Group Coverage Qualifications Standards
for
The text below is
extracted verbatim from Section IV-A (pp.1-6) 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
one-grade interval clerical and administrative support 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 one-grade
interval positions other than those listed if the education
and experience pattern is determined to be appropriate.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
The following table shows the amounts of
education and/or experience required to qualify for
positions covered by this standard.
|
GRADE/
POSITIONS |
EXPERIENCE |
EDUCATION |
|
GENERAL |
SPECIALIZED |
|
GS-1
All positions |
None |
None |
None |
|
GS-2
All positions |
3 months |
None |
High school graduation
or equivalent |
|
GS-3
Clerk-Steno
-----------------
All other positions |
6 months |
None |
High school graduation
or equivalent
-----------------
1 year above high school |
|
GS-4
All positions |
1 year |
None |
2 years above high school |
|
GS-5
Clerk-Steno
------------
All other positions |
2 years
------------
none
|
None
---------------
1 year equivalent to at least GS-4
|
4 years above high school
(except Reporting Stenographer) |
|
GS-6 and
above
All positions |
None |
1 year equivalent to at least next
lower grade level |
Generally, not applicable |
|
Equivalent combinations of education
and experience are qualifying for all grade levels
and positions for which both education and
experience are acceptable. Proficiency requirements
are described
below. |
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
one-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.(o) in the "General Policies and
Instructions" (Section II of the [MANUAL]) for guidance on
crediting experience for positions with different lines of
progression.
General Experience
(All positions except Reporting Stenographer, Shorthand
Reporter, and Closed Micro-phone Reporter)--Progressively
responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates
ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills
needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled.
Specialized
Experience (All positions except Reporting
Stenographer, Shorthand Reporter, and Closed Micro-phone
Reporter)--Experience that equipped the applicant with the
particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to
perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is
typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be
creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent
to at least the next lower grade level. 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.
Experience for
Reporting Stenographer, Shorthand Reporter, and Closed
Microphone Reporter-- One year of experience
equivalent to at least the next lower grade level using the
skills and equipment appropriate to the position to be
filled is required for all positions. Following is a
description of qualifying experience for these positions.
-
Reporting Stenographer, GS-5: Experience
as a clerk-stenographer, secretary, reporting
stenographer, or in other positions that included
application of stenography and typing skills as a
significant part of the work.
-
Reporting Stenographer, Shorthand
Reporter, and Closed Microphone Reporter, GS-6:
Experience as a reporting stenographer, hearing
reporter, or in other positions in which the primary
duty was to make and transcribe manual or
machine-written shorthand records of hearings,
interviews, or similar proceedings.
-
Shorthand Reporter and Closed Microphone
Reporter, GS-7 and above: Experience as a court
reporter, or hearing reporter, or in other positions in
which the primary duty was to make verbatim records of
proceedings.
Education:
High school graduation or the equivalent is creditable at
the GS-2 level for the occupations listed, except
Clerk-Stenographer, where it is creditable at the GS-3 entry
level.
Successfully completed education above the
high school level in any field for which high school
graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite is
creditable at grades GS-3 through GS-5 for all positions
except Reporting Stenographer, GS-5. This education must
have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or
technical school, junior college, college or university. One
year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester
hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or
university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction
per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business,
secretarial, or technical school.
As a general rule, education is not
creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this
standard; however, graduate education may be credited in
those few instances where the graduate education is directly
related to the work of the position.
Intensive
Short-Term Training-- Completion of an intensive,
specialized course of study of less than 1 year may meet in
full the experience requirements for GS-3. Courses of this
type normally require completion of up to 40 hours per week
of instruction rather than the usual 20 hours per week, and
are usually of at least 3 months duration. Such
courses may have been obtained through a variety of programs
such as those offered by business or technical schools, and
through military training programs. To be creditable, such a
course must have been designed specifically as career
preparation for the work of the position being filled, and
must have provided the applicant with the necessary
knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work.
Combining Education
and Experience: Equivalent combinations of
successfully completed post-high school education and
experience may be used to meet total experience requirements
at grades GS-5 and below, except for Reporting Stenographer,
GS-5.
-
For GS-3 and GS-4 level
positions, determine the applicant's total qualifying
experience as a percentage of the experience required
for the grade level; then determine the applicant's
education as a percentage of the education required for
the grade level; then add the two percentages. The total
percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an
applicant for that grade level.
-
For GS-5 level positions (except
Clerk-Stenographer, which does not require specialized
experience), only education in excess of the first 60
semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is
creditable toward meeting the specialized experience
requirement. One full academic year of study (30
semester hours) beyond the second year is
equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.
The following are examples of how education
and experience may be combined. They are examples only, and
are not all inclusive:
-
The position to be filled is a Payroll
Clerk, GS-4. An applicant has 8 months of qualifying
experience and 20 semester hours of college. The
applicant meets 67 percent of the required experience
and 33 percent of the required education. The applicant
meets 100 percent of the total requirements and is
qualified for the position.
-
The position to be filled is a
Clerk-Typist, GS-4. The applicant has 4 months of
qualifying experience and 1 year of business school. The
applicant meets 33 percent of the required experience
and 50 percent of the required education. The applicant
meets 83 percent of the total requirements and is not
qualified for the position.
-
The position to be filled is a
Clerk-Stenographer, GS-5. An applicant has 1 year of
qualifying experience and 90 semester hours of college.
The applicant meets 50 percent of the required
experience and 75 percent of the required education. The
applicant exceeds 100 percent of the total requirements
and is qualified for the position.
-
The position to be filled is an
Editorial Assistant, GS-5. The applicant has 9 months of
specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college
(15 semester hours beyond the second year and the
equivalent of 3 months of specialized experience). The
applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience
and 25 percent of the required education. The applicant
meets 100 percent of the requirement for 1 year of
specialized experience and is qualified for the
position.
PROFICIENCY
REQUIREMENTS
Clerk-Typist, Office Automation
Clerk/Assistant, Clerk-Stenographer, Data Transcriber, and
Positions with Parenthetical Titles of (Typing), (Office
Automation), (Stenography), or (Data Transcription)
In addition to meeting experience or
education requirements, applicants for these positions must
show possession of the following skills, as appropriate.
Applicants may meet these requirements by passing the
appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of
proficiency from a school or other organization authorized
to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel
Management local office, or by self-certifying their
proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of
proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify
proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by
administering the appropriate performance test.
-
Clerk-Typist, GS-2/4; Office Automation
Clerk/ Assistant (any grade); (Typing) (any grade); and
(Office Automation) (any grade):
40 words per minute typing speed1
-
Data Transcriber, GS-2/4; and (Data
Transcription) (any grade):
skill in operating an alphanumeric data
transcribing machine,
or 20 words per minute typing
speed1 for GS-2
transcription duties
or 25 words per minute typing
speed1 for GS-3 and
GS-4 transcription duties
-
Clerk-Stenographer, GS-3/4:
40 words per minute typing speed1
and
80 words per minute dictation speed2
-
Clerk-Stenographer, GS-5:
40 words per minute typing speed1
and
120 words per minute dictation speed2
-
(Stenography) (any grade):
40 words per minute typing speed1
and either
80 words per minute dictation speed2
for GS-3 and GS-4 stenographic duties
or 120 words per minute dictation
speed2 for GS-5
stenographic duties
NOTE: The level of proficiency for
stenographic and data transcribing duties required by
positions with parenthetical titles is based on the grade
level of those duties and not necessarily on the overall
grade of the position. For example, a position classified as
Secretary (Stenography), GS-318-5, may require either 80 or
120 words per minute dictation speed depending upon the
level of difficulty of the stenographic duties. A position
classified as Payroll Clerk (Data Transcription), GS-544-4,
may require either 20 or 25 words per minute typing speed
depending upon the level of difficulty of the transcribing
duties. Therefore, before filling positions of this type,
first determine the grade level of the duties that require
the additional skill, and then determine the skill level
required.
Reporting Stenographer, Shorthand
Reporter, and Closed Microphone Reporter
In addition to meeting the experience
requirements, applicants for these positions must show
possession of the following skills with equipment
appropriate to the specific position.
-
Reporting Stenographer, GS-5/6: 120
words per minute dictation speed3
-
Shorthand Reporter and Closed Microphone
Reporter, GS-6: 160 words per minute dictation speed3
-
Shorthand Reporter and Closed Microphone
Reporter, GS-7 and above: 175 words per minute dictation
speed3
Applicants must also be able to produce
accurate typewritten transcripts of recorded proceedings.
Applicants for competitive appointment and
inservice applicants for initial assignment to these three
positions at all grade levels must demonstrate the specific
skill and level of proficiency required by the position to
be filled. Also, inservice applicants for promotion to
positions that have a higher proficiency requirement than
the position previously held must demonstrate the higher
level of proficiency. Applicants may demonstrate that
proficiency by either passing a dictation test at the
required speed or presenting a certificate of proficiency
showing speed and accuracy equivalent to those used in the
Office of Personnel Management performance tests for these
positions. The certificate must show that the candidate
demonstrated the required proficiency, i.e., dictation speed
and accuracy, to a teacher of stenography, shorthand
reporting, or closed microphone reporting, within the past
year. Applicants for these positions may not self-certify
dictation proficiency.
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. It is unlikely, for example, that a
requirement for experience with a particular brand of word
processing software could be justified as a selective factor
for an Office Automation Clerk position. Since knowledge of
that software may be desirable, such knowledge could be
appropriately used as a quality ranking factor. On the other
hand, proficiency in the correct use of medical terminology
may be needed immediately to perform the duties of a Medical
Records Technician position to provide continuity in an
agency's medical records program. If that is the case,
knowledge of medical terminology could be used as a
selective factor in filling the position.
|
1 |
Words per minute are
based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer
errors. |
|
2 |
The maximum number
of errors allowed in a dictation sample equals 10
percent of the required dictation speed (80 words
per minute or 120 words per minute) multiplied by
the number of minutes in the sample. |
|
3 |
The maximum number
of errors allowed in a dictation sample for these
three positions equals 5 percent of the required
dictation speed multiplied by the number of minutes
in the sample. |
OCCUPATIONAL COVERAGE
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.
GS-029 Environmental Protection
Assistant
GS-072 Fingerprint Identification
GS-086 Security Clerical and Assistance
GS-134 Intelligence Aid and Clerk
GS-203 Human Resources Assistance
GS-302 Messenger*
GS-303 Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant
GS-304 Information Receptionist
GS-305 Mail and File
GS-309 Correspondence Clerk
GS-312 Clerk-Stenographer and Reporter
GS-318 Secretary
GS-319 Closed Microphone Reporting
GS-322 Clerk-Typist
GS-326 Office Automation Clerical and Assistance
GS-332 Computer Operation
GS-335 Computer Clerk and Assistant
GS-344 Management and Program Clerical and Assistance
GS-350 Equipment Operator
GS-351 Printing Clerical
GS-356 Data Transcriber
GS-357 Coding
GS-359 Electric Accounting Machine Operation
GS-361 Equal Opportunity Assistance
GS-382 Telephone Operating
GS-390 Telecommunications Processing
GS-392 General Telecommunications
GS-394 Communications Clerical
GS-503 Financial Clerical and Assistance
GS-525 Accounting Technician
GS-530 Cash Processing
GS-540 Voucher Examining
GS-544 Civilian Pay
GS-545 Military Pay
GS-561 Budget Clerical and Technician
GS-592 Tax Examining
GS-593 Insurance Accounts
GS-675 Medical Records Technician
GS-679 Medical Support Assistance
GS-962 Contact Representative
GS-963 Legal Instruments Examining
GS-986 Legal Assistance
GS-998 Claims Assistance and Examining
GS-1001 General Arts and Information
GS-1046 Language Clerical*
GS-1087 Editorial Assistance
GS-1101 General Business and Industry
GS-1105 Purchasing
GS-1106 Procurement Clerical and Technician
GS-1107 Property Disposal Clerical and Technician
GS-1152 Production Control
GS-1411 Library Technician
GS-1421 Archives Technician
GS-1531 Statistical Assistant
GS-1702 Education and Training Technician
GS-1802 Compliance Inspection and Support
GS-1897 Customs Aid
GS-2005 Supply Clerical and Technician
GS-2091 Sales Store Clerical
GS-2102 Transportation Clerk and Assistant
GS-2131 Freight Rate
GS-2135 Transportation Loss and Damage Claims Examining
GS-2151 Dispatching
