E/E credit will only be given for experience in the position title for which the examination is conducted. Your documentation must prove your experience in the title of the examination.
Credit for employment or experience is applicable only to individuals who achieve a passing score on the written examination, and cannot be added to a failing written examination score.
E/E credit is calculated as follows:
You will receive 0.2 points for each month of creditable employment or experience in the applicable title. One month equals 172 work hours or 16 or more work days. Your E/E credit is weighted at 10% with your written examination score making up the additional 90%. If you do not qualify for E/E credit, your overall score will only be based on your written examination score.
PLEASE NOTE: Entry-level E/E credit is optional, not mandatory. Supporting documentation must be submitted no later than 7 calendar days following the exam date by email to: civilservice@mass.gov
You can review any documents that you have attached to your application by logging into your online account, clicking on your username in the top right-hand corner, then clicking on Applications and selecting the Application title for review.
Q: What type of documentation do I need to submit?
A: Supporting documentation must be provided in the form of a dated letter, on official letterhead, signed by the appointing authority or your employer (past or present), identifying the position title, type of job responsibilities, dates of experience, whether the experience was full or part-time and other pertinent information concerning your experience. If the experience was less than full-time, the verification must include the actual time worked, e.g., number of hours per week or the specific number of hours worked within a defined time period. Your documentation must prove your experience in the title of the examination.
Q: How do I submit the documentation?
A: You may scan and attach your documentation to your initial application as directed, or you may submit the documentation by email at civilservice@mass.gov within 7 calendar days of the exam date.
Q: When do I submit the documentation?
A: You may submit your E/E claim and supporting documentation anytime leading up to the written examination. The deadline for all submission is 7 calendar days following the examination per Civil Service Law Chapter 31, Section 22
If you fail to attach your supporting documentation to your initial application, you may email the documentation within 7 calendar days following the examination: civilservice@mass.gov
Q: When will I know what credit I received for my E/E claim?
A: Your score notice will detail the results of your E/E claim.
Q: Why was my claim denied?
A: Letters of verification must be on original, official letterhead or stationery, with an original signature. Supporting documentation may be submitted by email within 7 calendar days of the written examination: civilservice@mass.gov
If your claim is lacking any of the above-listed criteria, it will be denied for one of the following reasons:
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- NOTITLE – Your Employment/Experience Claim was denied because the submitted employment/experience is not in the examination title.
- NV – Your Employment/Experience Claim was denied because there was no documentation submitted to verify employment/experience claimed.
- IVH – Your Employment/Experience Claim in the examination title may be creditable but your documentation is incomplete because: you did not verify the specific length of employment (using months, days, and years - use date of exam, if still employed); you did not verify whether the employment was full or part-time (using hours and/or shifts); for part-time employees: you did not document the number of hours worked per week, or the number of shifts (a shift equals 8 hours) worked during this time period.
- IVL – Your Employment/Experience Claim was denied because all letters of verification must: be original; be on official letterhead stationery; and contain an original signature of the appointing authority.
- LATE– Your employment/experience claim was denied because it was received outside of the statutory timeframe. All claims must be received within 7 days of the examination date, by law. No new claims are allowed during the appeal period.
Q: Can I appeal the denial?
A: Yes, per Civil Service Law Chapter 31, Section 24 you may file an appeal within 17 calendar days of your score notice issue date.
Tip: Before filing an appeal regarding your E/E claim, please ensure that the documentation which you submitted supports the information referenced on your online application.