Academic Degree Degree Level PSC 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency sets the academic degree qualification standards used in Degree Level PSC examinations?
- Department of Education
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (Correct answer)
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- U.S. Civil Service Commission
Correct answer: Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
OPM is responsible for establishing and maintaining qualification standards for federal civil service positions.
Question 2: An applicant earned a bachelor's degree from a foreign university. What must they typically provide to meet PSC degree-level requirements?
- A certified translation of their transcript
- An evaluation by an accredited credential evaluation service (Correct answer)
- A letter from their country's embassy
- Re-taking all courses at a U.S. institution
Correct answer: An evaluation by an accredited credential evaluation service
OPM requires foreign degrees to be evaluated by a credential evaluation organization to confirm U.S. equivalency.
Question 3: In the PSC context, 'closely related' coursework typically refers to college credits that are:
- Taken at an Ivy League institution
- Directly relevant to the duties of the position being filled (Correct answer)
- Completed within the last five years
- Worth at least 30 credit hours total
Correct answer: Directly relevant to the duties of the position being filled
Coursework is considered 'closely related' when its subject matter directly pertains to the knowledge and skills required by the job.
Question 4: Which degree level is most commonly the minimum requirement for a federal attorney position in a Degree Level PSC announcement?
- Bachelor's in Political Science
- Master of Laws (LL.M.)
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) (Correct answer)
- Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)
Correct answer: Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Federal attorney positions require the first professional law degree (J.D.) as the baseline academic qualification.
Question 5: When a PSC vacancy announcement lists 'GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree,' what does 'equivalent doctoral degree' typically include?
- A second master's degree
- Three or more years of graduate school without a degree
- Three full academic years of progressively higher graduate education (Correct answer)
- A professional degree such as M.D. or J.D.
Correct answer: Three full academic years of progressively higher graduate education
OPM equates three full academic years of graduate study to a doctoral degree for GS-11 qualification purposes.
Question 6: Which of the following academic credentials would NOT satisfy a PSC requirement specifying 'degree in engineering'?
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
- Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
- B.S. in Engineering Technology (Correct answer)
Correct answer: B.S. in Engineering Technology
Engineering Technology degrees are distinct from ABET-accredited engineering degrees and typically do not satisfy requirements specifying 'engineering.'
Question 7: A Degree Level PSC exam tests knowledge aligned with which primary purpose?
- Measuring general intelligence quotient
- Verifying academic credentials are authentic
- Assessing job-relevant competencies tied to the degree level required (Correct answer)
- Ranking candidates solely by GPA
Correct answer: Assessing job-relevant competencies tied to the degree level required
Degree Level PSC examinations assess whether candidates possess the knowledge and competencies that a given degree level is expected to confer.
Academic Degree Degree Level PSC 3
Which federal agency sets the academic degree qualification standards used in Degree Level PSC examinations?