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The excepted service includes most of the
positions in the legislative branch and judicial branch. In addition, there are certain
positions or entire organizations which are in the excepted service by Statute, for
example, the Central Intelligence Agency, The Foreign Service, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, The United States Postal Service, certain positions in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and the National Guard Technicians in the Department of Defense. Positions may also be in the excepted service as directed by the President, by law or Executive Order, because of their confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating character. The most common use of Executive Orders has been to authorize Schedule C appointments or noncareer executive assignments for regional directors, regional representatives, and comparable positions in various agencies. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management may except positions under certain conditions through the use of special appointing authorities - Schedule A, B and C. Schedule A appointments are authorized by the Office of Personnel Management when it is not practicable to examine (ie. apply qualification standards and requirements established for the competitive service). Examples of such appointments include appointments of attorneys, law clerk trainees, people with disabilities, and other appointments to positions for which OPM determines that examining is impracticable. Schedule A appointments cannot be made to positions which are confidential or policy-determining in character, nor to positions in the Senior Executive Service (SES). Schedule B appointments are subject to basic qualification standards established by the Office of Personnel Management for the occupation and grade level. An example of such an appointment includes an appointment made under the Student Educational Employment Program. Schedule C appointments are made upon specific authorization by OPM to positions which
are policy-determining or involve a close and confidential working relationship with the
head of an agency or other key appointed official. |
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Positions that would ordinarily be in the
competitive service are in the excepted service while occupied by individuals appointed
under an excepted appointing authority. Examples include VRA and
Schedule A appointments. |
Revised: 11/10/98 |