MTAhopefullMatt

It is odd. We will just have to see when the 6601 open competitive list comes out. Monday, May 1st would be great, but it might be 9-10 more months. Someone posted that someone in HR advised them they might go to 6601 after they finished the promotional list.

Yes, it's very frustrating. Certainly they're supposed to issue the 6601 list by the spring of 2018 - hopefully it will issue sooner and they'll be hiring a lot of people every month from that point forward.

@TDevon, thanks for the info. Are you on the job as a conductor now? And does anyone know when the official end date for 8094 now is, since this final extension - 3/31/18?

I hope this doesn't fall too far into the area of speculation - I think there are two factors that will determine how soon we will get hired: when the official list issues and the pace of hiring. If Transit hires at the pace it did when processing the most recent people on the 8094 list, and keeps hiring at that pace, then people who scored well might be in school car within a year or less of the list issuing. Remember that the 8094 list moved very slowly in part because of a hiring freeze that lasted several years and began shortly after that test took place. On the other hand something like 35,000 people took this exam, far more than 8094, so the sheer number of applicants can slow down the process.

@MattFutureConductor, Applicants for MTA bus driver positions have to take two written tests before they can move on to drug testing/physical exam. First the regular aptitude test, that mostly measures how well you read and understand English. Then the BOSS exam, which is a written psyche exam. The BOSS exam is intended to keep people who are angry and have bad attitudes from becoming NYCT bus drivers. It asks lots of the same questions in different ways, and you have to answer them quickly in order to finish the test. If Transit doesn't like your answers on the BOSS you won't move forward even if you passed the written exam.

@Niku, that's their standard response. However, they're almost done with processing the promotional exam and it's highly unlikely they'll go back to 8094. The short answer is we won't know until the list actually issues.

Good point about bus operator positions. They do tend to hire very quickly, and the training is straightforward - a 2-week initial training/practical exam. If you pass that then you're training on the bus lines at your depot. Try to get your commercial license first, at your own expense, if you pursue that. Much less pressure on you, because you won't have another test hanging over you. Bus drivers have some nice break areas and can make very good money.

@Xentor, Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I would be shocked if Transit returned to the 8094 list after completing the promotional hiring, but they can do what they want. I don't think they would have any legal concerns with ending the 8094 list at any point, any more than they had when they extended the list a few months ago. I think it's more likely that Transit will move on to the new open competitive list once it completes processing promotional conductors who passed that exam. I suspect Transit will issue the official 6601 list by July 1st.

@Simon, They can change their mind. Their existing employees were probably upset that the promotional list took so long to come out so they compromised and only had a few more classes from 8094.

No, just the conductor exam for me. I can try promotional to TO after I've been on the job as conductor. I just want to get in and do as well in this title as I can.

@ Ren, I think that requires a lot of speculation. We need to see what list numbers (range) that score will achieve. Hopefully the official list will issue soon, now that Transit has apparently processed most people from the promotional list. Probably far more people took this exam than any prior conductor exam. We need to see how people actually performed and what the final scores are and, above all, how fast they hire from this list.

@Seven, true, but it's more complicated than that. Conductors have a 5-year progression to top salary, and it's roughly a $10/hour spread. So the starting wage in 2-3 years when people get called off this list might be, let's say, $22 per hour. Top pay will be roughly $32 per hour, and every year your hourly base rate (that hourly figure referenced above) should go up roughly $2 per hour. Wages will always increase based on new labor contracts, night/weekend hours, daily OT beyond 8 hours worked in a shift, special duties like flagging, etc.

It is just very frustrating, but really nothing we can do. Good points, @JChambers. A lawsuit isn't the answer. Filing for other exams while waiting for this one is a better strategy. Taking a good job that's offered to you while you're waiting, or focusing on your current job while you wait, should also help.

Frustrating and disappointing. I think for anyone who wants to get into Transit anytime soon you should consider taking the upcoming bus operator exams. Bus operator exams move very fast, constant classes. I'm going to plan to work elsewhere and then see where I am when/if they call my number in 5+ years.

Thanks for posting. So will they finish the 8094 list before they move on to the promotional, or mix the classes with both lists? Yes, disappointed, but this stuff happens.

@Young, thanks for the explanation. That does make sense. No reason to start the clock before they're ready to process people from the list. Which brings to mind another line of inquiry, how many people are on the promotional list, and what percentage of people typically take the promotion if offered to them? Thanks to the experienced people for providing some guidance to those of us trying to get on. Fundamentally the list will issue when Transit decides they're ready. They won't be rushed.

I believe the phone number is 1-212-669-1357. Call first and see what they say, but you may want to stop by there to submit your request in person. They're at One Centre Street, 21st floor. Municipal Bldg.

Can anyone provide any guidance about how many classes of promotionals will likely be held before they start calling from this list? And when do they anticipate issuing the list, anyway? I know there's nothing official or certain, I'm just trying to get some more info.

I've been trying to locate that promotional list. I can't find it. Is it public record? I wanted to know roughly how many people passed the promotional list in order to estimate how long it might take before they start calling from the open competitive list.

Disappointing response from the Exams Unit but there's a lot going on in 2017 - a new labor contract likely leading to a lot more retirements, promotion to conductor putting more conductors into the field, promotion to train operator removIng some conductors from the ranks. I sort of expected to get test results soon even if they're not hiring from this list for a while - then again, they may decide there's no point sending results until they're done hiring from the old open-competitive exam and they've done most of their hiring from the promotional exam. All we can do is move ahead with our lives, take other exams and hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised by our scores and list numbers when we eventually get the official results.

Any idea when the list may come out? January? Spring 2017?

Did they establish the list for promotion to conductor? Aren't they going to be hiring from that list starting in a few months, before they begin hiring from this open competitive list?

@RedViper, what did they say about conductor staffing plans? The link led to a 450 page document.

@RedViper, thanks for calling and letting us know what you found out. They'll get to us eventually, but the list may not issue for another few months, and they may not start professing people from the list for a few months after that. I'm thinking summer of 2017 (next summer) people might actually begin to get hired (enter school car) on this list, and the list may issue in January or February of next year.

@Riello, just do the best you can, and make sure each employer that is listed in the Social Security earnings report is identified in the 21-page packet. They'll ask you any questions at 180 Livingston - you'll need to be able to answer them to their satisfaction or get more info for them. But fundamentally they want to keep the process moving and you should be OK if you can provide basic employment info.