Section 17. The administrator, without requisition from an appointing authority, may hold a competitive examination to establish an eligible list of persons with bachelor's degrees. Such examination shall be open to any person who, at the time of the examination, has completed, or expects to complete within nine months, a four year course leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or who has a combination of education and experience in administrative, professional or investigative work which the administrator finds acceptable.
Names shall be placed on the eligible list established as a result of such examination in the order specified by section twenty-six. Such list shall be open to public inspection. Each applicant shall be notified promptly of his mark on the examination. Certification from such list shall be made by the administrator only to fill vacancies in offices or positions in the official service for which he determines the examination to have been appropriate. Certifications from such list to the subdivisions of the commonwealth shall be made only upon request of the appointing authority.
A person who has taken an examination pursuant to this section shall not have recourse to the review procedures set forth in section twenty-two.