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Post by funkyodar on Sept 16, 2013 22:09:15 GMT -5
Good luck dave. The added stress of not knowing surely entitles you to some good karma.
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Post by moopigsdad on Sept 17, 2013 5:37:20 GMT -5
I am happy for you davef. Now, go to DC and do well, which I am sure you will.
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Post by lurker/dibs on Sept 17, 2013 7:01:14 GMT -5
Yay Dave! Congrats on the dates. I know that knowing makes you feel better. Good luck!
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Benny
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Post by Benny on Sept 17, 2013 10:51:54 GMT -5
Now that we are seeing reports of testing on October 8 and 9, I am curious about numbers in October and whether they will still range in the 25-30 range. Hope you October testers keep us updated! AND good luck!
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Post by Gaidin on Sept 17, 2013 12:16:28 GMT -5
Do we have any dates past the week of October 7 - 11?
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Benny
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Post by Benny on Sept 17, 2013 15:04:47 GMT -5
Not that I am aware of but I think in another thread there was a reference to testing through October 20. However, I don't know if that has been confirmed by somone with dates October 14-17.
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Post by 71stretch on Sept 17, 2013 16:22:55 GMT -5
Not that I am aware of but I think in another thread there was a reference to testing through October 20. However, I don't know if that has been confirmed by somone with dates October 14-17. Given how many of the applicants have never heard of this board, as noted by those who have talked with their fellow testers, we really have no idea what the overall remaining testing schedule is. One other thing that hasn't been discussed this time around (and it's relevant if the SSN theory is correct) is that this thread has a sort of "Eastern bias"-- far more members from east of the Rockies than westerners. I think that slant is still there. I suspect there are people testing that week (or they are taking that week off for some reason) and we just don't happen to "know" any of them.
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Post by funkyodar on Sept 17, 2013 17:02:15 GMT -5
Is there any delay between nors coming out and the register being "in place"? I have been thinking that was essentially simultaneous, but is there any period between to allow appeals, challenges or the like?
If not, I keep going back to someone's post (can't recall who) that chief judge Bice told some group in training that the register would be in place in January.
I know that's an opm function, but I figure she would have pretty good info from opm.
She also reportedly said the first hire would be in june though the number would be budget dependent. Now, does that mean the first cert request, start of interviews, when offers go out, report date for new judges, start of training.....who knows.
In any event, if the above is true and it seems plausible, then our timeline indicates a pretty long wait.
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Post by papresqr on Sept 17, 2013 17:18:13 GMT -5
I have no clue how they go about scoring the tests, but I have to think that the phase III tests require considerably more time to evaluate. The writing sample was much shorter than the WD, and the EA was much less involved than the SI. The SJT and LBMT are likely comparable as far as scoring. And I know there are far fewer people testing in phase III than there were in phase II. However, considering that it took over 2 months from the testing deadline until the phase III invitations came out, I wouldn't think the NORs will be much earlier than that.
Of course, this is all pure speculation and I'm hoping for soon.
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Post by zebra51 on Sept 17, 2013 17:24:49 GMT -5
Under the theory that the higher number of initial candidates allowed for a more experienced/qualified register (Don't flame me, not saying I am buying it just that it is a theory). Would anyone expect some of the Non-SSA agencies (perhaps even those that normally hire by transfer) to jump in with an early cert to pick off the high scores before SSA can do their first cert?
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Post by lurker/dibs on Sept 17, 2013 18:30:29 GMT -5
My pure speculation is that NORs will come out sometime in January. (Though I will be ecstatic to be wrong on this one) They will create a cert shortly thereafter. Hold SSA interviews sometime in the March/April/May time frame. And then hire in the June time frame that the poster said Bice referred to. Seems plausible to me. And really, that is quite quick for a turn around of so much information to be graded, compared, and consolidated. I would think that phase III is being graded as we go. No way they are waiting until everyone is finished until they start. Though I do not believe they have set a minimum score and probably will not until the last one is graded. Once the scores are finished, they will set a minimum score and then issue NORs. This is all just a whimsical idea, but one that is based partially on information that I have received from the rumor mill that is my local ODAR. Though one of my ALJs swears that it will be at least 6 months before we get NORs, so what do I know?
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Post by privateatty on Sept 17, 2013 18:44:19 GMT -5
Under the theory that the higher number of initial candidates allowed for a more experienced/qualified register (Don't flame me, not saying I am buying it just that it is a theory). Would anyone expect some of the Non-SSA agencies (perhaps even those that normally hire by transfer) to jump in with an early cert to pick off the high scores before SSA can do their first cert? Even assuming that such Agencies actually do this, no one has any money to hire. Historically, OMHA might hire 2 or 3 a year, Labor (maybe) one off the Register and possibly one or two other Agencies one Judge. Hardly the scenario you are envisioning. For SSA, scores don't matter.
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Post by hopefalj on Sept 17, 2013 19:06:32 GMT -5
I have no clue how they go about scoring the tests, but I have to think that the phase III tests require considerably more time to evaluate. The writing sample was much shorter than the WD, and the EA was much less involved than the SI. The SJT and LBMT are likely comparable as far as scoring. And I know there are far fewer people testing in phase III than there were in phase II. However, considering that it took over 2 months from the testing deadline until the phase III invitations came out, I wouldn't think the NORs will be much earlier than that. Of course, this is all pure speculation and I'm hoping for soon. To throw in my two cents, I think it depends on how many WD graders there and whether they're scoring on a rolling basis as the WDs come in. As you noted, the SJT and LBMT are likely a wash. I believe the SI takes minimal time to score based on some things I've read on the interwebz. The WD is certainly more substantial than the writing exercise coupled with the experience assessment, but they are also being spread out over a two-month period rather than compressed into a two- week period. And as you noted, there are far fewer applicants to score this round as well. I guess my thinking is this... if they have 10 former ALJs scoring these WDs, and there are 120 WDs produced per week (30 per day, none given on Fridays), then each scorer needs to do 2-3 per day to effectively grade all WDs by the end of the first week following completion of Phase III. Even if there are only five graders, they'd only have to do 5 per day. I don't think it will be that fast, but I don't think it's going to take until January, either, barring serious budgetary issues.
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Post by Ace Midnight on Sept 18, 2013 19:51:20 GMT -5
Finally, we've always got 10-point prefernce veterans who can schedule to take the test anytime who may bump up the numbers, but I assume they won't stop the scoring process for the bulk of Phase 3 testers.
Is it a good or bad sign that I got my notice my 10-point was added to my application packet while driving to DC?
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Post by sealaw90 on Sept 18, 2013 20:06:14 GMT -5
Finally, we've always got 10-point prefernce veterans who can schedule to take the test anytime who may bump up the numbers, but I assume they won't stop the scoring process for the bulk of Phase 3 testers.
Is it a good or bad sign that I got my notice my 10-point was added to my application packet while driving to DC? That is awesome! That means you made it through phase 2 with your 5 points, then that is removed when they score phase 3, add it all together, add 10 points and voila, you're NOR is that much higher! No, it doesn't mean you get a "do over" for phase 3 testing! LOL.
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Post by Ace Midnight on Sept 18, 2013 21:15:28 GMT -5
How did you get such notice? Email? Yeah. I sent the question over a month ago - I'm sure they were busy fielding responses about the scheduling, but I wanted to be extra careful - I'm already at Phase III - I didn't want to start all over, just increase my 5-point to 10-point. When they finally responded with, "Just send us the letter" - I did that the night before I left. While enroute to DC, I got the email. Appropriate timing, I guess.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Sept 19, 2013 7:22:34 GMT -5
How did you get such notice? Email? Yeah. I sent the question over a month ago - I'm sure they were busy fielding responses about the scheduling, but I wanted to be extra careful - I'm already at Phase III - I didn't want to start all over, just increase my 5-point to 10-point. When they finally responded with, "Just send us the letter" - I did that the night before I left. While enroute to DC, I got the email. Appropriate timing, I guess. That's awesome! A fantastic sign!
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Post by moopigsdad on Sept 19, 2013 7:57:41 GMT -5
How did you get such notice? Email? Yeah. I sent the question over a month ago - I'm sure they were busy fielding responses about the scheduling, but I wanted to be extra careful - I'm already at Phase III - I didn't want to start all over, just increase my 5-point to 10-point. When they finally responded with, "Just send us the letter" - I did that the night before I left. While enroute to DC, I got the email. Appropriate timing, I guess. It certainly gives Ace a proverbial leg up in the process with the 10 points....especially using that avatar.
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Post by Ace Midnight on Sept 19, 2013 15:18:51 GMT -5
I hope I don't need it at all, and it was just a precaution. I'm glad I started the process when I did. I originally hoped I could get on the register in time to make that last cert, VA's process took about 5 or 6 months longer than it reasonably should have -in my opinion. They didn't even send me to the VA doctor until over a year passed. After that, it was just a matter of days to get the results.
Oh well, it's done now. Marathan, not a sprint, and all that rot.
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