The CJO Examination

When the Jail Manager Certification Commission (JMCC) determines that the applicant is eligible to sit for the examination, the applicant will receive an Application for the Jail Officer Certification Examination and an Examination Payment Submission form which will need to be completed, signed and returned to AJA with the examination fee by the Examination Application deadline.

AJA submits the forms to the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC). PTC will then send approximately 6 weeks prior to the start of the testing period an Eligibility Notice to the candidate which contains information on how to schedule the testing appointment.

If a candidate does not receive the Eligibility Notice at least 3 weeks before the testing period, they must call PTC at 212-356-0660 as soon as possible.

EXAMINATION ADMINISTRATION

The CJO Examination is administered during an established two-week testing period on a daily basis, Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays, at computer-based testing facilities managed by PSI.  PSI has several hundred testing sites in the United States, as well as Canada. Scheduling is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. To find a testing center near you visit: www.ptcny.com/cbt/sites.htm or call PSI at (800) 211-2754. Please note: Hours and days of availability vary at different centers. You will not be able to schedule your examination appointment until you have received an Eligibility Notice from PTC.

ONLINE TESTING SOFTWARE DEMO

A Testing Software Demo can be viewed online by visiting  http://www.ptcny.com/cbt/demo.htm.  This online Testing Software Demo can give you an idea about the features of the testing software.

CHANGING YOUR
EXAMINATION APPOINTMENT

If you need to cancel your examination appointment or reschedule to a different date within the two-week testing period you must contact PSI at (800) 211-2754 no later than noon, Eastern Standard Time, of the second business day PRIOR to your scheduled appointment.  

If you fail to arrive for your appointment or cancel without giving the required notice, you will forfeit your testing fee.

RULES FOR THE EXAMINATION

1.   Electronic devices including but not limited to, cell phones, pagers, palm pilots, Blackberries, Bluetooth type devices, voice recording devices, cameras, and MP3 players (IPOD, I-Touch, etc.) cannot be used during the examination.

2.   No books or reference materials may be taken into the examination room.

3.   Simple, nonprogrammable calculators are permitted with the exception of calculators as part of cellular phones, blackberries, etc.  A calculator is also available on screen if needed.

4.   No questions concerning content of the examination may be asked during the testing period.  The candidate should read carefully the directions that are provided on screen at the beginning of the examination session.

The Examination for Certified Jail Officer is administered during an established two-week period, Monday through Saturday excluding Sundays at computer-based testing facilities managed by PSI. The exam is comprised of 175 multiple-choice, objective questions and has a total testing time of three hours. Questions for the examination are based on the examination content outline (as described in the CJO Handbook) and are obtained from individuals with expertise in jail operations. All questions are reviewed for construction, accuracy, and appropriateness by the JMCC. The JMCC, with the advice and assistance of the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC), prepares the examination. The examination is administered by PTC.

The Jail Officer Certification examination is weighted in approximately the following manner:

Additional information about the examination's content outline and sample questions can be found in the CJO Handbook for Candidates.

Eligible candidates who pass the Jail Officer Certification Examination will be certified for a period of four years and are permitted to use the CJO designation. Certified Jail Officers are listed on AJA's web site and in several American Jail Association publications.

To assure that the CJO program continually meets the changing needs of the profession, the Jail Manager Certification Commission (JMCC) is continually in the process of adding examination questions to the certification exam item bank. If you are a Certified Jail Officer and interested in submitting potential test questions for the CJO examination, refer to formulating questions for the Jail Officer Certification Examination.

The certification examination is administered by the
Professional Testing Corporation (PTC)
1350 Broadway - 17th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212-356-0660
www.ptcny.com

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CJO Deadline and Testing Dates 

2012 WINTER TESTING DATES

CJO Application Deadline: October 17, 2011
Exam Application Deadline: December 12, 2011
First Day of Testing: February 11, 2012
Last Day of Testing: February 25, 2012

2012 SUMMER TESTING DATES

CJO Application Deadline: May 1, 2012
Exam Application Deadline: June 18, 2012
First Day of Testing: August 11, 2012
Last Day of Testing: August 25, 2012