How do I respond if an applicant asks what the assessment passing score is for the vacancy or asks for more detailed information about his/her score?
Agencies should respond to applicant inquiries regarding the assessment passing score in accordance with agency policies and procedures, and in consultation with their General Counsel. Generally, all scoring information, including passing scores, is considered secure test information and is not shared with applicants. Sharing scoring information with applicants, including raw scores that do not meet the passing criteria, could compromise the objectivity and/or integrity of the assessment process.
What should I tell an applicant who asks about which items or competencies they failed?
The AQ passing score is based on the overall AQ score rather than how the applicant responded to any particular item/competency or subset of items/competencies. Similarly, a Manual Assessment passing score is based on the total raw score the applicant received for the assessment.
What does it mean when the announcement says applicants must meet or exceed a passing score?
The passing score is the overall minimum score that has been established for a given assessment based on the minimum requirements for the position. To be eligible to proceed in the hiring process, an applicant must score at or above the passing score on the assessment and meet any other minimum qualification requirements.
What happens if the applicant has completed the same assessment for a different vacancy?
The assessment passing score is vacancy-specific. Applicants’ scores are not reused. If another position uses the same Assessment Package Template, including the same AQ/Manual Assessment and passing score, the applicant will complete the assessment for that other position and their score will be calculated based on their responses.
What happens if there are multiple assessments?
The applicant must meet the minimum qualifications and attain the passing score on the assessment to proceed to the subsequent assessments. For example, an applicant must meet an AQ passing score to be invited to complete USA Hire assessments. Similarly, you can apply a passing score on an AQ, followed by a Manual Assessment that also has a passing score.