U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Policies and Instructions

General Policies:
E. Application of Qualification Standards

1. Selecting the Appropriate Qualification Standard
2. Implementing New or Revised Standards
3. Experience Requirements
4. Educational and Training Provisions or Requirements
5. Crediting Combinations of Education and Experience
6. Using Selective Factors
7. Using Quality Ranking Factors
8. Special Inservice Placement Provisions
9. Other Requirements or Provisions
10. Supervisory Positions

8. Special Inservice Placement Provisions

Inservice placement applicants may meet minimum qualification requirements based on education (including superior academic achievement) and/or experience, as specified in the appropriate qualification standard. To qualify, they must usually have the same level and type of experience or education that is required for initial appointment. However, there are some special provisions, as follows:

1. Minimum educational requirements -- When there is a change to or addition of minimum educational requirements to an occupational series, Federal employees currently classified to that series do not have to meet the new educational requirements. (Also see (b) below.)

2. The "add-on rule" -- If an employee qualified for his or her current position by meeting the provisions of the appropriate standard (either an OPM standard or an agency-modified standard, as described in (c) below), the agency need only add on the difference between the length of experience required for the current position and the length of experience required for the proposed position. For example, a GS-2 employee in a clerical position qualified for his or her current position on the basis of high school graduation. The employee would be eligible for promotion to GS-3 after 3 months of employment, since the difference between the experience requirements for GS-2 (3 months) and the experience requirements for GS-3 (6 months) is 3 months. Note that at the GS-2 level, a high school diploma is credited the same as 3 months of experience.

   The "add-on rule" can be used even when the current and proposed positions are classified in different series if the level and quality of the experience required for the two series are not significantly different. The "add-on rule" can be used for any inservice placement action; however, the following restrictions apply:

   • If minimum educational requirements have been established or changed for an employee's former series, the "add-on rule" can be used to return the employee to that series only if:

     1. The employee has maintained current occupational knowledge through employment or education and meets any licensure or certification requirements; and

     2. Comparison of the position descriptions or other documentation of work performed shows clearly that the employee's former position included all the basic duties of the position to be filled and provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the new position. (This is particularly important when a minimum educational requirement has been added to an occupational series that did not have one when the employee served in it. In that instance, some positions formerly classified in the series may not have required full occupational knowledge and are now classified in a different series.)

   • If an employee has been placed in a position based on waiver of qualification requirements, the "add-on rule" does not apply, since the waiver provisions are normally applicable to that position only.

3. Modifying experience requirements for certain inservice placement actions -- An agency may determine that an individual can successfully perform the work of a position even though that person may not meet all the requirements in the OPM qualification standard. In that situation, agencies are authorized to modify OPM qualification standards for reassignments, voluntary changes to lower grades, transfers, reinstatements, and repromotions to a grade not higher than a grade previously held when the applicant's background includes related experience that provided the KSA's necessary for successful job performance. This authority should be used only when there is a reasonable likelihood that the employee will successfully make the transition to the new position, and cannot be used for directed reassignments to positions in which an employee obviously would not be able to perform the work.

   This authority is not to be used for placement to a higher grade, except where the employee previously held a position at that grade or higher grade levels.

   This authority can be used to place an employee in a position with greater promotion potential than the position currently or previously held. If an agency's merit promotion plan requires employees to compete for the position, the agency must specify in the vacancy announcement the qualification requirements to be met. The experience accepted as qualifying should equip the employee to meet the critical elements set out in the performance standard for the position. This provision does not authorize agencies to disregard minimum educational, licensure, or certification requirements in OPM standards.

   The agency's use of a modified standard should be documented sufficiently to show that it was intentional, and that the assignment did not result from misinterpretation of the OPM standard. When an employee has been placed in a position based on modification of a qualification standard under this provision, the "add-on rule" may be applied in any subsequent inservice placement action.

4. Experience level required for promotion in one-grade interval series. In a one-grade interval series, experience at the second lower grade level can be credited when there is no position in the normal line of progression that is one grade lower than the position being filled. When this provision is used for promotions requiring competition under the agency's merit promotion plan, the fact that employees can qualify with at least 1 year at either the next lower level or the second lower level must be stated in any vacancy announcement. (Also see p. II-9, E.3.(o)).

5. Crediting education or training for promotion -- Education or training can be credited as experience towards promotion for employees who are detailed or are granted leave without pay for the purpose of obtaining specialized knowledge and skills. The agency must determine that the education or training contributes materially to the competence of the employee in his/her work and that the employee possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for successful performance in the position to be filled. This education cannot be credited again towards meeting the basic educational requirements in a standard. (See E.3.(i).)