U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce
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Group Coverage Qualifications Standards forAdministrative and Management PositionsThe text below is extracted verbatim from Section IV-A (pp.13-17) of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions [MANUAL], but contains minor edits to conform to web-page requirements. This qualification standard covers positions in the General Schedule that involve the performance of two-grade interval administrative and management work. It contains common patterns of creditable experience and education to be used in making qualifications determinations. Related individual occupational requirements are contained in Section IV-B of the [MANUAL]. Section V of the same manual identifies the occupations that have test requirements. This same information is available through the index of this Web page. A list of the occupational series covered by this standard is provided below. This standard may also be used for two-grade interval positions other than
those listed if the education and experience pattern is determined to be appropriate.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS The following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.
Some of the occupational series covered by this standard include both one- and two-grade interval work. The qualification requirements described in this standard apply only to those positions that typically follow a two-grade interval pattern. While the levels of experience shown for most positions covered by this standard follow the grade level progression pattern outlined in the table, users of the standard should refer to E.3.(p) in the "General Policies and Instructions" (Section II of the [MANUAL]) for guidance on crediting experience for positions with different lines of progression. Undergraduate Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university, meets the GS-5 level requirements for many positions covered by this standard. Others have individual occupational requirements in Section IV-B that specify that applicants must, in general, (1) have specific course work that meets the requirements for a major in a particular field(s), or (2) have at least 24 semester hours of course work in the field(s) identified. Course work in fields closely related to those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. Superior Academic Achievement: The superior academic achievement provision is applicable to all occupations covered by this standard. See the "General Policies and Instructions" for specific guidance on applying the superior academic achievement provision. Graduate Education: Education at the graduate level in an accredited college or university in the amounts shown in the table meets the requirements for positions at GS-7 through GS-11. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. For certain positions covered by this standard, the work may be recognized as sufficiently technical or specialized that graduate study alone may not provide the knowledge and skills needed to perform the work. In such cases, agencies may use selective factors to screen out applicants without actual work experience. General Experience: For positions for which individual occupational requirements do not specify otherwise, general experience is 3 years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to:
Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. Experience in substantive and relevant secretarial, clerical, or other responsible work may be qualifying as long as it provided evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) necessary to perform the duties of the position to be filled. Experience of a general clerical nature (typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other nonspecialized tasks) is not creditable. Trades or crafts experience appropriate to the position to be filled may be creditable for some positions. For some occupations or positions, applicants must have had work experience that demonstrated KSA's in addition to those identified above. Positions with more specific general experience requirements than those described here are shown in the appropriate individual occupational requirements. Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) The following are examples of how education and experience may be combined. They are examples only, and are not all-inclusive.
USING SELECTIVE FACTORS FOR POSITIONS COVERED BY THIS STANDARD Selective factors must represent knowledge, skills, or abilities that are essential
for successful job performance and cannot reasonably be acquired on the job during the
period of orientation/training customary for the position being filled. For example,
while the individual occupational requirements for Recreation Specialist provide for
applicants to meet minimum qualifications on the basis of education or experience in
any one of a number of recreational fields, a requirement for knowledge of therapeutic
recreation may be needed to perform the duties of a position providing recreation
services to persons with physical disabilities. If that is the case, such knowledge
could be justified as a selective factor in filling the position.
A list of the occupational series covered by this qualification standard is provided below. The occupational series marked with an asterisk have individual occupational requirements in Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions. Refer to the Index for links.
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