All Study Resources for 12/10/2022 Exams

Sarah Lauser

Links to archived livestreams:
Nov 5th – Intro, Tabular · Materials
Nov 12th – Project Mgmt, Supervision · Materials
Nov 17th – Review of all previous topics

Mar 5 – Intro, Systems Analysis
Mar 19 – Preparing Written Material, Flowcharts
Mar 26 – Manuals, Wrap-Up
Apr 30 – Post-Test Stream

What to study:
Subjects of Examination

Resources by title:
· ITS3 (Open-Competitive)
· ITS4
· Manager ITS 1
· Manager ITS 2
· Asst Dir or Dir ITS 1
· Asst Dir or Dir ITS 2 / Dir ITS 3

Resources by topic:
· Logical reasoning using flowcharts
· Understanding and interpreting a manual
· Preparing written material
· Systems analysis
· Understanding and interpreting tabular material
· Project Management (includes Supervising a project, Project management fundamentals, and Project Management)
· Supervision (includes Supervision, Administration, and Administrative Supervision)
· Preparing reports and official documents
· Strategic planning, fiscal analysis, management of budgets and contracts

Ground Rules

Sarah Lauser

The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with some ground rules regarding this website.  Please read it in its entirety and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

  1. This is not an official site of OITS, PEF, Civil Service, or any other group.  It is run by Sarah Lauser for free use by all New York State IT Specialists.
  2. There may be study session information posted at some point.  All study sessions may have different registration requirements but it is important that you read the announcement and follow its instructions.  Emails to Sarah to reserve spots will NOT be accepted.
  3. If you would like to organize additional sessions and announce them via this site, please let me know and I am happy to assist.
  4. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROHIBITED ON THIS SITE:
    • Material from previous exams
    • Material from “experts” who may have helped to write questions
    • Copyrighted material (unless you have permission from the owner)
      This includes CSEA booklets!

Strategic planning, fiscal analysis, management of budgets and contracts

Sarah Lauser

Description from Civil Service Subject of Examination:

These questions test for the ability to organize and develop long range information technology plans that align the IT organization with the agency mission and the strategic goals and initiatives of key program management leaders of an agency. Knowledge of the agency’s budget process, managing the fiscal and vendor relationship aspects of contracts and state procurement guidelines are key knowledge areas. Questions will cover such things as assigning relative priorities to budget items; determining the consequences of funding at lower levels than requested; writing budget proposals and justifications; controlling expenditures and managing contracts and vendors. Also included are: negotiating work plans and budgets; monitoring and tracking contract completion; reviewing and approving contract payments; managing grants; preparing RFPs (Request for Proposal) and RFIs (Request for Information); and evaluating proposals and applications.

Free Courses

The management classes listed on the Supervison post are probably also helpful resources for strategic planning.

NYS Budget Information

NYS Budget Process: https://www.budget.ny.gov/citizen/process/index.html
Budget Glossary: https://www.budget.ny.gov/citizen/financial/glossary-all.html

Procurement Information

ITS Procurement: https://its.ny.gov/sites/default/files/documents/procurement.pdf
OGS Procurement Landing Page: https://ogs.ny.gov/procurement/procurement-state-agencies
NYS Procurement Guidelines: https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/08/psnys-procurement-guidelines.pdf
Business Service Center summary: https://bsc.ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/10/purchasingrequirements_10-18-21.pdf

2022 NY GovBuy Classes

Purchasing in NYS 101 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnUSq0IrjLU
Slides: https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/06/2022-17-purchasing-in-nys-101.pdf
All classes: https://ogs.ny.gov/2022-ny-govbuy-classes

Preparing reports and official documents

Sarah Lauser

Description from Civil Service Subject of Examination:

Preparing reports and official documents – These questions test for the ability to prepare reports and other official documents for use within and among governmental agencies, in legal or regulatory settings, or for dissemination to the public. Some questions test for a knowledge of grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. Others test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, to use the proper tone, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly.

Preparing Written Material

The previous resources on Preparing Written Material should be helpful for practice in presenting information clearly and accurately and organizing paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. Here’s a link to the livestream from earlier this year.

CSEA Booklets

The following CSEA Booklets may be useful:

  • Booklet 5 – Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation
  • Booklet 17 – Preparing Written Material

Free Courses about Management Communication

These free courses may also be helpful:

MIT – Management Communication for Undergraduates

Harvard – The Science of Corresponding with Busy People Webinar

Livestream links for 2022-12-10 exams

Sarah Lauser

If you would like to request a specific topic or if you would like materials e-mailed to you after the livestreams, please RSVP here: [RSVP closed]. RSVP is not required to attend.

To attend a livestream, just click the link below and you will be taken to the right page on YouTube. Alternatively, you can just subscribe to the Toner Tutoring YouTube channel and visit that channel at the correct time to find the livestream.

Read on for Livestream FAQs…

Continue reading “Livestream links for 2022-12-10 exams” →

2022 ITS Subjects of Examination

Sarah Lauser

Here is a summary of the subjects of examination for the 2022 holding of the ITS exams.  I have compared the latest announcements against 2020’s announcements and verified that nothing appears to be different, so please use the 2020 document that I’ve re-linked below.

THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM CIVIL SERVICE.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT CS.NY.GOV ARE THE ONLY OFFICIAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION.

2020 ITS Subjects of ExaminationDownload

Scores are out! (quick survey)

Sarah Lauser1 Comment

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the long wait for ITS 3 exam scores. Below are direct links to results, but if you sign into your Civil Service account you can get the score notice details that are helpful to me for future exam prep. Sign in at https://www.cs.ny.gov/elmspublic/secure/score_notices.cfm and then please fill out the brief survey at https://forms.gle/hSWSvpsraNmBhiWCA to help out.

If you’re looking for more information about how lists work, please check out my previous post-test livestream recording: https://youtu.be/bidIy40h71g

P.S. Some of you are my Facebook or work friends and know that I have left OSC to start a PhD program. Despite this change, I fully intend to keep this site running and keep doing IT exam prep even though I’m no longer in the NYS ITS career path. If you want to connect with me, please feel free to reach out!