ERIC L.

ADAMS DEPARTMENT OF CITYWIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Mayor BUREAU OF EXAMINATIONS

LOUIS A. MOLINA
Commissioner NOTICE OF EXAMINATION

PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGIST

Exam No. 5140

WHEN TO APPLY: From: November 6, 2024 APPLICATION FEE: $68.00

To: November 26, 2024 If you choose to pay the application

fee with a credit/debit/gift card, you
will be charged a service fee of 2.00%
of the payment amount. This service
fee is nonrefundable.
CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE
THAT THEY ARE A VETERAN,
UNEMPLOYED, RECEIVING PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE, OR SUPPLEMENTARY
SECURITY INCOME ARE ENTITLED
TO A WAIVER OF THE APPLICATION
FEE.

THE TEST DATE: Multiple-choice testing is expected to begin on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR READING THIS ENTIRE NOTICE

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.

WHAT THE JOB INVOLVES:

Public Health Epidemiologists, under general supervision, with latitude for independent judgment and
initiative, perform professional work in the conduct and supervision of programs and surveillance for the
detection, investigation, prevention, and control of outbreaks of infectious, communicable, chronic,
environmental, or mental health diseases in medical or other institutions and in the community as a whole.
Public Health Epidemiologists utilize computers in the performance of these duties. All Public
Health Epidemiologists perform related work.
(This is a brief description of what you might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this
position.)

THE SALARY:
The current minimum salary is $60,617 per annum. This rate is subject to change. There are
two assignment levels within this class of positions. Appointments will generally be made to Assignment
Level I. After appointment, employees may be assigned to the higher assignment level at the discretion of
the agency.

HOW TO QUALIFY:
You may be given the test before we verify your qualifications. You are responsible for determining whether
or not you meet the education and experience requirements for this examination prior to submitting your
application. If you are found "Not Qualified," your application fee will not be refunded and you will not
receive an Admission Notice or score. (For more information see Exam Site Admission section.)
As per Section 54(2) of the Civil Service Law, the education requirement needed to qualify must
be met by November 26, 2025. The experience requirement needed to qualify must be met by the
last day of the Application Period (November 26, 2024).
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

1. A master's degree in public health or epidemiology from an accredited college or university with a
minimum of 12 graduate credits in epidemiology; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university plus two years of full-time paid
experience as a health professional in a position which requires data collection and the reading and
interpretation of medical charts and medical information in support of surveillance and epidemiologic
investigations.

The college or university must be accredited by regional, national, professional, or specialized agencies
recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA).

READ CAREFULLY AND SAVE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

Exam No. 5140 - Page 2

If you were educated outside the United States, you must have your foreign education evaluated to
determine its equivalence to education obtained in the United States. This is required only if you need credit
for your foreign education in this examination. For more information see the Foreign Education Evaluation
Guide in the Required Information section.
During the Education and Experience Exam (EEE), you may answer questions about your experience. If
your experience was on a part-time basis working less than 35 hours per week, you will need to convert
your part-time experience to full-time experience using the formula below. Once you have determined your
full-time experience equivalent, use this amount to answer questions about your experience.

(number of hours worked per week/35) x (number of months worked)

For example, if you worked at a job for 21 hours per week for 12 months, you would make the following
calculation: 21/35 x 12 = 7.2 months.

You have until midnight Eastern time on the last day of the Application Period (November 26, 2024)
to clearly specify in detail all of your relevant education and experience and Final Submit your
Education and Experience Exam in the Online Application System (OASys). Once you Final Submit
your Education and Experience Exam in OASys, you will not be permitted to submit new or
additional information on your Education and Experience Exam online.
If you do not Final Submit your Education and Experience Exam in OASys by midnight Eastern time
on the last day of the Application Period (November 26, 2024), your examination will be considered
incomplete, you will not receive a score, you will not be invited to subsequent portions of this
examination (if applicable), and your application fee will not be refunded.

Medical Requirement: Medical guidelines have been established for certain assignments in the position
of Public Health Epidemiologist.
Residency Requirement Advisory:
Under New York City Administrative Code Section 12-120, you might need to be a resident of the City
of New York within 90 days of the date you are appointed to this position. Since residency requirements
vary by title, appointing agency and length of service, consult the appointing agency's personnel office at
the time of the appointment interview to find out if City residency is required.
English Requirement:
You must be able to understand and be understood in English.
Proof of Identity:
Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, you must be able to prove your identity and your
right to obtain employment in the United States prior to employment with an agency under the jurisdiction of
the Commissioner, Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

HOW TO APPLY:
If you believe you meet the requirements in the "How to Qualify" section, apply using the Online Application
System (OASys) at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs. Follow the onscreen application instructions for
electronically submitting your application, payment, and completing any required information. A unique and
valid email address is required to apply online. Several internet service providers, including but not limited
to Google, Yahoo!, AOL, Outlook.com, and Mail.com offer free email addresses. All new OASys accounts
require verification before a candidate can apply to ensure the accuracy of candidate information.
Verification is instantaneous for most accounts and you will receive a confirmation email with
instructions to activate your account. For any account creation issues, you will receive onscreen
prompts to contact DCAS. This review may require up to two (2) business days to be reviewed and
resolved. Please keep this information and the application period deadline in mind when creating
your account.
The following methods of payment are acceptable: major credit card, bank card associated with a bank
account, or a prepaid debit card with a credit card logo which you may purchase online or at various retail
outlets. If you are receiving or participating in certain forms of public assistance/benefits/programs, or are a
veteran, you may qualify to have the application fee waived. For more information on eligibility for a fee
waiver and documentation requirements visit the Fee Waiver FAQ on the Online Application System at:
https://a856-exams.nyc.gov/OASysWeb/faqs. Effective January 2020, the Online Application System is
no longer supported on Windows 7 or earlier versions of Windows operating systems.

You may come to the DCAS Computer-based Testing & Application Centers to apply for this examination
online.

The centers will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM:

Manhattan Brooklyn Queens

2 Lafayette Street 210 Joralemon Street 118-35 Queens Boulevard
17th Floor 4th Floor 5th Floor
New York, NY 10007 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Forest Hills, NY 11375

Staten Island Bronx

135 Canal Street 1932 Arthur Avenue
3rd Floor 2nd Floor
Staten Island, NY 10304 Bronx, NY 10457
The DCAS Computer-based Testing & Application Centers will be closed on Monday, November
11, 2024.
Exam No. 5140 - Page 3
You must complete the entire application by midnight, Eastern Time, of the last day of the application
period. If you have questions about applying for this examination, you may contact DCAS at
OASys@dcas.nyc.gov.
Special Circumstances Guide: This guide is located on the DCAS website at:
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/employment/pdf_c_special_circumstances_guide.pdf and
available at the DCAS Computer-based Testing & Applications Centers. This guide gives important
information about claiming Veterans' or Legacy credit, and notifying DCAS of a change in your mailing
address. Follow all instructions on the Special Circumstances Guide that pertain to you when you complete
your "Application for Examination."

REQUIRED INFORMATION:

1. Application for Examination: Follow the online instructions, including those relating to the payment
of fee and, if applicable, those found in the Special Circumstances Guide.

2. Education and Experience Exam: Fill out all the required sections displayed onscreen (if
applicable). You will have until midnight Eastern time on the last day of the Application Period
(November 26, 2024) to clearly specify in detail all of your relevant education and experience on your
Education and Experience Exam and submit it in the Online Application System (OASys).

If you do not Final Submit your Education and Experience Exam in OASys by midnight Eastern time
on the last day of the Application Period (November 26, 2024), your examination will be considered
incomplete, you will not receive a score, you will not be invited to subsequent portions of this
examination (if applicable), and your application fee will not be refunded.

3. Foreign Education Evaluation Guide (Required only if you need credit for your foreign
education to meet the education and experience requirements): If you were educated outside
the United States, you must have your foreign education evaluated to determine its equivalence to
education obtained in the United States. The services that are approved to make this evaluation are
listed on the Foreign Education Evaluation Guide which is located on the DCAS website
at https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/employment/foreigneducation.pdf. When you
contact the evaluation service, ask for the evaluation as follows:

(A) If you wish to claim a master’s degree in epidemiology as specified in paragraph “1” or
a baccalaureate degree as specified in paragraphs “2”and “3” in the “How to Qualify” section above,
ask for a “document-by-document” (general) evaluation.
(B) If you wish to claim a master’s degree in public health with a minimum of 12 semester graduate
credits in epidemiology as specified in paragraph“1”of the “How to Qualify” section above, ask for
a "course-by-course" evaluation (which includes a "document-by-document" evaluation).
You must have one of these services submit its evaluation of your foreign education directly to
the Department of Citywide Administrative Services no later than eight weeks from the last date for applying
for this examination.

THE TEST:
The multiple-choice test will be given at a computer terminal. Your score on this test will be used to
determine your place on an eligible list. You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass the test.
The multiple-choice test may include questions on bio-statistics; descriptive and quantitative epidemiology;
case control, cohort, longitudinal and retrospective studies; odds ratios; active and passive surveillance;
modes of disease transmission; epidemiological terminology; and other related areas.
The test may also include questions requiring the use of any of the following abilities:
Analytical Thinking: Analyzing information and using logic to address specific work-related issues
and problems; involves the identification of problems, not implementation of solutions. A Public Health
Epidemiologist may use this ability to assess disease outbreaks.
Quantitative Analysis & Interpretation: Analyzing, interpreting and understanding the underlying
principles and meaning of numerical data; recognizing inconsistencies and errors in reports containing
numerical data. May involve making projections. A Public Health Epidemiologist might use this ability to
determine the extent of facility outbreaks.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Responding to positive or negative change in a constructive manner and
adapting approach as needed to the situation. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability to
determine workload management.
Stress Tolerance: Dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. A Public Health Epidemiologist
may use this ability while implementing outbreak controls.
Written Comprehension: Understanding the information and ideas presented in written sentences
and paragraphs in work-related materials. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability when
reviewing medical charts or questionnaires.
Concern for Others: Acting in a manner sensitive to others’ needs and feelings while being understanding
and helpful on the job. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability when conducting interviews with
patients, patients' families, patient contacts, and medical personnel.
Teamwork: Developing a mutual trust and cooperation while working together toward the
accomplishment of a common goal or outcome. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability while
collaborating with internal and external departments.
Integrity: Acting in an honest and ethical manner. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability when
sharing information with and disseminating information to patients.
Dependability: Fulfilling obligations and acting in a reliable, responsible and dependable manner. A Public
Health Epidemiologist may use this ability when performing field practice programs for nursing and medical
students.
Achievement/Effort: Establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and
exerting effort toward mastering tasks to reach set goals. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability
when gathering information from questionnaire respondents.
Exam No. 5140 - Page 4

Attention to Detail: - Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. A Public Health
Epidemiologist may use this ability when extracting information from epidemiological data.
Self Control: Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger and avoiding
aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. A Public Health Epidemiologist may use this ability
while dealing with the general public.
Certain questions may need to be answered on the basis of documents or other information supplied to the
candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam.

EXAM SITE ADMISSION:

Your Admission Notice will be available on your Dashboard in OASys 14 days before the first date on which
testing is expected to begin. Test site assignments will take your address into consideration, but nearness
to your address cannot be guaranteed.

Warning: The use of electronic devices at the test site is prohibited. This includes phones, smart watches,
cameras, e-cigarettes, vape pens and/or other portable media or electronic devices. Any such items
brought to the test site will be placed in a Yondr pouch and magnetically sealed until after the exam event
(Examination, Protest Review Session, TVB session). The use of headphones and earbuds are also
prohibited. Only basic, hand-held calculators with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division functions
are permitted-no additional features. Devices with keyboards, word processing, or data recording
capabilities are banned and will be placed in a Yondr pouch if brought to the testing site. If you use any of
these prohibited devices, or remove them from your Yondr pouch before being authorized to do so, whether
in the testing area, restroom, hallway, or other location at the test site, at any time before, during or after the
exam event, your test score will be nullified, you will be disqualified from taking any civil service tests for up
to five years, and your application fee will not be refunded.

You are also not permitted to use on site any medical assistive devices, including those that give
notifications or alerts, or that vibrate, without the prior express written authorization of DCAS. You can
contact DCAS by email at: testingaccommodations@dcas.nyc.gov.

You may not have any other person, including children, present with you while you are being processed for
or taking the test, and no one may wait for you inside of a Computer-based Testing & Application Center
while you are taking the test.

Required Identification: You are required to bring one (1) form of valid (non-expired) signature and
photo bearing identification to the test site. The name that was used to apply for the exam must match
the first and last name on the photo ID. A list of acceptable identification documents is provided below. If
you do not have an acceptable ID, you may be denied testing. Acceptable forms of identification (bring
one) are as follows: State issued driver's license, City or State issued identification card, IDNYC, US
Government issued Passport, US Government issued Military Identification Card, US Government issued
Alien Registration Card, Employer ID with photo, or Student ID with photo.

Leaving: You must leave the test site once you finish the test. If you leave the test site after being
fingerprinted but before finishing the test, you will not be permitted to re-enter. If you disregard this
instruction and re-enter the test site, you may not receive your test results, your test score may be nullified,
and your application fee will not be refunded.

CHANGE OF MAILING ADDRESS, EMAIL ADDRESS, AND/OR TELEPHONE NUMBER:

It is critical that you promptly notify DCAS of any change to your mailing address, email address and/or
phone number. If we do not have your correct mailing address, email address and/or phone number, you
will not receive information about your exam(s), consideration for appointment and/or important information
that may require a response by a specified deadline. If you need to update your Mailing Address, Email
Address, and/or Telephone Number, read below:

• City Employees - update this information in NYCAPS Employee Self-Service (ESS)

at www.nyc.gov/ess
• All Others - update this information on your Profile page in the Online Application System (OASys) by
logging into your OASys account and navigating to your Dashboard, then your Profile tab
at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs
• Submit a written request by email at OASys@dcas.nyc.gov, by fax (646) 500-7190, or by regular
mail: DCAS, 1 Centre Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Your written request must include your
full name, social security number, exam title(s), exam number(s), previous mailing and/or email
address, and your new mailing and/or email address, and/or new telephone number.

CHANGE OF NAME AND/OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:

Use the Data Correction Form and follow all instructions for changing your name and/or social
security number with DCAS. The following link will provide you with the DCAS Data Correction
Form: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/employment/dp148a.pdf.

THE TEST RESULTS:

If you pass the qualifying Education and Experience Exam, and pass the competitive multiple-choice
test, your name will be placed in final score order on an eligible list, you will be given a list number, and you
will be notified by email of your test results. The eligible list determines the order by which candidates will
be considered for appointment. If you meet all requirements and conditions, you will be considered for
appointment if your name is reached on the eligible list. Once a list has been established, it will typically
remain active for four years. To learn more about the civil service system go to:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dcas/employment/civil-service-system.page.
If you believe that your test part was rated incorrectly, you may submit an appeal of your score to DCAS,
Committee on Manifest Errors, through the Online Application System (OASys). Your appeal must give
specific reasons why your score should be higher. Your appeal may result in a higher or lower rating.
To access the appeal portal of OASys, please log into your OASys account
at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs and use the following steps:
Exam No. 5140 - Page 5

1. Navigate to the Dashboard for the Appeals tab.

2. Click the NEW APPEAL button to create and submit your appeal.
3. Select the exam from the Exam drop-down list, and
4. Select the exam part from the Exam Part drop-down list.
5. Select the reason for your appeal from the Appeal Reason drop-down list (if applicable).
6. Enter the details of your appeal by providing specific reasons why your score should be higher.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS:
Late Filing:
If you are currently provisionally employed by the City of New York, consult your agency's Personnel
Officer/Human Resources to determine the procedure for filing a late application if you meet one or more of
the following conditions:
• You are provisionally employed in the title for which the examination is administered and were absent from
work for at least one-half of the application period and cannot apply for reasons such as vacation, sick
leave, or military duty; or
• You were appointed provisionally to the title for which the examination is administered after the application
period closed but before the date on which testing is expected to begin.
Make-up Test:
You may apply for a make-up test if you cannot take the test on the regular test date(s) for any of the
following reasons:

1. being ordered to military duty; or

2. compulsory attendance before a court or other public body or official having the power to compel
attendance; or
3. on-the-job injury or illness caused by municipal employment where you are an officer or employee of
the City; or
4. absence from the test within one week after the death of a spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-
in-law, sibling, child or child of a domestic partner where you are an officer or employee of the City; or
5. a clear error for which the Department of Citywide Administrative Services or the examining agency
is responsible; or
6. a temporary disability; or
7. pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition.

To request a make-up test, contact Administration, Customer, and Exam Support (ACES) by email at
testingaccommodations@dcas.nyc.gov, as soon as possible, and include documentation of the special
circumstances that caused you to miss your test.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Selective Certification for Foreign Language: : If you can speak Albanian "ALB", Arabic "ARA", Bengali
"BEN", Bosnian/Serbo-Croatian "SRC", Chinese (Cantonese) "CAN", Chinese (Mandarin) "MAN",
French "FRE", Greek "GRE", Haitian/Creole "CRE", Hindi "HIN", Italian "ITA", Japanese "JPN", Korean
"KOR", Polish "POL", Portuguese "POR", Russian "RUS", Spanish "SPA", Tibetan "TIB", Urdu "URD",
Vietnamese "VIE", West African Languages (e.g., Ibo "IBO", Swahili "SWA", Yoruba "YOR"), Yiddish
"YDD" and/or you know American Sign Language "ASL", you may be considered for appointment to
positions requiring this ability through a process called Selective Certification. If you pass a qualifying test,
you may be given preferred consideration for positions requiring this ability. Follow the instructions given to
you on the day of the multiple-choice test to indicate your interest in such Selective Certification.
Selective Certification for Special Experience: If you have one year of full-time experience in applied
public health epidemiology conducting statistical or geographical analyses which require the use of SAS
(Statistical Analysis Software), SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) or GIS (Geographic
Information Systems) including ArcView, you may be considered for appointment to positions requiring this
experience through aprocess called Selective Certification. If you qualify for Selective Certification, you may
be given preferred consideration for positions requiring this experience. Follow the instructions given to you
on the day of the multiple-choice test to indicate your interest in such Selective Certification. Your
experience will be checked by the appointing agency at the time of appointment.
The above Selective Certification requirements may be met at anytime during the duration of the
list. If you meet these requirements at some future date, please submit a request by email
to: LMACustomerService@dcas.nyc.gov, or by mail to: DCAS Bureau of Examinations - Exam
Development Group, 1 Centre Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Please include the examination title
and number, your full name, OASys Profile ID number, and the Selective Certification(s) you are requesting
in your correspondence.
Application Receipt:
You will be emailed a receipt immediately after you have applied for the examination. If you do not
receive this receipt, check your "Junk", "Trash", or "Spam" folders for the primary email linked to your
Online Application System (OASys) account. If you are unable to locate the email, you can view a summary
of the notification email to you on your OASys Dashboard, under Notifications. If you are still unable to find
the email, please email DCAS via the Contact feature available in OASys with a description of the issue
and include the exam number and your profile number located on your Profile page. While on your Profile
page, check that the email addresses you provided are correct and/or updated.
Exam No. 5140 - Page 6

PENALTY FOR MISREPRESENTATION:

Any intentional misrepresentation on the application or examination may result in disqualification, even after
appointment, and may result in criminal prosecution.

The General Examination Regulations of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) apply to this examination and are part of this
Notice of Examination. They are posted at nyc.gov/dcas and copies are available at the DCAS Computer-based Testing & Application Centers.

The City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Title Code No. 51181; Public Health Epidemiology.

For information about other exams, and your exam or list status, call 212-669-1357.
Internet: nyc.gov/dcas