Louisiana Drops Civil Service Test Requirement for Office and Professional Jobs

Baton Rouge, LA (KPEL News) - People who want to apply for a job with the state of Louisiana often balk at having to take a civil service test. Aside from having exam anxiety in general, planning when and where to take it for certain jobs present challenges. You may be interested to know that Louisiana is dropping the test requirement for some state jobs.

Louisiana has required that applicants pass one of three civil service exams for certain jobs:

• Office Support Exam (OSE)
• Professional Level Exam (PLE)
• Protective Services Exam (PSE)

Each test presents a specific set of questions that would determine whether a person is qualified and eligible for the position to which they are applying.

The requirement is changing as of January 1, 2024. 

As stated on the Louisiana jobs website:

The Professional Level Exam (PLE) and Office Support Exam (OSE) are being discontinued. Effective January 1, 2024, the PLE and OSE will no longer be required to qualify for job titles currently covered by these exams.

The Louisiana Civil Service jobs department will not administer the test after December 22, 2023, nor will any jobs be posted that include the PLE or OSE requirement. Additionally, continuous postings will be removed on that date and may be reposted on or after January 1, 2024.

Louisiana will transition to the SCS Hiring Framework. According to the state civil service website:

The SCS Hiring Framework is a systematic, research-based approach to help agencies modernize their hiring processes when seeking to fill classified job vacancies with the most qualified candidates. The SCS Hiring Framework provides a guaranteed and viable competency-based roadmap for HR departments, hiring managers, and stakeholders to follow during the recruiting and hiring process, ensuring consistency, fairness, and efficiency in attracting and evaluating potential candidates.

 

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

First, anyone applying for an office or administrative support job will not need to take the civil service test. Neither will applicants for any jobs listed in the "Professional Level Jobs" category.

Second, anyone who applies and meets the minimum qualifications will be added to the list of eligible applicants.

Lastly, people interested in a law enforcement job, like police officer, park ranger, or wildlife agent, will still be required to take the Protective Services Exam.