BOSTON (AP) – Investigators are looking into whether a group of Boston firefighters cheated during a civil service promotion exam in November.

Officials are trying to determine if the men took turns going to the men’s room, tapping out answers on their cell phones and sending text messages back to firefighters in the testing area.

The state Human Resources Division confirmed that it received an anonymous complaint about cheating during a lieutenant exam. About 186 firefighters took the exam.

Officials say they consider the allegation serious enough to launch an investigation. If they conclude that cheating did occur, they could be forced to scrap results of the entire exam.

The Human Resources Division handles civil service testing for police and fire departments across the state.

The tests include entrance exams and promotional tests to qualify police officers and firefighters as chiefs, captains, and lieutenants. The division also administers tests for guards at state prisons.

“We take the integrity of the test, and any allegations of wrongdoing in this process, very seriously and will take appropriate action if the investigation finds misconduct.” Sally McNeely, director of the division’s Organizational Development Group, said in a statement to The Boston Globe.

McNeely said those taking the test are told well in advance to leave their cell phones or electronic devices at home.

If they do show up with cell phones or electronic devices, they are told to turn them off, place them under their desk, and leave them there until after the test is over, McNeely said.

Officials said they received the complaint on Dec. 14 and could not say how long the investigation will take.

Fire officials declined to comment on the allegations.

The firefighter lieutenants’ exam is highly competitive. There are typically more than 100 applicants testing for 20 or so openings each year in the Boston Fire Department. Lieutenants made an average of $81,640 in 2006, about $16,600 more than rank-and-file firefighters.

If the allegations are true, it wouldn’t be the first time that cheating was discovered during a promotional exam for Boston public safety workers.

In July, the results of Boston Police Department detective’s exam were tossed out when officials found some taking the test had learned ahead of time about certain questions.

from the study materials were not going to be included in the test.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe

AP-ES-01-06-08 1316EST