Exam Bulletin - Associate Mechanical Engineer

State of California

Exam Code: EX-1277

Examination Plans Included:

  • ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Bulletin Updates

  • Any editable section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.

Classification Details

ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER: $9,430.00 - $11,797.00 per Month

View the ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER classification specification.

Application Instructions

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Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

    1277

For ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-01277

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00103582 - ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Experience: Three years of professional mechanical engineering experience, at least two years of which shall have been in design and inspection work in several of the fields described in the "Position Description" section and comparable in responsibility to that of a Mechanical Engineer (Range B) in the California state service. and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with major work in mechanical engineering. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Position Description

00103582 - ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Designs and prepares the more difficult plans, and specifications estimates for all classes of mechanical work, such as heating and air-conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, plumbing, sewage collection systems, water supply and water purification systems, drainage systems, steam generating plants; checks drawings and makes cost estimates of mechanical systems; makes detailed inspections of construction operations in the field; makes independent surveys covering installation, repair or recommended improvements to mechanical systems; directs the work and reviews the reports of Mechanical Engineers; dictates correspondence and prepares reports.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Online ExamContinuous100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:

  1. Designing and preparing plans, specifications and estimates for hearing, ventilating, air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, sanitary, water, water purification and drainage systems, and steam generating plants in common use.
  2. Various codes, safety orders and regulations governing the design and installation of mechanical equipment, including electric motors. 
  3. Hydraulics pertaining to the design of water systems, pressure tanks, pumps, sewer systems, and other similar installations. 
  4. Procedures of building construction as they relate to the installation of mechanical equipment. 
  5. Principles of effective supervision and directing the work of others. 
  6. The department's Affirmative Action Program objectives. 
  7. A manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.
Ability to:
  1. Prepare plans, specifications and estimates for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, sanitary, water, water purification and drainage systems, and steam generating plants in common use. 
  2. Direct the work of others. 
  3. Direct or inspect field construction operations. 
  4. Check drawings and specifications. 
  5. Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the work. 
  6. Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action. 
  7. Dictate correspondence and prepare reports. 
  8. Effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.

Eligible List Information

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the ASSOCIATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER Classification will be established for:

  • State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Associate Mechanical Engineer Training and Experience Exam Preview

Section 1: Tasks

Instructions:  

Rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks.

 

Respond to each of the following statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every question and provide relevant examples.  Also, indicate the references who can verify the information provided.

 

In responding to each statement, you may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, your EDUCATION, and/or FORMAL TRAINING COURSES you have completed.

 

PLEASE NOTE:  This examination is designed to gain an overall assessment of your education, training, and experience as it directly relates to the duties and the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this position.  Possession of specific education is not required to be successful in this examination; however, such achievements may substitute for desirable levels of experience.  All components of this examination have been carefully validated by tying them directly to job requirements and documenting their relevance to the position.

  1. Writing standards, procedures, design criteria, or technical specifications for mechanical equipment, systems, and operations to sustain safe, reliable, and efficient operation of mechanical systems.
  2. Reviewing, interpreting, or checking designs including detailed drawings, estimates, or specifications for mechanical systems, buildings, and various facilities.
  3. Performing investigations of mechanicals systems using field observation techniques, simulations, analytical skills, as-built drawings, or correspondence with clients.
  4. Reviewing contractor drawings or submittals to ensure conformance with design, contract plans, specifications, or applicable construction codes, and provide comments.
  5. Preparing engineering reports or memoranda covering design analysis, engineering criteria, construction inspection, or technical discussions in accordance with organizational goals or policies.
  6. Providing guidance and technical direction to peers, engineers, designers, or drafters to ensure work is completed appropriately.
  7. Analyzing and responding to Request for Information documents, contractor submittals, or mechanical shop drawings by using appropriate guidelines, codes, reference standards, and general mechanical engineering knowledge to ensure compliance with contract documents.
  8. Preparing or reviewing engineering analyses using various modeling methods to sustain the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of infrastructure.

Testing Departments

  • State of California

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

State of California
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@calhr.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

State of California reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)