|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 11:54:18 GMT -5
Congrats gang. I think we need another thread so the new information doesn't get lost on the shuffle.
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 12:04:40 GMT -5
Many of you moving on to DC will have questions OH so many questions. Before you ask one of us who has completed teh test about the test specifics you should read the FAQ link below. We all signed a NDA about the test and can only talk about in very general terms. Additionally, this Board has a very strict policy about not discussing testing specifics. So we can't talk a whole lot about it but the FAQ tells you as much as any of us can about the actual tests. aljdiscussion.proboards.com/thread/824/alj-hiring-faq-intro-processFor a discussion of how things shook out for us 2013 testers I really suggest you go look at Board threads from July - October 2013. Lots of detail there and most of us probably don't remember much more than it was challenging and Room 1350 is cold. Most of us are happy to help if we can but you might get more cogent answers from 2013 us than 2015 us.
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 12:07:12 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by pumpkin on Aug 6, 2015 12:20:16 GMT -5
Congrats to Keepsake and Hope2balj!
I also received the "come to DC for the WD, LBMT and SI" e-mail this morning, which states that separate scheduling notIces will be sent informing us about the dates and times for those components.
Yes, Daisyjane, I was one of the applicants who filed an appeal (I never received the first e-mail notifying me of the online component back in 2013).
The subject line of the email reads, "Invitation to Participate in the Proctored Assessments in the ALJ Examination Process" for those who might need to search their in-box and spam folders. My e-mail came through at a different time than another person's e-mail, so if yours hasn't arrived yet, don't give up.
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 12:26:11 GMT -5
Congrats to Keepsake and Hope2balj! I also received the "come to DC for the WD, LBMT and SI" e-mail this morning, which states that separate scheduling notIces will be sent informing us about the dates and times for those components. Yes, Daisyjane, I was one of the applicants who filed an appeal (I never received the first e-mail notifying me of the online component back in 2013). The subject line of the email reads, "Invitation to Participate in the Proctored Assessments in the ALJ Examination Process" for those who might need to search their in-box and spam folders. My e-mail came through at a different time than another person's e-mail, so if yours hasn't arrived yet, don't give up. Based upon past practice I would say you could get that email any time in the next 48 hours.
|
|
|
Post by gary on Aug 6, 2015 12:37:51 GMT -5
I received my admissions notices to the various parts of the DC testing 8 days after I got the initial invite, so don't worry if they don't come in the next day or so.
|
|
|
Post by pumpkin on Aug 6, 2015 12:46:27 GMT -5
Thanks, Gaidin and Gary. Any guess as to the lead time between receiving the scheduling e-mail and needing to be in DC? A week? Two weeks? A month?
|
|
|
Post by gary on Aug 6, 2015 12:51:52 GMT -5
I'm not sure if OPM allows a set amount of time between scheduling and testing.
FWIW: I received my admissions notices (which set the times and dates for my DC testing) 7/19/2013. I tested 9/4-5/2013.
|
|
|
Post by 71stretch on Aug 6, 2015 13:47:36 GMT -5
It will be more than 2 weeks' notice. I don't recall exactly what mine was, but it was at least a month.
EDIT- I scare myself- my email is a filing cabinet. I still have my notices - a few days more than two months notice. I asked for a reset for reasons I don't remember, and ended up testing a week or so later.
|
|
|
Post by hopefalj on Aug 6, 2015 14:03:49 GMT -5
The amount of time between notice and SI/WD date will vary. I believe most of our dates/times came out the same day in July 2013. There were folks that had about three weeks' notice and went to DC the first full week of August. There were some scheduled for the end of September that had over two months' notice.
I'm eagerly awaiting the first reports of folks that actually took the online testing, appealed, and have been found to meet either the old minimum score or the reported adjusted score. Good luck to all of those still waiting!
|
|
|
Post by lawbroad112 on Aug 6, 2015 14:50:47 GMT -5
Just wondering for those heading to D.C., did you appeal your Step 2 denial and are you within the Agency or from outside? Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by hopingforalj on Aug 6, 2015 14:54:39 GMT -5
Hope, I am in that group, I have not heard a word, I did appeal my NOR after the second round cut, I thought I did ok (much like that bar exam feeling) so I don't know, but if anyone hears who is in my position I would love to know of any news, good luck to all.
|
|
|
Post by 71stretch on Aug 6, 2015 15:17:57 GMT -5
Have we confirmed that the only people who are getting these notices to move on to the DC phase had filed appeals?
|
|
|
Post by keepsake on Aug 6, 2015 15:40:08 GMT -5
I don't think that is confirmed but it does appear from what I can tell that those participating on the Board who did get the notice today are among the group of folks who got to take the online portion either through sucessful appeal of a Round 1 denial or were allowed to take the online portion becuase they were either 1) deemed preliminarily qualified but did not take the online portion for whatever reason OR 2) appealed that they were not informed about the ability to take the online portion.
I have not seen anyone say yet that they have been allowed to DC because their previously too low score on the online component now qulaifies them to go OR they were successful in appealing their online score and got an adjustment or some other kind of relief.
I imgaine these questions will be clarified in the coming days presumably becuase OPM clearly has to know what the "new threshold score" is for getting to DC and would inform those who didn't make it the first time that now they do and/or were successful in their appeal of the online score. The process is not clear however as has been noted many times before . . . .
|
|
|
Post by hopingforalj on Aug 6, 2015 16:21:18 GMT -5
Hang in there Velma, I am in your position as well, Red said, "hope is a good thing".
|
|
|
Post by mamaru on Aug 6, 2015 17:31:50 GMT -5
As far as timing goes, my dates of notice and testing were exactly the same as Gary's. We were assigned to testing dates by SSN. At first we couldn't figure it out since many of us no longer live in the same state where we got our SSN so the people you test with are actually from all over. I had time to get a reasonably priced airline ticket and a deal on a hotel, but my friend with less notice spent a lot more. He is, however, wearing a black robe so it was worth it.
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 19:58:14 GMT -5
While nothing in this process is guaranteed you can be fairly certain that OPM will not try to run two separate testing cycles if they can avoid it. So they may be sending out two two or more sets of announcements but they will probably test together.
If I had to guess I would say that you're dealing with 2 or more categories of test takers: appeal winners and people from the next highest scoring subgroup. The announcements for the two groups are probably coming out separately.
|
|
|
Post by lizdarcy on Aug 6, 2015 20:05:31 GMT -5
I got the DC testing notice in mid July 2013 and was given the NY SSN testing date of mid August. I needed an accommodation, so ended up testing in October on the days that the govt was shut down and fed employees were furloughed. It was an interesting experience
|
|
|
Post by mamaru on Aug 6, 2015 21:03:38 GMT -5
While nothing in this process is guaranteed you can be fairly certain that OPM will not try to run two separate testing cycles if they can avoid it. So they may be sending out two two or more sets of announcements but they will probably test together. If I had to guess I would say that you're dealing with 2 or more categories of test takers: appeal winners and people from the next highest scoring subgroup. The announcements for the two groups are probably coming out separately. Are there also more 10 pointers cycling in? Or have they all been through DC testing and interviewed if they passed?
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Aug 6, 2015 21:32:15 GMT -5
While nothing in this process is guaranteed you can be fairly certain that OPM will not try to run two separate testing cycles if they can avoid it. So they may be sending out two two or more sets of announcements but they will probably test together. If I had to guess I would say that you're dealing with 2 or more categories of test takers: appeal winners and people from the next highest scoring subgroup. The announcements for the two groups are probably coming out separately. Are there also more 10 pointers cycling in? Or have they all been through DC testing and interviewed if they passed? I think that there are almost always 10ptrs cycling through the process. So they would likely constitute a 3rd category.
|
|