NYC SSA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Why There's No Official NYC SSA Pass Rate

Anyone searching for a single published pass-rate percentage for the New York City School Safety Agent Exam is going to come up empty. The exam is 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 - and DCAS does not publicly release aggregate pass-rate statistics, item counts, or time limits for this exam. That's a deliberate practice across many civil service exams, not an oversight specific to NYC SSA.

So instead of chasing a number that doesn't exist, the more useful exercise is understanding the mechanics that actually determine whether an individual candidate clears the bar: the fixed passing score, the nine measured abilities, the testing environment, and the eligible list process that follows. That's what this article breaks down using only what DCAS has actually published about Exam No. 7323 and its immediate predecessors.

What the 70 Percent Passing Score Actually Tells You

The one hard number DCAS does publish is the minimum passing score: 70 percent. That threshold applies to a multiple-choice test taken at a computer terminal, not a paper exam. Because DCAS does not disclose how many questions appear on the test or how much time candidates are given, 70 percent should be read as a floor for correctness across the whole exam rather than a target you can reverse-engineer question by question.

What this means practically: there's no partial credit strategy of "skip the hard domain entirely." Since the nine abilities are blended into one overall score, weakness in any single area can drag your composite below 70 even if you're strong everywhere else. For a full breakdown of how the scoring threshold interacts with list placement, see our dedicated NYC SSA Passing Score guide.

Exam Format Factors That Influence Who Passes

Format details that DCAS does publish have a real effect on outcomes, even without a stated pass rate:

• Computer-based testing only: The exam is delivered in person at DCAS's own Computer-based Testing and Application Centers - in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Candidates unfamiliar with on-screen multiple-choice navigation lose time adjusting mid-test.
• Strict device policy: Calculators are prohibited, and phones, smart watches, cameras, e-cigarettes, vape pens, headphones, and earbuds must be sealed in Yondr pouches. A violation nullifies your score, forfeits your fee, and can bar you from civil service testing for up to five years - an outcome that has nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with preparation logistics.
• ID matching: One valid, non-expired, signature-and-photo ID is required, and the name must match your application exactly. Mismatches can keep a qualified candidate from testing at all.

None of these factors show up in a "difficulty" discussion, but they directly shape who actually reaches a scored attempt. If you want a broader look at how these logistics stack up against the cognitive demands of the test, How Hard Is the NYC SSA Exam? covers that comparison in depth.

Which of the Nine Domains Trip Up Candidates

DCAS measures nine abilities on the NYC SSA exam. It does not publish per-domain weighting, so no domain can be safely deprioritized. Based on the nature of each ability, here's where candidates commonly need the most deliberate practice:

For the full list of all nine domains - Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Memorization, Problem Sensitivity, Spatial Orientation, Visualization, Written Comprehension, and Written Expression - with what each one measures, see the NYC SSA Exam Domains Guide. Since DCAS gives no weighting breakdown, treating all nine as equally scoring-critical is the safest assumption.

How the Eligible List Changes What "Passing" Means

Scoring 70 percent or above is only step one. DCAS places all passing candidates on an eligible list in final score order, and each candidate receives a list number. That list typically stays active for four years and determines the order in which candidates are considered for appointment.

This is a critical distinction from a pass/fail credential exam: on the NYC SSA exam, your rank relative to other passing candidates matters as much as clearing the 70 percent floor. Two candidates can both "pass," yet only the one with the higher score gets called sooner. This is one reason candidates who are serious about appointment timelines aim well above the minimum rather than treating 70 as a finish line.

Filing Cycles, Fees, and Why Timing Affects Outcomes

The current open filing is Exam No. 7323, with an application period running July 1 through August 25, 2026, and multiple-choice testing expected to begin Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The application fee is $61.00 plus a nonrefundable 2.00 percent service fee on card payments. Fee waivers are available for veterans, unemployed individuals, New York City high school students, first-time test takers, and recipients of public assistance or supplementary security income.

This filing follows Exam No. 6325 ($54.00, testing from March 23, 2026) and Exam No. 6324 ($54.00, testing from January 13, 2026) - a reminder that fees and cycles shift between filings. Candidates should always confirm current details rather than relying on a prior cycle's numbers. For a full cost breakdown including waiver eligibility, see NYC SSA Certification Cost 2026, and for the complete testing calendar see NYC SSA Exam Dates 2026.

Non-Score Reasons Candidates Get Screened Out

Not every candidate who scores well ends up appointed, and this matters for interpreting "pass" data honestly. Beyond the exam itself, candidates must qualify for NYPD Special Patrolman status under Administrative Code Section 14-106 and Title 38 Chapter 13. That includes being at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, a New York City resident (residency can shift to Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam after two years of continuous employment), having no dishonorable discharge, demonstrating good moral character, and having no felony convictions or serious offenses under NYS Penal Law 265.00(17) - though a Certificate of Good Conduct or Relief from Disabilities can restore eligibility in some cases.

After passing, candidates also face an NYPD background investigation, a $75.00 fingerprint screening fee, a qualifying physical test, a federal-standard drug screening, and medical and psychological assessment, followed by a one-year probationary period. The education requirement is a four-year high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, with foreign education requiring formal evaluation. A full walkthrough of all these prerequisites is in NYC SSA Requirements 2026.

Candidates with at least six months of full-time Assistant School Safety Agent experience in a New York City public school may also qualify for Selective Certification, a separate pathway worth understanding before you assume the standard list order is your only route in.

A Domain-Focused Way to Raise Your Odds

Because DCAS doesn't publish domain weights, the safest preparation strategy spreads focused review across all nine abilities rather than betting heavily on one or two. A simple way to structure this in the weeks before your Exam No. 7323 test date:

For a more detailed, step-by-step prep plan, the NYC SSA Study Guide 2026 walks through pacing and resource selection in more depth, and our full practice test platform lets you drill each domain individually before combining them into timed simulations. Reviewing the one-page NYC SSA cheat sheet in your final days is also a fast way to confirm you haven't overlooked a domain.

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