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Five or Ten Preference Points on the Classified Service Score

Five points added to a passing numerical score on an application for the classified service, ten with a service-connected disability — and the same five points reach an applicant currently serving in the national guard.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

Who is entitled to it

You served in the armed forces.
You are applying in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

1Claim the preference on the application. Five points are added to the final passing numerical score for a veteran honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces; ten points where the discharge carries a service-connected disability.
2Serving national guard members claim the same five points — the rule puts them alongside discharged veterans rather than making them wait for a discharge.
3Ask about the residency points separately. Two points are added for each year of residence, capped at ten, for any applicant who meets the minimum qualifications. They stack on top of the veteran points.
4The points move your position on the employment list; the rule places a veteran on that list in numerical order alongside other veterans and non-veterans, so the effect is competitive rather than absolute.

Form: Application for a classified state position
File with: The hiring agency, through the State Personnel Office system
Documents you will need: dd214
No renewal: Once granted it does not need renewing.

Worth knowingThe points are added to a "final passing numerical score" — they lift a passing applicant, they do not create a pass. An applicant who does not reach the passing threshold gets nothing from them.

Worth knowingThe residency preference is separate and larger than most veterans expect: two points per year of residence up to ten. A long-resident veteran can carry twenty points into the same score.

CorrectionThe rule names serving national guard members alongside discharged veterans for the five points, citing NMSA 1978, §20-4-9. A guard member who assumes preference starts at discharge is leaving points on the table.

Sources

authority · regulation1.7.5.11 NMAC — Assessment of qualifications; preference points (State Personnel Administration; NMSA 1978, §§10-9-13, 10-9-13.2, 20-4-9)

Why only one source type: The official NMAC text, hosted by the State Records Center and Archives, states the point values, the classes who receive them and the enabling statutes in terms.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.