| n Competitive Service n Excepted Service n Senior Executive Service (SES) |
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.
| REF: n Title 5 USC Ch 21 n Title 5 USC Ch 31 n 5 CFR Chapter 1 n 5 CFR Chapter 213 n 5 CFR Chapter 302 |
