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

3. Experience Requirements

Experience is typically described in a qualification standard as either general or specialized experience.

1. General experience is usually required at grade levels where the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of a specific position are not a prerequisite, but where applicants must have demonstrated the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills.

2. Specialized experience is typically required for positions above the entry level where applicants must have demonstrated that they possess the ability to perform successfully the duties of a position after a normal orientation period. Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

3. Describing experience in vacancy announcements -- The following factors should be considered in describing experience in vacancy announcements:

   • Since a published OPM qualification standard may cover hundreds of positions in dozens of organizations, it must be broad enough to cover the range of work classified to the occupational series. Therefore, agencies and examining offices should clearly describe the specific experience or education required to qualify for the positions covered by an examination or vacancy announcement. This will better attract applicants with appropriate qualifications to agencies, thereby greatly improving the effectiveness of the examination process.

   • The description of qualifying general experience will vary in its degree of specificity from one series to another. For some occupational series, any progressively responsible work experience may be qualifying. Others may require experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupational series. For example, an entry level medical technician position may require general experience that provided a basic knowledge of the procedures and equipment in a chemical or clinical laboratory.

   • A position description or a position classification standard can usually provide information related to the duties and responsibilities typical of work in an occupational series or position. This information is useful in the staffing process in identifying specialized experience requirements and also in determining the level of experience possessed by applicants.

     1. Determining level of experience -- Most qualification standards require that a certain amount of the qualifying experience be at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower or second lower grade. The grade-level criteria in the position classification standard or guide help in making this determination, particularly for applicants with experience outside the Federal Government.

     2. Identifying specialized experience -- As indicated in (b) above, many qualification standards describe specialized experience as experience "related to the work of the position." This is to allow agencies to pinpoint the specific requirements in the vacancy announcements for their positions. For example, to meet the specialized experience requirements for a medical technician position, the applicant would likely be required to have a specific level of experience performing duties such as preparing culture media and stains and performing certain laboratory tests. The description of duties and responsibilities contained in the position classification standard, along with the position description, help in identifying the kinds of work experience that would meet this requirement. In addition, the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work may also be described.

4. Crediting experience -- Creditable experience is experience of the type (general or specialized), level, and amount specified in the appropriate standard. Applicants are considered to have satisfied the requirement for 1 year of experience through completion of either 12 months or 52 weeks of creditable work experience, whichever comes first. Similarly, a requirement for 6 months of experience can be met by an applicant with 26 weeks of experience, and a requirement for 3 months of experience can be met by an applicant with 13 weeks of experience. Regardless of the method used to determine the amount of qualifying experience, agencies should again note that the qualification standards in this section describe minimum requirements only. Therefore, they should ensure that the quality of an applicant's experience clearly demonstrates the KSA's necessary to perform the work of the position to be filled.

   • If the standard distinguishes between general and specialized experience, general experience cannot be credited as specialized experience. However, specialized experience can be credited as general experience.

   • Applicants who meet the experience requirements for a higher grade level in a given series also meet the experience requirements for lower grades in the same series.

   • Salary or military rank alone should not be used to determine the level of an applicant's experience. Experience for which the applicant received little or no pay is given the same credit as comparable paid experience.

   • Federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. However, experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager or human resources director, SF-52, or other documentation). Similarly, experience gained in the Federal service under a misassignment or improper appointment is given the same credit as experience under a proper appointment if the applicant submits satisfactory evidence to substantiate his/her claim.

   • An employee whose position is upgraded as a result of a reclassification is considered to meet the qualification requirements of the upgraded position, since he or she has been performing the higher-graded work. However, employees must meet any licensure or certification requirements, as well as any minimum educational requirements or the provisions in section E.4.(g).

   • Appropriate experience gained while on detail or in "mixed-grade" or "mixed-series" positions is creditable when satisfactorily documented. Credit is given for the percentage of time that the applicant spent on the qualifying duties. Also see paragraph (l) on crediting experience gained on detail, and E.10. on crediting supervisory experience.

5. (e) Crediting one-grade interval or wage grade experience -- Technician, paraprofessional, and substantive clerical support experience may be qualifying for two-grade interval positions, and wage grade experience may be qualifying for General Schedule positions, if the experience demonstrated the KSA's required to perform the work successfully. This is true for either lateral or promotion actions.

   The basic requirements for type and level of experience and/or education apply to all applicants, whether their experience has been in the same occupation as the position being filled or in related support or wage grade occupations. Work experience that included both qualifying and nonqualifying duties is credited based on the percentage of time spent on the creditable experience.

   Applicants with specialized experience can have that experience credited towards meeting the basic requirements for professional occupations that permit qualification on the basis of experience as well as education. Such experience may be creditable not only for meeting the basic requirements, but also for positions at GS-7 and above if it is comparable to that which would have been gained in a two-grade interval professional series and clearly demonstrates that the applicant has the necessary background to perform satisfactorily the duties of the position to be filled.

   Since two-grade interval positions may differ significantly in the nature of the work (e.g., greater independence, responsibility, and judgment), it is important that applicants be evaluated on the variety and progressive nature of their work assignments and on any applicable training or course work completed.

6. Determining normal work week/work year -- Credit is given based on the normal work week and work year for the particular type of employment. Experience that involved less than the normal work week or work year is credited based on the relation it bears to the norm. Work weeks/work years are credited as follows:

   • In most occupations, the normal full-time work week is 35-40 hours and the normal work year is 12 months. Employees are not expected to work during scheduled days off, holidays, or normal vacation periods.

   • In occupations where the normal work year is less than the calendar year, e.g., teaching, an applicant who works the prevailing work year should be credited with a full year of required experience unless the applicable standard specifies otherwise. An applicant who receives a full year's credit for less than 12 months of actual work cannot gain additional credit for doing more of the same work in the remaining months (e.g., for teaching in summer school). However, credit can be given for any applicable experience gained in a different type of work, but no more than 1 year of experience can be credited for any 12-month period.

   • Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience. For example, an employee working 20 hours per week for a 12-month period should be credited with 6 months of experience. Creditable experience should generally be determined on the basis of hours in a pay status (excluding overtime) rather than scheduled hours in order to recognize the service of part-time employees who frequently are required to work additional straight-time hours.

     Applicants who have the same amount of experience should generally receive the same credit. For example, a seasonal employee who worked full time for 9 months a year and a part-time employee who worked 30 hours a week for a year would receive the same credit. However, as stated in paragraph (d), agencies should ensure that the quality of an applicant's experience clearly demonstrates the KSA's necessary to perform the work of the position to be filled. Agencies should be careful in totaling small segments of time worked to ensure that they materially add to a person's qualifications, e.g., that substantive knowledge or skills have been gained.

   • Employees who entered military duty or who sustained compensable injuries on the job while serving under a career or career-conditional appointment will receive credit for experience on a different basis. See 5 CFR 353, Restoration to Duty From Uniformed Service or Compensable Injury. (Also see paragraph (k) on Military experience, that follows, to determine how to credit military leave as experience.)

   Instances may occur where applicants worked significantly less than their scheduled hours. For example, applicants may have been employed normally on a full-time, part-time, or seasonal basis, but took extended leave. In such instances, it would be reasonable to evaluate any significant consecutive period of leave (e.g., 35 work days or more in a year) to deter-mine whether it effectively reduces the applicant's qualifications for a position.

7. Concurrent experience in more than one position -- Concurrent experience can be credited as follows:

   • General experience -- Credit may be given for general experience gained concurrently in more than one position depending on its applicability. If the experience meets the requirements of the standard, credit should be given for the time, excluding overtime, worked in each position. However, credit can be given for only 1 year of experience for any 12-month period. For example, a person who worked full time in each of two clerical positions for over 6 months during a 12-month period, performing duties comparable to the GS-3 level, can only be credited with a year of general clerical experience.

   • Specialized Experience -- Concurrent, straight-time experience in a second position can be credited towards meeting specialized experience requirements only if it contributes significantly to the applicant's possession of the specific KSA's required for the position to be filled. However, credit may be given for only 1 year of qualifying experience for any 12-month period.

8. Crediting teaching experience for non-teaching positions -- In evaluating teaching experience for credit as specialized experience, the nature of the material taught and the responsibility, scope, and knowledge required by the teaching position should be compared to the requirements of the appropriate standard. To be creditable as specialized experience, the teaching and non-teaching activities should have provided the applicant with the same type and level of KSA's that would be required to perform qualifying work in the field. Normally, teaching experience would have to be at the college level to be creditable for professional positions.

9. Education and experience gained concurrently -- When qualifying education and experience have been gained concurrently, credit is given for each based on the time spent and merit of each. In many instances, supervised experience is required as part of an academic curriculum or course work (e.g., nursing, teaching, or social work). An applicant cannot receive full credit for this supervised experience as education and additional credit for the supervised experience as experience, except as may be provided in a particular standard, since the practical experience is integral to the educational curriculum. The applicant can, however, receive full credit for supervised experience that was not considered as part of the qualifying education. (Also see paragraph (j) below.)

10. Crediting work-study experience for initial appointment -- Experience gained by graduates of work-study programs can be credited towards meeting specialized experience requirements if the work-study experience was related to and integrated with education above the high school level and contributed to the development of competence in the specialized field of the position being filled. To meet the specialized experience requirements, the applicant must have 12 months of work experience in a work-study program, with at least 2 months (320 hours) of work equivalent to the next lower grade level or band in the normal line of progression for the position to be filled.

    (Undergraduate work-study experience is normally comparable to experience gained at GS-5 or below.) Work-study experience is creditable, even when it is a mandatory requirement of the school, unless academic credit, i.e., grades or credit hours, has been given for such experience. Note that credit cannot be granted both as education and experience for the same period of work. (See paragraph (i) above.)

11. Military experience -- Military service that is creditable for veterans' preference or that is the basis for restoration to the former civilian position should either be evaluated as an extension of the work the individual was doing immediately before entry into the Armed Forces, or on its own merits, whichever is more beneficial to the individual. In instances where employment in an occupation interrupted by military service was on a part-time basis, the extension of that experience is creditable on the same part-time basis. (See 5 CFR 353 for more information on restoration rights and crediting military service.)

    • Extension of prior civilian experience -- Creditable military service can be counted as an extension of the work the individual was engaged in immediately prior to entry into service. ("Immediately prior to" is defined as within the 90-day period preceding entry into military service.) In instances where an individual accepted fill-in employment while awaiting induction, he or she is considered as having been employed in his or her regular occupation "immediately prior to" entry into military service, if the period of fill-in employment did not exceed 90 days. In crediting time spent in military service as an extension of time spent in civilian occupations, military service can be credited either as an extension of the regular employment or of the fill-in employment, whichever is more advantageous to the individual. All military experience evaluated on this basis will be credited at the same level of difficulty and responsibility as the prior civilian experience.

    • Military experience on its own merits -- If the actual military experience is to be evaluated for credit, it is particularly important that it is evaluated on the basis of the duties performed, rather than on the basis of the military rank of the individual.

12. Crediting experience gained on detail -- Experience of employees who have been detailed to another position is credited in much the same way as military experience, described above. That is, the experience is credited as an extension of the work the employee was doing immediately prior to the detail, or on its own merits, whichever is more beneficial to the employee. Employees continue to be incumbents of the positions from which detailed. Thus, they should not be penalized for a detail to a position that may differ in duties and responsibilities from those of their regular position.

13. One-year specialized experience provision for General Schedule grades -- At GS-5 and above, the qualification standards for most occupational series call for 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression. Applicants need not meet any cumulative years of experience requirements or general or lower level specialized experience requirements to qualify. They must, of course, meet any minimum educational, licensure, or other special qualification requirements and selective factors established for the position being filled. To be creditable, an applicant's 1 year of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance. When applicants meet the experience requirements for a given grade level, they also meet the experience requirements for positions at lower grade levels in the same occupation. This provision applies unless the qualification standard for the occupation or position specifically states that more or less experience is required. It applies to both initial appointments and inservice placement actions. (Also see paragraph (n) below.)

14. One-year specialized experience provision for banded positions -- If groups of positions have been placed in pay or grade bands that group two or more General Schedule grades together, agencies will need to define the type and level of experience required to perform the work of the position to be filled. Applicants need only 1 year of the identified experience, either equivalent to a lower level within the band or to the next lower level band. (Also see paragraph (q)below.)

15. Determining level of experience required in one-grade interval series -- For most one-grade interval occupational series, the qualification standard calls for at least 1 year of specialized experience as described in (m) above. Sometimes, however, there is no position in the normal line of progression in an organization that is one grade lower than the position being filled. In such instances, 1 year of specialized experience at the second lower level is creditable for inservice applicants. However, for outside applicants (i.e., those without current or prior Federal competitive or excepted service), 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower level is required. (See E.8.(d) on crediting inservice applicants' experience in one-grade interval series.)

16. Determining level of experience required in two-grade interval series -- Most two-grade interval occupational series follow a progression pattern of GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, etc., with two-grade intervals occurring from grades GS-5 through GS-11. Applicants need 1 year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level to qualify for GS-7, 1 year equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level to qualify for GS-9, and 1 year equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level to qualify for GS-11. However, some positions in two-grade interval series are established at the intervening even-numbered grades, i.e., GS-6, GS-8, and GS-10. If an agency has established positions at an intervening grade as part of the normal line of progression in a series, then applicants applying for the next higher grade would be required to have 1 year of experience at that even-numbered grade. For example, if an agency advertised for a GS-9 position and had an established GS-8 in the normal line of progression, applicants would be required to have 1 year of experience equivalent to at least grade GS-8. A year of experience equivalent to GS-7 would not be considered qualifying for that position. On the other hand, if an agency advertised for a GS-10 position and had an established GS-8, but no intervening GS-9 position, applicants would be considered qualified if they had 1 year of experience at least equivalent to GS-8.

17. Determining level of experience based on crediting required KSA's -- Most jobs are classified and graded on the basis of the duties that constitute the primary reason for establishing the position. However, a position may include many other significant duties that are not grade-controlling, i.e., that are not the duties that determine the particular grade assigned to a position. Some of these duties may be similar to those performed at lower grade levels, or in positions in other series. Applicants must have experience performing the grade-controlling work at the next lower grade level, and work experience that demonstrates possession of the other required KSA's at the appropriate level. However, they should not be screened out if their background does not reflect 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level performing all of the duties in a position.

    For example, a position is classified as a GS-12 Exhibits Specialist. The grade-controlling duties as described in the position description might be planning and preparing gallery spaces for exhibits, but the position also involves analyzing how various exhibits were received by the public and providing written reports and recommendations on how such exhibits could be improved in the future. If an applicant has at least GS-11 level skill in planning and preparing gallery spaces for exhibits, and has GS-9 level experience analyzing work processes and methods and writing reports, he or she can be considered qualified if the GS-9 level experience was sufficient to perform the GS-12 Exhibits Specialist job, as described in the position description.

    In systems where groups of positions have been placed in a pay or grade band, all of the duties and responsibilities of a position would typically fall within the same band. However, agencies would still need to determine the duties that constitute the primary reason for placing a position within a particular band and the level of the qualifications required to perform the work of the position.