The Customer Interaction Assessment (CIA) is a situational assessment that measures customer interaction related skills. Applicants are placed in the role of a Federal employee who must respond to job related situations faced by those in customer service roles. Applicants must evaluate the effectiveness of different courses of action in response to each scenario. Applicants’ responses to the situations provide insight into how they are likely to perform when facing similar situations on the job.
Series Covered
Subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the Federal Government provided input on the scenarios and response options to develop content that applies across government roles and target job series. As a result, the assessment is designed for use across multiple job series.
| Job Series | Title | Job Series | Title |
| 0301 | Miscellaneous Administration and Programs | 1035 | Public Affairs |
| 0303 | Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant | 1101 | General Business and Industry |
| 0304 | Information Receptionist | 1102 | Contracting |
| 0962 | Contact Representative | 1105 | Purchasing |
There are three versions of the assessment with scenarios specific to grade level groupings[1].
| Version | Grade Levels |
| Version 1 | GS-7/8/9 |
| Version 2 | GS-10/11/12 |
| Version 3 | GS-13/14 |
The CIA can be expanded to additional job series for which customer interaction skills are critical. Contact USAHire@opm.gov for more information regarding expansion.
[1] For agencies using pay plans other than the General Schedule, the assessments would be appropriate for GS grade equivalent groupings. OPM can work with interested agencies to determine equivalence for use of the assessment in non GS settings.