The Administrative Careers With America (ACWA) exam is the test required for thousands of entry-level administrative, professional, and technical positions with the federal government. This guide offers the only preparation available, providing everything test-takers need to launch rewarding government careers.

The Administrative Careers With America (ACWA) exam is the test required for thousands of entry-level administrative, professional, and technical positions with the federal government. This guide offers the only preparation available, providing everything test-takers need to launch rewarding government careers.

The Administrative Careers With America (ACWA), the government's most recent program to test applicants for entry-level jobs, was established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 1990 to replace an examination system that had allegedly limited hiring opportunities for minorities. Many agency officials prefer not to use ACWA because it is so time consuming. Although agency officials promptly receive ACWA certificates from OPM, it can take weeks to contact the job applicants, receive and review their resumes, conduct interviews, and verify education and employment experience. Furthermore, the law requires agencies to choose from the top three candidates on a certificate and gives hiring preference to veterans. Because most veterans are men, agencies have difficulty meeting affirmative actions goals for women through ACWA certificates. Many job applicants are also frustrated with the ACWA hiring process, in part because they are not contacted about openings after they have taken the ACWA exam. Further, applicants often overestimate their chances of obtaining government jobs because they receive little or no information from OPM on hiring patterns. Under changes being considered by OPM, applicants would apply for specific vacancies rather than be considered for potential openings, agencies would help decide the criteria used to score applicants, and the ACWA exam would become optional. In addition, OPM has started providing applicants with more specific information on openings, including the number of eligible candidates who have applied for the job and the average scores of candidates hired from certificates. But seven of the largest ACWA job categories, such as Internal Revenue Officer, Customs Inspector, and Social Insurance Claims Examiners, are exempt from the changes.

Discusses the nature of government jobs, civil service hiring procedures, types of jobs available, examinations, the application form, working abroad, and provisions for people with disabilities.

The government's ability to serve the public is directly affected by the quality of the people it employs. Past studies have shown, however, that federal hiring procedures have often: impeded managers' attempts to hire quality people when they were needed, & frustrated applicants for federal employment. This report reviews federal hiring procedures to identify those which are working, those which are not, & whether current efforts to reform the hiring process address the needs of agencies & applicants. Charts & tables.