How to Fill Out the Westchester County XD-10 Civil Service Application

To fill out the Westchester County XD-10, work from the exam announcement for the title you want and complete every field on the three-page form in ink or online: personal information and exam details on page 1, education and licenses on page 2, and a detailed work history on page 3. Submit it with the $50 fee ($100 for uniform services) by the filing deadline on the announcement. The form itself warns that it is “part of the examination” and must be filled out completely and accurately.¹

You can file online at exams.westchestergov.com or on paper. The online portal walks you through the same fields as the PDF and accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and prepaid cards. The paper form is downloadable from the Department of Human Resources website or available in person at Suite 100, Michaelian Office Building, 148 Martine Ave., White Plains, NY 10601. Paper filings must include a check or money order payable to Westchester County Department of Human Resources. Cash is not accepted.²¹

Before You Start

Pull the exam announcement first and keep it next to you while you fill out the form. Everything you write on page 1 — exam number, exam date, exact title — has to match the announcement word for word. The announcement also tells you the minimum qualifications, residency rules, and any license or coursework the department wants to see.

Have these ready:

Social Security number, mailing address, phone, email
The exam number, exam date, and exact title from the announcement
High school or GED information, plus college names, dates, credits, and degrees
An official transcript if the announcement requires one (or if you are using education to substitute for experience)
Any professional license or certification the announcement requires
Dates, titles, hours, duties, and supervisor names for each relevant job
DD-214 or current active-duty documentation if you are claiming veterans credits
Proof of eligibility if you are requesting a fee waiver

Print in ink or type. If a section does not give you enough room, attach additional 8½-by-11-inch sheets. If you are applying for more than one exam, file a separate XD-10 for each.¹

Page 1: Personal Information, Exam Details, and Residency

Enter your Social Security number, full name, mailing address, phone numbers, and email at the top. Then copy the exam number, exam date, and title directly from the announcement.¹

For open-competitive exams, use the residency section to list the municipalities or districts where you have been a legal resident for at least 30 days before the exam date. Residency codes go in the designated boxes. If you are cross-filing for the same exam in another jurisdiction, note it in the cross-filer section. Most positions do not require you to live in Westchester County to sit for the exam, but preference in appointment goes to candidates who have lived in the appointing jurisdiction for at least 30 days before the exam date and at least 30 days before the appointment date. Some titles do require residency outright, and the announcement’s “Residence” section will say so.²

Questions 7A through 7C ask about prior dismissals from employment, resignations in lieu of dismissal, and non-honorable military discharges. If you answer “yes” to any of them, attach a separate sheet with the date, details, and current disposition of each incident. Do not leave the questions blank.

Page 1 ends with an affirmation and authorization for release of personal information. Sign and date it. All statements on the form are subject to verification, and knowingly making a false statement is a Class A misdemeanor under New York Penal Law Section 210.45.¹

Page 2: Education, Licenses, and Special Credits

Confirm you are at least 18 and provide your citizenship status. List high school or GED information, then every college or university you attended: name, location, dates, credits earned, and degree received. If the announcement calls out specific coursework, list each qualifying course on an attached sheet so the reviewer can match it against the requirement.

An official transcript is required within 60 days after the exam date for periodic exams, and before you sit for a continuous recruitment exam. If you have already submitted transcripts to the department for a prior exam, check the box rather than resending them. Applicants educated outside the United States must provide a credential evaluation from an agency approved by the New York State Civil Service Commission.²

If the announcement requires a professional license or certification, enter the details and attach a copy. Page 2 also includes a section for children of firefighters or police officers killed in the line of duty to claim additional credits, and a section for veterans credits.

Page 3: Work Experience — the Section That Decides Your Application

This is where most applications succeed or fail. List every relevant position with the employer’s name and address, exact dates, hours per week, whether the work was paid or unpaid, your exact title, your supervisor’s name, and a detailed description of your duties. A resume is not a substitute for completing this section.²

Two technical rules shape how your hours count. The years of experience listed in the minimum qualifications assume full-time work at 35 or more hours per week. Part-time experience is prorated against that 35-hour week, and anything under five hours per week receives no credit at all.²

Write duty descriptions that line up with the minimum qualifications in the announcement. “Performed administrative tasks” tells the reviewer nothing. Spell out the documents you handled, the systems you used, the people you supervised, the decisions you made. The department compares your descriptions directly against the qualification requirements. For training-and-experience evaluation exams, this section is the exam, because the review panel scores your education and work history instead of giving you a written test.

Fee and Fee Waivers

The fee is $50 per exam, or $100 for uniform services exams, and it is non-refundable whether or not you are approved to sit. Online applicants pay by card; paper applicants include a check or money order.²

Fee waivers are available with proof for applicants who are:

Receiving supplemental Social Security payments
Unemployed and primarily responsible for supporting a household
Eligible for Medicaid
Receiving public assistance (TANF/Family Assistance or Safety Net Assistance)
Certified as Job Training Partnership Act or Workforce Investment Act eligible through a state or local social service agency
Full-time active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces
Veterans as defined in Section 50(5)(b) of the New York State Civil Service Law

New York Civil Service Law Section 50 also authorizes municipal commissions to waive fees for all examinations held between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2027. Whether that broader waiver applies to a given Westchester exam depends on the exam itself, so check the announcement for current fee information.⁴

Claiming Veterans Credits

Eligible veterans receive additional points added to a passing exam score: non-disabled veterans get 5 points on open-competitive exams and 2.5 on promotional exams, and disabled veterans get 10 and 5. The credits are added only after you pass and cannot turn a failing score into a passing one. They are granted when the eligible list is established and can be used for one permanent appointment only.⁵

To claim the credits with your XD-10, attach a copy of your DD-214 showing honorable discharge. Active-duty members can submit a current military ID, military orders, or another official document confirming active-duty status.¹

Veterans who later receive a disability certification from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, after already using non-disabled credits for an earlier appointment, can receive the difference on a future exam. If you used 5 non-disabled points on an open-competitive exam and later became certified as disabled, you can receive another 5 on a subsequent exam to reach 10.⁵

Testing Accommodations and Alternate Dates

If you need a testing accommodation because of a disability, submit the request in writing on an attached sheet along with supporting documentation. Candidates who qualify may also be eligible for one alternate test date, which likewise requires a written request with documentation justifying the scheduling conflict. Both requests go to the Examination Administration Unit.¹

Submitting the Form

Online filings go through the portal at exams.westchestergov.com and are paid by card. Paper filings go to the Department of Human Resources at Suite 100, Michaelian Office Building, 148 Martine Ave., White Plains, NY 10601, with a check or money order payable to Westchester County Department of Human Resources. Each exam announcement lists a firm filing deadline. Once that deadline passes, the county will not accept late applications.²

Continuous recruitment titles are the exception to the fixed-deadline pattern. You can apply at any time, and once approved, you take the exam shortly after filing.⁶

When Not to Use the XD-10

The XD-10 is not used for Correction Officer, Police Officer, or Firefighter exams. Those positions have separate application processes, so if that is the job you want, do not start with this form.⁷

1
Westchester County Department of Human Resources. Application for Examination/Employment (XD-10)
2
Westchester County Government. Applying for an Exam
3
Westchester County Government. Instructions for Applying Online
4
New York State Senate. New York Civil Service Law CVS 50
5
Westchester County Government. Veterans and Military Service Members Employment
6
Westchester County Government. Continuous Recruitment Examinations
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Westchester County Government. Applications, Forms and Test Guides