NYS Court Clerk Exam: Eligibility, Application, and Salary

The New York State court clerk exam most people can actually sit for is the Court Assistant exam (JG-16), an open-competitive test that feeds directly into the court clerk career ladder. The Court Clerk title itself (JG-20) is filled through a separate promotional exam limited to current Unified Court System employees with permanent competitive status.¹ If you don’t already work in the courts, your entry point is Court Assistant.

Which Exam Applies to You

The two titles are close enough in name to cause confusion, but they sit at different pay grades and serve different purposes. Court Assistants handle day-to-day clerical work in courtrooms and court offices, and the position is the foundation for promotions into Court Clerk and beyond.² The Court Clerk title is a mid-level supervisory position. You cannot take the Court Clerk exam from outside the court system.¹

Most of what follows covers the Court Assistant path, since that’s the exam open to the public. The promotional Court Clerk exam is addressed further down for readers who are already in the system.

Eligibility for the Court Assistant Exam

To sit for the Court Assistant exam, you need a high school diploma or equivalency plus two years of clerical experience by the date of the exam. Four years of clerical experience without a diploma also qualifies. Thirty college credits can substitute for each year of required work experience, so an associate degree with no clerical background meets the threshold on its own.³

The clerical experience definition is broad. Filing, sorting mail, operating office equipment, processing documents, reviewing forms against written rules, and answering phones all count.² Prior legal or court experience is not required.

For appointment after passing, candidates in New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley counties must be United States citizens and residents of New York State.³

How to Apply and What It Costs

Applications are filed online during a specific window announced on the Unified Court System careers page. For the most recent Court Assistant exam (No. 45-850), the window ran from January 6 through February 10, 2026.³ These filings are firm. Miss the window and you wait for the next cycle, which could be years away.

The application requires a $30.00 non-refundable processing fee plus a 2.99% credit or debit card service fee. Fee waivers are available if you are a full-time college student, receiving public assistance, or unemployed. Current Unified Court System employees do not pay a filing fee.³

After you submit, you’ll get a confirmation. Closer to the exam date, a scheduling notice directs you to pick a specific date, time, and testing center. The New York courts use PSI as their third-party vendor for computer-based exams.⁴

What the Exam Covers

The Court Assistant exam is a three-hour, computer-based, multiple-choice test scored on a scale of 100, with a passing mark of 70.³ The Unified Court System publishes a subject matter outline for each exam title, so you can see the tested categories before you start preparing.⁵

Typical subject areas for court system clerical exams include clerical accuracy (spotting errors in names, numbers, and records), reading comprehension of detailed written passages, and applying written rules to specific scenarios. Some exams also test familiarity with legal terminology and standard court procedures like document filing and case processing. The exact mix depends on the title and pay grade.

Actual exam questions are not released. The subject matter outlines and sample questions online are for practice only and may not match the difficulty of the real test, but they are the closest thing to an official study guide that exists.

Exam Day

Through the PSI scheduling portal, you select a date and location from available slots. The Court Assistant testing window for the current cycle runs from April 8 through April 29, 2026.³ Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Without it, you won’t get in.

You check in, get assigned a computer station, and receive brief instructions on the interface before the timed session begins. Personal electronics, notes, and reference materials are not permitted. Follow proctor instructions carefully; anything that looks like a testing irregularity can result in score cancellation.

After the Exam: The Eligible List

Once scores are calculated, the Unified Court System publishes an eligible list ranking candidates from highest to lowest. Under New York Civil Service Law, an eligible list lasts between one and four years, and a list active for at least one year can be terminated when a new list for the same title is established.⁶

Hiring follows the “rule of three.” When a vacancy opens, the appointing authority must select from the three highest-ranked candidates who are willing to accept the position.⁷ Your exact score matters a great deal. A 95 puts you in a very different position than a 75, even though both pass.

High-ranking candidates receive a canvass letter when a vacancy arises. This letter is a formal inquiry asking whether you’re interested and available; it is not a job offer or interview invitation.⁸ Respond promptly. Failing to reply can result in your name being passed over.

Veteran Credits

The New York State Constitution grants extra points to military veterans who pass a civil service exam. For open-competitive exams like Court Assistant, non-disabled veterans receive five additional points and disabled veterans receive ten added to their final score.⁹ For promotional exams like Court Clerk, the credits are smaller: 2.5 points for non-disabled veterans and 5 for disabled veterans.¹⁰ A veteran who previously used non-disabled credits and later receives a disability certification from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can claim the difference on a future exam.¹¹

Background Checks and Disqualifications

Passing the exam and landing high on the list doesn’t guarantee appointment. New York Civil Service Law allows the state to refuse certification of any candidate who has been convicted of a crime, was dismissed from a public-sector job for misconduct or incompetence, made a false statement on the application, or attempted any fraud during the exam process. Applicants may also be required to submit fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks.

No one can be disqualified without a written explanation and an opportunity to respond. A criminal record is not an automatic bar, but you should be prepared to address it directly.

The Promotional Court Clerk Exam (JG-20)

Once you’re inside the court system, the Court Clerk exam becomes available. It’s restricted to current Unified Court System employees who hold permanent competitive class status in any competitive title by the exam date.¹ Provisional employees do not qualify.

To be appointed as a Court Clerk after passing, you need at least two years of permanent competitive class service in the Unified Court System. The exam is scored on a 100-point scale with a 70 passing mark, and successful candidates receive seniority credits: one additional point for each five-year period of permanent service, excluding the first year.¹⁰

Court Clerks perform more specialized work than Court Assistants. In courtrooms they act as part clerks, swearing witnesses, polling jurors, maintaining custody of exhibits, and keeping court minutes. In office settings they supervise Court Assistants and other staff handling calendaring, motions, and order review. Some Court Clerks run full-time branch offices or fill in for the Chief Clerk.¹⁰

Salary and the Career Ladder

Court Assistant positions start at $58,100, with additional location pay of $4,920 in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland counties, and $2,460 in Orange, Dutchess, and Putnam counties.² Court Clerks earn a 2025 base salary of $72,191, also subject to location pay adjustments.¹²

Above Court Clerk, the promotional titles are:¹³

Associate Court Clerk (JG-23), the first step up, with broader supervisory responsibilities.
Principal Court Clerk (JG-26), senior management of court office operations.
Case Management Coordinator (JG-28), oversight of case processing and workflow.
Court Clerk Specialist (JG-30), an advanced specialized role within the system.

Employees can also move into administrative positions, including Chief Clerk. Each step up requires passing an additional promotional exam while holding permanent status in your current title.

Official Study Resources

The Unified Court System publishes free preparation materials for every exam title. For the Court Assistant exam, resources include a subject matter outline, sample questions with explanations, and a full practice multiple-choice exam. For the Court Clerk promotional exam, you’ll find a subject matter document, sample question PDFs, and computer-based practice questions.⁵ A general exam preparation guide is also available for candidates who want broader study strategies.

Actual exam questions are not released, and you are prohibited from copying or removing test materials during the exam. Treat the sample questions as a way to learn the format and question types, not as a preview of what you’ll see on test day.⁵ Check the careers page regularly for new exam announcements, since filing windows are not offered on a set schedule and missing one means waiting until the title is announced again.

1
New York Courts. Court Clerk (Promotional) (JG-20)
2
New York Courts. Court Assistant (JG-16)
3
New York Courts. Court Assistant (JG-16) Exam Announcement 45-850
4
New York Courts. NY Courts Scheduling Guide
5
New York Courts. Exam Study Guides and Resources
6
New York State Senate. New York Civil Service Law Section 56 – Establishment and Duration of Eligible Lists
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New York State Senate. New York Civil Service Law Section 61 – Appointment or Promotion From Eligible Lists
8
Department of Civil Service. Eligible List Management System – Frequently Asked Questions
9
Justia. New York Constitution Article V Section 6 – Civil Service Appointments and Promotions; Veterans Credits
10
New York Courts. Court Clerk (JG-20) Exam Announcement 55-839
11
New York State Department of Veterans’ Services. Additional Civil Service Credits
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New York Courts. Employee Benefits and Starting Salary
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New York Courts. Court Clerk