Residence Requirements: RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS: CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. Preference may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of the municipality in which the appointment is to be made for one month preceding the date of the certification of the eligible list and who are residents of the municipality at the time of appointment. Non-residents may be required to become a resident of the appointing municipality if local law so states. There is one current vacancy in the Town of Amherst and the salary rate is $19.45 per hour. The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill this vacancy and other appropriate vacancies which may occur in municipalities or districts under the jurisdiction of Erie County Civil Service while this list is active.

Examples of Duties: A Computer Support Assistant provides first level support to assist the computer support staff in getting computer platforms in operating order in stand alone, local or wide area network systems; Provides first level help desk services; Sets up computer hardware, software and network connections in operational order; Installs and removes software into computer; Assists with data entry into computer software programs; Installs basic wiring and connectivity of computers; Assists with the creation of presentation materials utilizing appropriate software programs; Assists with mass duplication of CD's and with tape/ CD data transfer; Provides on-site equipment (peripherals, printers, and servers) support; Coordinates equipment requirements, repairs, maintenance.

Qualifications: Candidates must meet one of the following minimum requirements on or before the date of the written test: Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and completion of at least eight credit hours in computer science or at least one year of experience in computer operations.

Notes: NOTES: 1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting the experience requirements. 2. Your degree and/or col1ege credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee. Notice to Candidates: Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application. All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Operation, Maintenance And Repair Of Microcomputers And Related Equipment: These questions test for knowledge of the operating principles of microcomputer systems and related peripheral equipment, including appropriate troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair procedures for these systems and this equipment.

2. Installation, Maintenance And Repair Of Computer Networks: These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the installation, maintenance and repair of computer network systems, and may include such areas as computer system and computer network operating procedures and terminology, system hardware, cabling, network set-ups, and troubleshooting network problems.

3. Fundamentals Of PC Systems: These questions test for knowledge of basic concepts and terminology related to PC's. They cover such topics as PC and peripheral equipment; storage media; types of software used with PC's; and other associated terms and concepts.

4. Use And Operation Of PC's And Related Peripheral Equipment: These questions are designed to test for technical knowledge and concepts relevant to the operation of a PC and associated peripheral equipment for word processing, spreadsheet analysis, data base management, data communications and other applications. The questions asked are not specific to any vendor or any model of PC.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES: Unless otherwise noted, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", “Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.