Chapter 5: Build the Assessment Package

On this page

• Build the Minimum Qualifications Only Assessment
• Add the External USA Hire Assessment
• Adding an Additional Assessment
• Cut Score Application
• USA Hire Settings
  • Assessment Windows
  • Hold Status
  • Reminder Notifications
  • Custom Notifications
  • Permissions

When utilizing a USA Hire Assessment, a combination of two or more assessment types will be used to evaluate applicants:

1. A USA Staffing Minimum Qualifications only assessment.
2. A USA Hire Assessment for that series and grade combination.
3. A secondary assessment to measure technical competencies.

Complete the following steps to ensure the assessment package is created appropriately.

Build the Minimum Qualifications Only Assessment

 Select an minimum qualifications only template from your Assessment Library, copy from an existing vacancy, or create a new Minimum Qualification Only occupational questionnaire to screen applicants for minimum qualifications.

1. This assessment screens-out applicants who fail to meet minimum qualifications only.

2. If the AQ includes minimum qualification (i.e., screen-out) questions only, the “Rating” setting should be unchecked either on the Assessment Information page or from the Assessment Plan page.  Note: Recruitments exempt from the Merit Hiring Plan assessment requirements (e.g. not in the competitive service, seasonal positions, or for grades 1-4) may also use this assessment for rating.

   

3. Test the assessment to ensure it has been set up properly.

4. The assessment should be tested, but the Assessment Package should NOT be placed into a complete status until after the USA Hire Assessment Package Template(s) are added to the Assessment Package. If the assessment pulls in complete, be sure to uncheck complete before proceeding.

    

Add the External USA Hire Assessment

To add a USA Hire Assessment to the assessment package, do the following:

1. Navigate back to Assessment Plan. There will be a pop-up window identifying that a USA Hire assessment is available.  Click Select a USA Hire assessment.

   Note: if you do not see the “Additional assessments available” pop-up, make sure the Assessment Package is not in a “Complete” status.

   

2. Click Search.
3. Select the appropriate USA Hire Assessment template which will use the following naming convention: Standard USA Hire Series-Grade. If you have questions on which template to select, contact your agency USA Hire POC.
4. A window will appear asking for confirmation before proceeding. Confirm you would like to Add USA Hire Assessment.

5. If you are announcing a position with multiple grades, under the Assessment Plan, click the gear icon on the Assessment Package page to Select Template. 
6. The system will automatically apply filters for the series/grade(s) in the Vacancy. Select Add new search field.

• In the Field drop-down, select Is External.
• In the Operator drop-down, select Is.
• In the Value drop-down, select Yes.
• Click Search.
• Select the appropriate USA Hire Assessment template which will use the following naming convention: Standard USA Hire Series-Grade. If you have questions on which template to select, contact your agency USA Hire POC.

Note: Remember, USA Hire Core Assessments are comprised of a battery of assessments, each listed on the Assessment Plan and Assessment Package Checklist pages, as shown below.  These assessments cannot be viewed or edited.

3. USA Hire Assessments have been tested and approved internally by the OPM USA Hire Program Office; therefore, no further testing of these assessments is required.

4. The Assessment Package may now be marked as Complete by navigating to the Checklist tab and clicking on "Complete Assessment Package".  If you are adding an additional assessment, skip this step and follow the directions below for Adding an Additional Assessment.

Note: For non-GS pay scale and pay banding position, refer to Chapter 3: Announcement Types - Non-GS pay scale and pay banding announcements.

Adding an Additional Assessment

If you are adding an additional assessment to measure technical competencies or other job-related skills, abilities, knowledge, and/or competencies in Hurdle 1 of your assessment package, follow these steps.

1. Click "New Assessment" to begin creating an additional assessment.  This may be an SME Evaluation that is for screen-out only.  Or, it may be a manual assessment that may be used for rating and/or screen-out.  Enter the information required for this additional assessment.

2. If the assessment is being used for rating and you are using the default weighting configurations (assessments weighted equally), continue with the next step.  If you are modifying the default weights, navigate to the Assessment Plan page of the Assessment Package tab.  Adjust the weighting by changing the Proportional Weight for the assessments used for rating based on determinations identified on the Weighting Worksheet for the recruitment.  Click Save.

   

3. The Assessment Package may now be marked as Complete by navigating to the Checklist tab and clicking on "Complete Assessment Package".

• If you anticipate changing the close date of the announcement after it has already opened, please refer to Appendix E for additional Steps.

• If the screen out criteria is changed for a screen-out question after the announcement has opened, use the instructions in Appendix E-7. Changing Screen-Out Criteria after Announcements have been Released and Applicants have Applied for instructions on how to manually order applicants' USA Hire assessments.

   

Cut Score Application

A cut score is the minimum proficiency level an applicant must meet or exceed to be considered eligible for further consideration.  Applicants who do not meet or exceed the cut score are automatically rated ineligible and will receive the following NOR Code: IQTR - You are ineligible to proceed in the hiring process because you did not attain the overall minimum score on the required assessments for the position.

Thirteen USA Hire Standard Assessment job series have cut scores:

• 0080 Security Administration
• 0201 Personnel/HR Management
• 0203 Personnel Clerical & Assistance
• 0303 Misc. Clerk & Assistance
• 0318 Secretary
• 0343 Management & Program Analyst
• 0501 Financial Administration & Programs
• 0510 Accountant
• 0560 Budget Analysis
• 0861 Aerospace Engineering
• 0962 Contract Representative
• 1102 Contract Specialist
• 2210 Information Technology

These USA Hire assessment batteries with a cut score have different defaults for the Cut Score setting depending on the USAJOBS Announcement Type selected on the Vacancy Position Information page:

• Public (U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizens): This option has the Cut Score setting on the Assessment Plan page enabled in all instances of use.
• Status (Federal/Veteran/Other Eligible) and/or Internal Merit Promotion: These options have the Cut Score setting defaulted to unchecked on the Assessment Plan page for Standard USA Hire assessments.  This means cut scores are defaulted off for these announcement types.  Users with the USA Hire - Apply Cut Score for Merit Promotion permission are able to check/uncheck the Cut Score setting up until the announcement has been released and opened on USAJOBS.  Changes made to the Cut Score setting will apply to all USA Hire batteries within the Assessment Plan.  For example, if the Cut Score setting is selected for the GS-9 grade level, it will also be automatically selected for the GS-11 grade level also being announced.

Vacancies using both the Public and Status/Internal Merit Promotion options will be prevented from including a USA Hire battery with a Cut Score setting.

USA Hire Settings

Assessment Windows

A vacancy using USA Hire Assessments will automatically generate an assessment testing window.  This window is the period of time applicants will be able to access and complete their USA Hire Assessments.  By default, this window will start on the announcement open date and end 48 hours (2 days) after the announcement close date.  If this default window is acceptable, then no further action is needed by the user.  The default window should be used with USA Hire Standard Assessments as a general rule.

If the default window is not desired, this time period can be extended.  The time period cannot be shortened to be less than 48 hours (2 days) from the announcement close date.  To extend the time period, go to the Assessment Package tab and then the Settings sub-tab. On this page, after a USA Hire battery has been added to the assessment plan, there will be a “USA Hire Settings” section which allows permissioned users to “Edit Window” to set a custom assessment window period. If a custom assessment window is used, it is important to remember when extending an announcement close date after a position has already been released to USAJOBS or when re-announcing a vacancy, the assessment window must be re-edited and reestablished before re-releasing the position to USAJOBS. Otherwise, applicants may not be able to complete their USA Hire Assessment and may all be ineligible upon application. Users also have the ability to reset to the default assessment window, if needed, after a custom window has been saved.

Hold Status

The USA Hire Settings section also contains the option to apply a USA Hire Hold, which is helpful when an agency would like to review applicants for minimum qualifications first, before sending them the notification to complete the USA Hire assessment. For more information on this option, see the Holding USA Hire Applicants section in Appendix E.

Reminder Notifications

The Send USA Hire reminder notifications once announcement closes setting is automatically enabled, which sends a reminder to applicants who have not completed the USA Hire assessment at 6 am ET the morning after the job announcement closes. This feature may be manually toggled off, if desired by a permissioned user. The reminder notifications cannot be used if the Send custom USA Hire notifications after applicant submission setting is enabled, or when using a USA Hire Dynamic Window.

Custom Notifications

The option to Send custom USA Hire notifications after application submission is typically only used with select custom USA Hire assessments, so you would leave it turned off when using Standard USA Hire assessments. Please contact your USA Staffing Account Manager if you would like more information about Custom USA Hire Notifications.

Permissions

Each of the options under the USA Hire settings section is permissioned. These three permissions are located in the Assessment Package section of the permission profile:

• USA Hire - Apply/Release Hold - Enables user to apply or release an applicant hold on USA Hire assessments.
• USA Hire - Edit Assessment Window - Enables user to edit the assessment window for a USA Hire vacancy.
• USA Hire - Edit Notification Settings - Enables user edit the settings for sending USA Hire reminder notifications after the announcement closes or custom USA Hire notifications after application submission.

These settings are disabled for all System-level HR user permission profiles except the Office Administrator one. For Custom-level HR permission profiles, these permissions may be enabled or disabled individually depending on the agency’s needs.

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