Facts are from official sources, linked inline.
After a Special Officer exam, your score turns into a list number, and the list number decides when you are called. This guide explains what happens from the end of the test to your first day, for both Exam 7329 (NYC Health + Hospitals) and Exam 7327 (City agencies), and why the hospital list works differently from most City lists.
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. Its decisions are final (DCAS protest procedures). If you think your test was rated wrong, the notices say 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. Exam 7329 places you on "a NYC Health + Hospitals eligible list." 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 these two lists.
How long each list lasts
- Exam 7327 (City agencies): the notice says the list is "usually active for four years." City rules allow a list to last from one to four years (Personnel Rules, Rule 4.6.6).
- Exam 7329 (hospitals): the notice's List Termination section says the list "will be terminated one year from the date it is established, unless extended by NYC Health + Hospitals."
The 7329 notice also repeats the usual "four years" line in its Test Results section. The specific List Termination clause is the one written for this exam, so plan on one year unless the hospitals extend it. A one-year list is a strong reason to aim high: the hiring window may be short, and calls go in list order.
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 higher list number means you are reached later, and if the list ends first, you may not be reached at all.
Selective certification can move you ahead for certain positions. An agency may give preference to eligibles with a needed skill, such as a language or a driver license (DCAS Civil Service Glossary). For Special Officer, the notices offer it for a New York State driver license and for listed languages and American Sign Language (by qualifying test), and the City notice adds commercial licenses and government experience. You tell DCAS on the day of the test, and you can add one later while the list is active.
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; City employees update theirs in NYCAPS Employee Self-Service.
Step 6: Investigation, medical and psychological exams
- Investigation: you pay a $92.50 fingerprint fee and bring original or certified documents, such as proof of your date and place of birth, your education and any military service. False or missing documents can disqualify you.
- Background: as a Peace Officer candidate, you must disclose every arrest, conviction and pending charge, including sealed records.
- Medical and psychological exams: for 7329, every eligible offered a position must pass both before appointment, and the medical exam includes a drug screening. For 7327, medical and psychological guidelines apply, and a drug screening may be required.
Step 7: Training and probation
Probation lasts at least one year and includes the full New York State Peace Officer training course. Hospital officers also get CPR/Basic Life Support and Basic First Aid certification at the NYC Health + Hospitals Special Officer Training Academy (Notice 7329).
What no official source says
No official source says what score or list number gets hired, how far down either list agencies will reach, or how long each step takes. 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.
Why does the hospital list matter more?
The 7329 notice says the list ends one year after it is established unless NYC Health + Hospitals extends it, so there may be less time for the list to reach you.
Can I be on both lists?
Yes, if you apply for and pass both exams. Exam 7327 fills City agency jobs and Exam 7329 fills hospital jobs, and each needs its own application and fee.
Can I move from a City agency to the hospitals later?
Not by transfer. The 7329 notice says NYC Health + Hospitals is a separate employer, and City agency employees cannot transfer to it.
What if I miss the call letter?
DCAS says your name may be taken off the list, even if you passed. Keep your contact details current.
Is there a physical fitness test?
The notices list medical and psychological exams but no qualifying physical test for Special Officer.
PrepRaven is an independent exam-prep site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of New York, DCAS, NYC Health + Hospitals or any City agency. Always confirm dates and rules in the current Notice of Examination.
Last updated October 2026