Ala. Code § 45-58-231.31: Applications for Employment; Examinations.

Persons seeking employment in any position must file applications with the board, and the board, from time to time, shall conduct examinations to test the ability of the applicants. All qualified applicants shall be examined and examinations shall be public, competitive, and subject to limitations specified by the board, and other factors pertinent to ability to discharge the duties of the position, provided further that only United States citizens may apply for any position. Examinations shall be practical in character and shall relate to those matters which test the ability of the person examined to discharge intelligently the duties of the position for which he or she applies. Any application which is more than two years old shall not be considered for filling any vacancy and in no case shall the board appoint or approve an appointment from an application which is over two years old. Any person whose application has lapsed may make reapplication for any position. An applicant may apply for more than one position; however any such applicant shall be entitled to be examined only once each two-year period for each position sought, unless otherwise provided by the board.