U.S. Office of Personnel Mgt.

United States Office of Personnel Management

Operating Manual

Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions

Individual Occupational Requirements for

GS-1223:    Patent Classifying Series

The text below is extracted verbatim from Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-182), but contains minor edits to conform to web-page requirements.

Use these individual occupational requirements in conjunction with the "Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions."

Basic Requirements: Applicants for positions in this series must meet the basic requirements for the scientific, technological, or engineering occupational series related to the area for which they are examining patents. Those requirements are described in the individual occupational requirements for the particular series, e.g., Chemistry, GS-1320; Food Technology, GS-1382; etc.

Evaluation of Specialized Experience: Positions at GS-12 and above require a year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that demonstrated:

  • Thorough knowledge of the functions, processes, and practices associated with U.S. patents and the patent examining process;
  • Ability to perform patent work assignments in the area(s) of technology of the position to be filled; and
  • Originality and creativity in solving technical problems.

In addition to the above, positions at grades GS-13 and above require thorough knowledge of patent classification principles, procedures, and practices.

Page created 22 March 1999