EXAM 45-857 · THE ELIGIBLE LIST
The eligible list, explained
Passing is only the entry ticket. What actually decides when — or whether — you get hired is your rank on the eligible list. Here is exactly how that works.
The NYS Court Officer eligible list from exam 45-857 is expected to be established in the first half of 2027 and stays active for at least one to four years (and may be extended). Everyone who scores 70 or higher is placed on one statewide list and hired strictly in score/rank order — so where you land on that list, not just whether you pass, is what decides when you are reached.
Last verified: 2026-07-26.
Passed but never got called? Watch this first
Why passing alone doesn't get you hired, what actually happens after the exam, and what it means if you passed 45-841 or 45-843 — in about three minutes.
How the scoring works
Your exam is reported on a scale of 0 to 100, and 70 is the passing mark. Here is the part that trips people up: the passing raw score — the number of questions you needed to answer correctly — is not fixed in advance. It is determined at a date after the exam is administered. So a scaled 70 does not necessarily equal 70 percent of questions correct.
Because everyone is placed on one ranked list, your score is not just pass or fail — it is a position relative to every other candidate. That position is what the courts work from.
From exam to appointment: the path
You take the exam and it is scored
Final ratings are reported on a 0–100 scale, and a scaled score of 70 is the passing mark. The passing raw score — how many questions you actually needed correct — is set at a date after the exam is administered, so a scaled 70 does not necessarily mean 70 percent correct.
Veteran credits are added (if eligible)
Eligible veterans can add credits to a passing score: 10 points for a disabled veteran, 5 points for a non-disabled veteran. Credits must be claimed and documented (the Veteran Credits Form) before the eligible list is established. They can lift your rank, but they never turn a failing score into a passing one.
The eligible list is established and ranked
It typically takes about six months after the testing window ends to establish the list — so for exam 45-857, the first half of 2027. Everyone who passed is placed on one statewide list, ordered by final score.
The list is canvassed in rank order
When the courts have vacancies to fill, they canvass the list in strict score and rank order for the region you selected. There is no guarantee your rank will be reached — the list is worked from the top down based on the needs of the courts.
You clear the screening before appointment
Being reached on the list is not the finish line. Before appointment you must pass physical, medical and psychological examinations, substance-abuse screening and an extensive background investigation — the courts use these to confirm you can perform the duties of the position.
The two appointment regions
When you self-schedule, you complete an Availability Inquiry and select one of two regions where you would accept an appointment. You can update your selection any time while the list is active. The regions are:
NYC + 9th & 10th Judicial Districts
All five boroughs, plus Nassau, Suffolk, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties.
3rd through 8th Judicial Districts
The rest of New York State, north and west of the downstate region.
You are canvassed in rank order within the region you select, so your region choice and your rank work together.
How long the list stays active
Eligible lists exist for one to four years and may be extended. Over that window, the courts canvass the list in rank order as vacancies come up. That is why a rank near the top is so valuable: candidates at the top are reached early, while those lower down may wait years — or not be reached before the list expires.
One more important point: the prior Court Officer-Trainee lists, 45-841 (Upstate, 2024–25) and 45-843 (Downstate, 2025), expire and become inactive when the 45-857 list is established in the first half of 2027. Even candidates who passed those exams and were not appointed must take 45-857 to stay in the running. See the NYS Court Officer exam results timeline for when that handoff is expected and what happens next.
Every rule on this page is the Unified Court System's, and it does not carry over to New York City's exams. DCAS runs its own list-establishment and canvassing process for the NYC Correction Officer exam 6303 and the DSNY Sanitation Worker exam, each with its own notice, its own list life and its own order of consideration. If you are on more than one list, read them separately — a rank on one says nothing about the other.
Why a few points can mean years
This is the insight at the center of everything we do, and we want to be honest about it rather than dramatic. With a large statewide applicant pool all placed on one ranked list, scores bunch up tightly near the top. When thousands of people are separated by a handful of points, a small difference in score can move you past — or behind — a large number of other candidates.
Since the list is canvassed strictly from the top down over several years, where you land on that curve is what determines how soon you are reached. We cannot promise a specific rank or a job — no one honestly can, and appointment depends on the needs of the courts. What we can do is help you convert preparation into the extra points that move you up the list.
Common questions about the eligible list
How long does the NYS Court Officer eligible list last?
Eligible lists exist for at least one to four years and may be extended. For exam 45-857 the list is expected to be established in the first half of 2027, then canvassed in rank order as vacancies come up over that window.
What is the passing score on the NYS Court Officer exam?
Final ratings are reported on a scale of 0 to 100 and the passing mark is 70. The passing raw score — how many questions you actually needed correct — is set at a date after the exam is administered, so a scaled 70 does not necessarily mean 70 percent correct.
Does passing the exam guarantee a job?
No. Passing places you on the eligible list; hiring is done strictly in score/rank order based on the needs of the courts, and there is no guarantee your rank will be reached before the list expires.
Do I still have to take 45-857 if I passed 45-841 or 45-843?
Yes. The prior Court Officer-Trainee lists — 45-841 (Upstate, 2024–25) and 45-843 (Downstate, 2025) — expire and become inactive when the 45-857 list is established in the first half of 2027, so even passers who were not appointed must retake the exam to stay in the running.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page — the 70 pass mark, veteran credits, rank-order canvassing, the two regions, list duration, the pre-appointment screening and the 45-841 / 45-843 expiry — is taken from the New York State Unified Court System's own published material for Court Officer-Trainee exam 45-857, not from forums or estimates.
- NYS Court Officer-Trainee Exam (Statewide) FAQs — nycourts.gov
Source for the scale-of-100 scoring and 70 pass mark, the raw score set after administration, the one-to-four-year list duration, score/rank-order canvassing, the two appointment regions, the pre-appointment screening, and the 45-841 / 45-843 expiry.
- NYS Court Officer-Trainee Exam 45-857 — official exam page, nycourts.gov
Source for the exam number, testing window and veteran-credit claim process (10 points disabled / 5 points non-disabled, added only to a passing score).
Last verified: 2026-07-26. Eligible-list rules follow civil-service law and can change; if a detail here ever disagrees with nycourts.gov, the official page is correct. DutyRank is an independent prep product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York State Unified Court System.
Your rank is the whole game.
The pass mark is 70, but the list is worked in rank order — so the goal is not just to pass, it is to place as high as you can. See where you stand today.
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