2164 ARTICLE 64A.

1920, ch. 41, sec. 9. 1920, ch. 658.

9. Examinations held by the Commissioner to establish lists of persons
eligible for appointment may be written or oral or in the form of a demon-
stration of skill or any combination of these and shall be of a character
fairly to test and determine the relative figures and ability of candidates
actually to perform the duties of the class of positions to which they seek
to be appointed. Any investigation of training and experience and any
test of technical knowledge, manual skill or physical fitness that in the
judgment of the Commissioner serves to this end may be employed. Ex-
amination shall be competitive, free and open to all persons who may be
lawfully appointed to any position within the class for which the examina-
tion is held, with such limitations as may be specified in the rules by the
Commissioner as to age, sex, health, habits, moral character, physical con-
dition, and. other qualifications that are in the judgment of the Commis-
sioner prerequisite to the performance of the duties of such positions; pro-
vided, however, that the Commissioner may, from time to time, provide
for general rules exempting from competitive examinations positions to
be filled by unskilled manual laborers, including positions for road patrol-
men under the State Roads Commission, and may, if he sees fit, provide
in lieu of said competitive examinations such system or systems of regis-
tration for said laborers or otherwise as in its judgment will best provide
for such positions; and provided further as to all positions that the Com-
missioner may by his rules give preference in competition for higher
classes of positions to classified service employees or to classified service
employees of a certain class or classes by giving credit for experience and
demonstrated efficiency (not to exceed twenty per centum of all marks)
in determining the relative fitness for promotion of such employees. Hon-
orably discharged soldiers, sailors, marines and regularly enlisted army
and navy nurses engaged in the service of the United States for a period
of not less than sixty days, who were residents of this State at the time of
their entry into such service, shall be given special credit for such service
in the experience markings' of examinations in which they may compete,
which shall be equivalent to not less than twenty points on a basis of one
hundred.

Promotion is a change from one class to another class with a higher
maximum compensation, and vacancies shall be filled by promotion as
far as is consistent with the best interests of the classified service, in the
judgment of the Commissioner.

The Commissioner shall control all examinations and may designate
as special examiners any officers or employees of this State or any other
person not in the service of this State to conduct and hold such examina-
tions as the Commissioner may direct and to make return and report
thereof to him. The Commissioner shall have power to review the find-
ings in all such reports, and may order new examinations if he deems
such action desirable. The Commissioner may at any time substitute
any other person in the place of any person so designated and may him-
self conduct such examinations without designating special examiners..