OPM’s Strategic HR Policy Division has issued a memo reminding agencies that they are required to use validated, or job-related, assessment tools when evaluating applicants for competitive service positions.
The tools must be in compliance with requirements put forth in the 2007 Delegated Examining Operations Handbook and be consistent with its technical standards.
Tools include job knowledge tests, rating schedules, ability tests, work samples, situational judgment tests, and structured interviews.
Specific examples of tools that comply with the above requirements include the Administrative Careers With America written tests and the ACWA rating schedules, said OPM.
It added that agencies may not replace validated assessments with education requirements because they do not constitute an assessment tool, and said that if an agency chooses to develop its own assessment tool, it should consult with its legal counsel regarding whether the tool complies with all applicable requirements.
