Washington DC - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is announcing it will open the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Examination to interested applicants in the near future by posting a job opportunity announcement on USAJOBS.

ALJs serve as impartial arbiters at regulatory and benefits-granting agencies. Individuals who are interested in applying are urged to monitor the USAJOBS website in the coming weeks.  A notice will also be posted on the OPM ALJ website.

The ALJ examination involves a full review of applicant qualifications, including specific legal experience and bar status, and a multi-part assessment of relevant competencies, through the use of online, proctored and in-person assessments. Applicants who pass the preliminary qualification screening and proceed past an online assessment process will then be scheduled to participate in the proctored and in-person assessments in the Washington, DC, area.

By applying for the ALJ examination, applicants are essentially applying to be placed on a register (i.e., a list of eligibles), not for a specific job at a specific agency.  The ALJ register is a list of applicants who are eligible for selection as an entry-level ALJ.  It is used to make referrals, based on final scores and location choices, to agencies for employment consideration when they have entry level ALJ vacancies to fill.  In order to be placed on the register, an applicant must meet the qualification requirements, successfully complete all components of the ALJ examination and receive a final numerical rating.