- Exam No. 7323 costs $61.00, plus a nonrefundable 2.00% card service fee.
- Fees rose from $54.00 (Exam 6324/6325) to $61.00 for the current 2026 filing.
- Veterans, unemployed applicants, NYC high school students, first-timers, and public assistance recipients can get full waivers.
- A separate $75.00 fingerprint screening fee applies later, during background investigation.
2026 Application Fee Breakdown
If you're planning to apply for the New York City School Safety Agent Exam in 2026, the first number you need is straightforward: $61.00. That's the application fee for the current open filing, Exam No. 7323, administered by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), Bureau of Examinations, under Title Code No. 60817 in the School Security Occupational Group.
The application window runs from July 1 to August 25, 2026, and multiple-choice testing is expected to begin Tuesday, October 20, 2026. If you pay your application fee with a credit or debit card, DCAS tacks on a nonrefundable 2.00 percent service fee on top of the base $61.00. That's a small amount in dollar terms, but it's worth knowing upfront so there are no surprises when you check out on the DCAS application portal.
Unlike some other civil service exams, DCAS is both the governing body and the sole testing provider for this exam. There's no third-party vendor markup or separate registration platform fee to worry about - the $61.00 (plus the card surcharge, if applicable) is the entire application cost.
How Fees Have Changed: Exam 6324, 6325, and 7323
Application fees for this exam aren't fixed forever - they shift slightly from one filing cycle to the next. Looking at the two immediately prior filings gives useful context for what "normal" pricing looks like and what candidates should expect going forward.
| Exam Number | Application Fee | Testing Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exam No. 6324 | $54.00 | January 13, 2026 |
| Exam No. 6325 | $54.00 | March 23, 2026 |
| Exam No. 7323 (current) | $61.00 | Expected October 20, 2026 |
The jump from $54.00 to $61.00 between the early-2026 filings and the current cycle is a meaningful increase - about 13 percent. There's no published explanation tied to any single domain or testing change, so treat it as a straightforward administrative fee adjustment rather than a sign that the exam content or format has shifted. If you're tracking upcoming filing periods, our NYC SSA Exam Dates 2026 guide breaks down testing windows and deadlines in more detail.
Who Qualifies for a Fee Waiver
DCAS offers full fee waivers to several categories of applicants, and it's worth checking whether you qualify before you pay anything. The waiver eligibility groups for this exam include:
- Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Unemployed individuals at the time of application
- New York City high school students
- First-time test takers applying to a New York City civil service exam for the first time
- Recipients of public assistance or supplementary security income
Key Takeaway
If you fall into any of the five waiver categories, you may be able to apply to Exam No. 7323 without paying the $61.00 fee at all - confirm your documentation requirements directly through the DCAS application system before submitting.
Because waiver categories are broad, a large share of applicants - especially those applying for the first time to any city civil service title - end up paying nothing at the application stage. That said, the waiver only covers the application fee itself; it does not cover downstream costs like fingerprinting, which are discussed below.
Hidden Costs Beyond the Application Fee
The $61.00 application fee is only the entry point. Passing the written multiple-choice exam and landing on the eligible list is the first hurdle, but appointment to the role involves several additional steps that carry their own costs and requirements. Understanding this full sequence matters just as much as understanding the exam content covered in our NYC SSA Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Fingerprint Screening Fee
Once you're being considered for appointment, you'll need to pay a $75.00 fingerprint screening fee as part of the NYPD background investigation process. This is separate from the DCAS application fee and is not waived under the same categories.
- Required before appointment, not before testing
- Non-refundable regardless of investigation outcome
Background Investigation and Screening
Because the role requires NYPD Special Patrolman status under Administrative Code Section 14-106 and Title 38 Chapter 13, candidates go through a full background investigation, a qualifying physical test, a federal-standard drug screening, and medical and psychological assessment.
- No felony convictions or offenses under NYS Penal Law 265.00(17), absent a Certificate of Good Conduct or Relief from Disabilities
- Good moral character and no dishonorable discharge
- U.S. citizenship and New York City residency at appointment (residency can later move to Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam after two years of continuous employment)
None of these steps carry additional DCAS fees beyond the $75.00 fingerprint charge, but they do require time, paperwork, and in some cases travel to appointments - factors worth planning around even though they aren't dollar costs. Full eligibility details are covered in our NYC SSA Requirements 2026 guide.
Total Realistic Cost to Get Hired
Putting the pieces together, here's what a candidate without a fee waiver should realistically budget to go from application to appointment:
| Cost Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| DCAS application fee (Exam No. 7323) | $61.00 |
| Card payment service fee (2.00%, if applicable) | ~$1.22 |
| Fingerprint screening fee | $75.00 |
| Estimated total (card payment, no waiver) | ~$137.22 |
That's the extent of the officially published, mandatory fees. There's no separate "certification fee" charged by DCAS beyond these - this is a civil service examination and appointment process, not a private certification with recurring renewal charges. Candidates who qualify for a fee waiver could bring their total mandatory cost down to just the $75.00 fingerprint fee.
Cost vs. Starting Salary: Is It Worth It
A roughly $137 total investment (or less, with a waiver) is modest when weighed against the compensation structure of the role. Starting salary is $40,480 per annum, rising to $58,345 after five years of service. The probationary period is one year, and the eligible list generated from Exam No. 7323 typically remains active for four years, determining the order candidates are considered for appointment.
Compared to many entry-level city and private-sector positions requiring similar upfront costs for licensing, background checks, or certification exams, the NYC SSA application process is relatively low-cost to enter. The real "cost" for most candidates isn't financial - it's the preparation time required to pass the written exam on the first attempt and avoid having to re-apply to a future filing at a higher fee. For a full breakdown of long-term earning potential, see our NYC SSA Salary Guide 2026, and for a broader cost-benefit analysis, check Is the NYC SSA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
Budgeting for Study Prep Without Overspending
Since the application fee itself is low, most candidates' real spending decision is how much to invest in exam preparation. The written exam is multiple-choice, delivered at a computer terminal at one of DCAS's own testing centers, with a minimum passing score of 70 percent. DCAS publishes nine abilities the exam measures - Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Memorization, Problem Sensitivity, Spatial Orientation, Visualization, Written Comprehension, and Written Expression - but does not publish an item count, time limit, or per-ability weighting, so a scattershot approach to studying wastes both time and money.
A cost-efficient way to prepare is to sequence your review around the domains rather than buying broad, generic study packages. For example:
Reasoning-Heavy Domains
- Deductive Reasoning and Inductive Reasoning practice questions
- Problem Sensitivity scenario drills
Sequencing and Memory Domains
- Information Ordering exercises
- Memorization drills using short-recall techniques
Spatial and Verbal Domains
- Spatial Orientation and Visualization practice
- Written Comprehension and Written Expression review passages
This kind of targeted spacing - reviewing related domains together instead of randomly - helps you avoid paying for redundant materials that cover the same ground twice. Our NYC SSA Study Guide 2026 walks through a full first-attempt strategy, and the NYC SSA Cheat Sheet 2026 is a useful low-cost reference for last-minute review. If you want to gauge realistic difficulty before committing to a paid resource, start with How Hard Is the NYC SSA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Before spending money on any prep resource, it's worth running a few sample questions on our practice test platform to see where your baseline stands across all nine domains. That diagnostic step alone can save you from over-purchasing materials for domains you've already mastered, and it pairs well with the domain-by-domain breakdown in the NYC SSA Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
The current filing, Exam No. 7323, has a $61.00 application fee, plus a nonrefundable 2.00 percent service fee if you pay by card. The application period runs July 1 to August 25, 2026.
Exam No. 6324 and Exam No. 6325, the two filings immediately before the current cycle, both charged $54.00. Exam No. 7323 raised the fee to $61.00. DCAS does not publish a specific reason tied to exam content changes.
Yes. Full fee waivers are available to veterans, unemployed individuals, New York City high school students, first-time test takers, and recipients of public assistance or supplementary security income.
Yes. Candidates being considered for appointment must pay a $75.00 fingerprint screening fee as part of the NYPD background investigation, in addition to completing a physical test, drug screening, and medical and psychological assessment.
The exam requires a minimum passing score of 70 percent across nine measured abilities, with no published item count or time limit. Because there's no per-domain weighting published, focusing your budget on targeted domain practice rather than broad generic packages tends to be more cost-effective. See our NYC SSA Passing Score 2026 guide for details.