Interviews and cutoff scores

[privateatty]

These are postings from the "other board" (my apologies in advance for anyone offended), referenced by justfoundthisboard:

########################################
"candidate
Guest

cutoff score!
« Thread Started on Yesterday at 6:15pm »

I have a friend at opm who is in the hiring process. The cut off scores for the alj examinations are based on 1 to 100 with a score of 60 or higher to be referred to odar interview. There are approximately 450 candiates with scores above 60. This should make some of the folks with lower scores happy.
Link to Post - Back to Top IP: Logged
ODAR Truth
Guest

Re: cutoff score!
« Reply #1 on Yesterday at 7:23pm »

Sorry, but that isn't the way it works--cut off scores for the agency interview. It may be that the lowest score referred to the agency, when it gets the certificate is a 60, but there is no way to tell that now before the cert is sent to the agency.
Link to Post - Back to Top IP: Logged
hp
Guest

Re: cutoff score!
« Reply #2 on Yesterday at 7:57pm »

I thought geographical preference played a part in who would be referred to interview, not just the score. In other words, if the highest scorer put down only a few locations for which there are no openings, that person's name would not be sent to SSA. What's the point of putting down geographical preference?"
#########################################

Does anyone know if this is true or not? And if we can get an interview what do these folks at SSA want to hear? Do we have any expectation that ANY of the 450 COULD get an offer if they shine in the interviews? My "usual" communication skills and persona as a private atty I think resulted in a low score in my SI---the vibes were not good.

[crazybroad]

I believe they want to hear what a producer you will be and how you will not compromise your quality with quantity and vice versa. They want you to be good at what you do but also efficient. There are enough judges that are very anal about getting i's dotted, now they need efficiency to handle the backlog. You need to be able to strike that balance. It would help if you had any medical experience - maybe a trial you had involved some complex medical issues you needed to research. I'm writing this from the perspective of an attorney advisor who trains new judges in the office. I'm grasping at the hope they interview 450 people at one shot so the lower scoring ones will be interviewed too. I think if I could just get an interview I'd be picked. I know most of this job already.

[nonamouse]

privateatty,

I would not believe much of anything being posted on the other board at this point. It has been all but abandoned to the trolls who continue to attack anyone else who posts.

[privateatty]

Thanks crazybroad and nonamouse.

[counsel]

Will we know when a certificate is requested or is that secret too?

[Pixie]

The second post quoted from the "old board" is correct. The names sent to SSA aren't controlled by a "cutoff" score that is determined in advance.

There obviously will be someone with the lowest score submitted to SSA, but that won't be determined until the certificate is compiled and sent over. That could be what the first poster intends to convey. But as our Mouse friend said above, don't believe anything you read on that board.

At this point I don't know if the certificate has been requested. Pix.

[Pixie]

SSA will not announce that a certificate has been requested. It's not so much a secret, but rather that the ones involved in the process don't see any need to announce what they are doing.

[counsel]

Thank you for all of the great information!

[lee]

Pixie---
What is your best guess regarding interviews? When do you think applicants will be contacted, and when do you believe the interviews will be held?
As always, your insights and calm analysis are appreciated.

[tootsie]

Just a random thought-

It occurred to me that there's been some report that SSA might be vetting the individuals on the certificate, so although there may not be an announcement of a certificate, those of us waiting may have a clue if our references are checked-

[Pixie]

lee said:

Pixie---
What is your best guess regarding interviews? When do you think applicants will be contacted, and when do you believe the interviews will be held?
As always, your insights and calm analysis are appreciated.

With the interviews planned for the end of January and the first part of February, I say the class will start March 17, 2008 at 8:00 AM. All that is subject to change, so be flexible. Pix.

[okeydokey]

Is 8:00 am the time that the class members will get on the bus or the time that the class will start?

[Pixie]

Start at 8:00.

[southerner]

Sounds great to me. The weekend can start with a nice St. Patrick parade and party sendoff.

[Pixie]

Don't party too much with the Leprechauns and the Pixies, they both are small people and can't drink too much. Plus you really have to watch out for the Leprechauns; they can get you in trouble in a minute--and enjoy doing it! Pix.