Facts are from Notice of Examination No. 6305 and other official sources, linked inline.
After the NYC Environmental Police Officer exam, your score turns into a list number, and the list number decides when you are called. This guide walks through the hiring process from the end of the test to the Police Academy and probation, using only what the notice and DCAS publish.
Step 1: Results at the end of the test
DCAS gives "immediate, tentative results at the end of your test" (DCAS: How Do You Get Your Results?). For computer-based tests, you also get a printout of your responses and the Proposed Key Answers, with instructions for protests (DCAS protest procedures).
Step 2: The protest period
A Protest Review Session is held on the first Friday after the week of your test. You can review the test and the proposed key in person and file protests there or by mail within 30 days. A Test Validation Board reviews protests and may change key answers, allow more than one answer or delete questions, and its decisions are binding (DCAS protest procedures). If you think your test was rated wrong, the notice says you can appeal to the DCAS Committee on Manifest Errors through OASys.
Step 3: The eligible list and your list number
If you pass, your name goes on the eligible list in final score order, and you get a list number by email. List number 1 had the highest final score. Extra points for eligible veterans (5, or 10 for disabled veterans) and legacy credit are added only to passing scores, and only if claimed before the list is established (NYS Civil Service Law 85, Special Circumstances Guide).
DCAS says a list "may be established within six to nine months from the date of the examination though times vary" (DCAS veterans guidance). No official source gives a date for the next Environmental Police Officer list.
How long the list lasts
The notice says the eligible list is "usually active for four years." City rules allow a list to last from one to four years, and a list that is at least one year old ends when a new list for the same title is established, unless otherwise provided (Personnel Rules, Rule 4.6.6). This title has had two exams a year lately, and the notice does not say how lists from back-to-back exams will work together. We do not guess; check the notice for your own exam.
Step 4: How candidates are chosen
Under the City personnel rules, an agency fills a job by choosing "one of the three persons certified... as standing highest on such established list who are qualified and willing to accept" (Personnel Rules, Rule 4.7.1(c)). This is the one-in-three rule. A name is not certified more than three times to the same agency head for the same or a similar position unless that officer asks for it (Rule 4.7.4). A higher list number means you are reached later.
Step 5: The call letter
"When your turn comes up, the agency sends a call letter, which is your formal invitation to interview." If you do not respond, "your name may be taken off the list of candidates, even if you passed the exam" (DCAS: What Happens Next). Keep your email and address current in OASys.
Step 6: Investigation, medical, psychological and physical steps
- Investigation: a background investigation with a $75.00 fingerprint screening fee. Arrests or convictions that show a lack of good moral character, a dishonorable discharge and petit larceny are among the listed disqualifying factors, and a felony or domestic violence misdemeanor conviction bars appointment.
- Medical and psychological assessments before appointment.
- Qualifying physical test: required, but the notice does not describe what it consists of.
- Drug screening: before appointment, with zero tolerance.
The full list of rules, including age, education and residency, is in the Environmental Police Officer requirements guide.
Step 7: Police Academy and probation
- Probation: 24 months, including the Police Academy firearms, academic, physical performance and driving tests.
- Drug testing: during the academy, and random testing after that.
- Police Officer status: you must meet the New York State requirements for Police Officer status.
- Firearms: qualification twice a year for your whole career.
New officers are appointed at Assignment Level I. Notice 6305 lists $52,333 for the first 26 weeks and $60,038 after 26 weeks, reaching $80,391 after six and a half years at that level. See the salary guide for benefits and City payroll data.
What no official source says
No official source says what score or list number gets hired, how far down the list DEP will reach, how long each step takes or what the physical test includes. Be wary of any page that predicts a cutoff.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good list number?
No official source says. A lower number means a higher score and an earlier call, and the one-in-three rule means candidates are chosen from the top of the list.
How long does the Environmental Police Officer list last?
The notice says the eligible list is usually active for four years. City rules allow one to four years, and a list at least one year old can end when a new list for the same title is established, unless otherwise provided.
When will I get my list number?
DCAS emails your list number when the list is established. DCAS says a list may be established six to nine months after the exam, though times vary.
What happens if I miss the call letter?
DCAS says your name may be taken off the list, even if you passed. Keep your email and address current in OASys.
Is there a physical test after the exam?
Yes. The notice requires a qualifying physical test before appointment but does not describe it. The Police Academy also has physical performance tests during probation.
How long is probation?
24 months. It includes the Police Academy firearms, academic, physical performance and driving tests.
PrepRaven is an independent exam-prep site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of New York, DCAS, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or any City agency. Always confirm dates and rules in the current Notice of Examination.
Last updated October 2026