see the most recent results of our promotional course participants and click here to see testimonials from those who have attended our promotional test preparation courses.
Classes to prepare for this exam are being scheduled now and will be posted on our entry-level exam registration page. All future information on our entry-level prep courses will be posted on our entry-level page.
Click here to join our mailing list and receive the entry-level class announcements as they are made.