Effective February 1, 2024, we will be putting on our pre-employment testing for Deputy. To sign up for testing, you will need to complete our Deputy Application. Click here to apply.
Our Deputy pre-employment civil service test is no longer a required step if you meet one of the below criteria. You must provided the information on your application in order for you to move to our Physical Abilities Test (PAT).
- At least three (3) years (1,095 days) of Military Service with honorable discharge. This includes the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force or full-time equivalent of three (3) years (1,095 days) in the following reserve components: Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve.
- At least two (2) years of current Law Enforcement experience in good standing. Must be currently employed with a County, Parish, or Borough Sheriff; State, Municipal, Village, or Township Police Department. Other Police Departments are not eligible to waive our Civil Service Test but are still eligible for the lateral hiring process.
About our Civil Service Test:
Franklin County Sheriff's Office uses a customized situational judgment test (SJT) designed to assess the ability to read, follow instructions, use reasoning, and make judgments in various work-related situations. The exam presents candidates with hypothetical situations they might encounter in the workplace and asks them to choose the most appropriate course of action from a set of multiple-choice options. The goal is to evaluate the candidate's ability to make sound decisions and handle various work-related situations effectively.
Candidates do not need to know FCSO practices or procedures beyond what is provided in the test booklet. The exam presents candidates with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s vision, operational philosophy, Strategic Inmate Management principles, and instructions.
Read the prompt and scenario thoroughly. Take your time to understand the details of each situation. Consider all the relevant information provided.
Evaluate the options. Once you've understood the scenario, review the multiple-choice options. Each option represents a different course of action you could take.
Choose the most appropriate response. Select the option that you believe is the most effective and suitable for addressing the given situation.
Avoid overthinking. The scenarios are designed to reflect common workplace challenges. Trust your judgment and choose the response that aligns with your instincts and professional experience.
Consider the context. Keep in mind the specific context of the scenario. Your response should consider the people involved, the nature of the problem, and relevant policies or procedures.
Types of situations presented during the Deputy Exam
Counting Inmates in Cellblocks. These situations provide the number of inmates within several cellblocks at a given time. The prompts include various movements of inmates into and out of cellblocks throughout the shift. The situational questions may ask how many inmates are expected to be in a cellblock at a given time. The questions may also ask what you should do if there are a certain number of inmates within a cellblock.
Conducting Rounds, Monitoring Inmates, or Other Situations Involving Inmates.
As a jail deputy, you will be responsible for conducting rounds by walking through the jail and looking into locked jail cells. You will also monitor inmate activities in open areas such as cafeterias or hallways. You are checking on the welfare of the inmates. The questions may ask you what should be done when encountering situations. Consider your judgment and the operational philosophy, principles, and guidelines when selecting the best responses.
Inventory of Personal Belongings and Cell Searches. These situations will provide you with a list of items that are permissible in the cells or inventory. These questions may show pictures of items and ask whether the items are prohibited or permitted. These questions may include counting U.S. money, bills, and coins. Use the policies provided in the test when responding to these questions. Be familiar with U.S. denominations of bills and coins and know how to count the total amount of money given in the question. These questions may ask what should be done when you encounter certain items or situations during a cell search.
Situations involving Interactions with Coworkers. These questions present you with situations that you could encounter that involve coworkers. Use your judgment and experience to select the most appropriate and effective responses.
Situations Involving Known Inmates. The final section of the test provides personal information about inmates. Deputies often get to know personal stories and information about inmates. These questions present several scenarios involving inmates with backstories.
Consider your judgment and the operational philosophy, principles, and guidelines when selecting the best responses.
Example Situational Question.
You are a team leader, and one of your team members consistently fails to meet deadlines. Other team members have expressed frustration, and it's affecting the overall productivity of the team. What would you do?
- Speak to the team member privately to understand the challenges they are facing and offer support.
- Reprimand the team member publicly to set an example for others.
- Report the issue to upper management without discussing it with the team member.
- Ignore the problem and hope it resolves itself over time.
Please choose the option that you believe is the most appropriate response to the given scenario.