DE Certification Exam Study Material - DEU Handbook 2023;(Terms and scenarios to test your knowledge of the DEOH.)
Does the Agency or OPM have the exclusive authority to make medical determinations pertaining to preference eligible Veterans, including proposed disqualification of a 30% or more CPS preference eligible Veteran on the basis of physical disability? Ans- OPM- DEOH, Ch 6-34: Agencies are responsible for issuing Certificates of Eligibles, auditing certificates, and establishing objection/pass-over procedures. OPM, however, retains exclusive authority to: • Make medical determinations pertaining to preference eligibles (5 CFR part 339); and • Grant or deny an agency's pass-over request of a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more (5 U.S.C. § 3318).
What is the name of the nine basic standards that govern the management of the executive branch workforce and serve as the foundation of the Federal Civil service?
A. Prohibited Personnel Practices
B. Merit Systems Principles
C. Federal Recruitment Standards
D. None of the above. Ans- B. Merit Systems Principles- DEOH, Ch 1-3: OPM maintains
an oversight program to ensure that delegated examining activities, including any supporting work performed by contractors, are conducted in accordance with applicable law, merit system principles, and the standards established under 5 U.S.C. § 1104 (b)
(1).
What is the name of the actions that are forbidden for employees who have the authority to make personnel decisions?
A. Federal Recruitment Standards
B. Prohibited Personnel Practices
C. Merit Systems Principles D. None of the above. Ans- B. Prohibited Personnel Practices- DEOH, Ch 1-4: A delegated examining unit has two fundamental responsibilities: 1. To ensure to the maximum extent possible that the agency's vacant positions are filled with the best-qualified persons from a sufficient pool of well-qualified eligibles, and taking into account veterans' preference requirements; and 2. To uphold the laws, regulations, and policies governing competitive examination and selection (see 5 U.S.C. §§ 3304-3319, merit system principles (id. at § 2301), and prohibited personnel practices (id. at § 2302).
How many Prohibited Personnel Practices are there?
A. 7
B. 9
C. 14
D. 3 Ans- C. 14- DEOH, Ch 1- / 5 U.S. Code § 2302 (D)(b)(1-14). Any employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, shall not violate any law, rule or regulation.
True or False: Agencies have the exclusive authority to grant or deny a pass over request of a 30% or more CPS preference eligible Veteran? Ans- False: DEOH, Ch 1-
2 / (5 CFR § 339.306); and (5 U.S.C. § 3318): Only OPM has the exclusive authority to grant or deny a pass over request of a 30% or more CPS preference eligible Veteran
True or False: The agency is required to conduct job analysis and develop valid assessment tools. Ans- TRUE: DEOH, Ch 1-4: Agencies must develop instruments in accordance with 5 CFR part 300.
True or False: It is the responsibility of the Agency to establish policies and procedures including application acceptance procedures and category ranking policy. Ans- True: DEOH, Ch 3-8: Your agency headquarters is responsible for establishing policies and procedures for accepting and processing applications from all applicants, including status applicants. In developing these policies and procedures, your headquarters must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
A position/job that is not expected to last longer than a year is what type of an appointment: A. Career-Conditional
B. Term NTE 4 years
C. Temporary Limited D. None of the Above Ans- C. Temporary Limited- DEOH, Ch 2-1: A temporary limited appointment is a non-status appointment to a competitive service position for a specific period not to exceed one year.
You may extend a temporary limited appointment for a period of up to one additional year, for a total of 24 months (see 5 CFR part 316).
How many Merit Systems Principles are there? A. 7
B. 9
C. 14
D. 3 Ans- B. 9- DEOH, Ch 1-8: In accordance with OPM's general responsibility to ensure compliance with civil service laws (5 U.S.C. § 1103(a)(5)) and its oversight responsibility to ensure that your delegated examining activities are in compliance with OPM standards and with merit system principles (see 5 U.S.C. §§ 1104(b)(1) and (2) and 2301).
You may extend a temporary appointment for a period of up to an additional:
A. Four Years (for a total of 5 years)
B. Two Years (for a total of 3 years)
C. One Year (for a total of 24 months)
D. All of the above Ans- C. One Year (for a total of 24 months)- DEOH, Ch 2-2: When extensions beyond the 24 month limit are needed, you must submit a written request to OPM's Employee Services, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping office identifying the reasons for the extension and the additional amount of time required to complete the work. OPM will grant such requests only in cases of a major reorganization, base closing, or other unusual circumstances.
An appointment that has no status in the competitive service for a specific period of more than one year but not more than four years is what type of appointment:
A. Term
B. Temporary-Limited
C. Career D. Career-Conditional Ans- A. Term- DEOH, Ch 2-5: You may make an initial term appointment for a period of more than one year but less than four years. If additional time is necessary, you may extend the appointment up to the four-year limit.
True or False: An agency can extend a term appointment beyond four years without additional approval? Ans- FALSE: DEOH, 2-5: For extensions beyond the four-year time
limit, you must submit a written request to OPM's Employee Services, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping office identifying the reasons for an additional extension, and the additional time needed.
When using a direct-hire authority an agency must:
A. Follow public notice requirements .
B. Comply with career transition requirements (CTAP/ICTAP).
C. Determine qualification requirements for the position.
D. B and C E. All of the above. Ans- D. All of the above- DEOH, Ch 2-6: When using a direct-hire authority an agency must:
• Follow public notice requirements under 5 U.S.C. §§ 3327 and 3330;
• Comply with career transition requirements (CTAP/ICTAP) under 5 CFR part 330; and
• Determine qualification requirements for the position (5 CFR part 338).
Choose the examples of valid assessment tools:
A. Structured interview, test, assessment center, work sample, occupational questionnaire/crediting plan.
B. Cover letter, resume, writing sample
C. Application, interview, selection, tentative offer, work sample.
D. All of the above. Ans- A.- DEOH, Ch 2-18: Structured interview, test, assessment center, work sample, occupational questionnaire/crediting plan.
You may choose one or more assessment options to measure a person's competencies/KSAs for a particular job.
(An assessment tool is valid if it measures characteristics or competencies that are important for job performance)
True or False: Agencies are not required to use the ACWA assessment tools and may use any other validated (i.e., job-related) assessment tool(s) when examining applicants
for competitive service positions. Ans- True: DEOH, Ch 2-28: Assessment tools must comply with the requirements in 5 CFR part 300, Chapter 2, Section C, of the DE handbook, and be consistent with the technical standards in the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures
True or False: Public Notice is required whenever you are considering hiring applicants from outside the Federal workforce for competitive service positions lasting more than 120 days. Ans- True: DEOH, Ch 3-6: Agencies must provide adequate public notice of every competitive service vacancy expected to last for more than 120 days. Adequate public notice means any U.S. citizen or national who wants to apply for a position will have access to all of the information necessary to apply and will be given an open and fair opportunity to receive employment consideration. Depending on your need for applicants, additional recruitment activities may or may not be necessary.
True or False: Recruitment and Public notice are one-in-the-same? Ans- False: DEOH, Ch 1-4: Recruitment should not be confused with public notice. Public notice is one part of the overall recruitment process. Public notice, or simply posting a job opportunity announcement, is not a substitute for the more focused recruiting
