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Post by gadourylaw on Apr 29, 2008 8:34:20 GMT -5
Has anyone heard anything about the re-opening of the exam ? If they don't do it by May 9th, the "open period" does that mean they won't do it for the indefinite future ?
Thank you,
Mike G.
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Post by nonamouse on Apr 29, 2008 8:57:20 GMT -5
What do you mean by "open period" because I'm only familiar with that term in conjunction with the health plan enrollment.
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Post by morgullord on Apr 29, 2008 9:26:17 GMT -5
The Register is closed until OPM decides to reopen it. At that time, individuals still on the current register will either be rolled over to the new register or (more likely) required to reapply.
Time will be of the essence. Don't wait to start preparing your application package until you see the announcement. Do it now. The application requirements will not be very different next time.
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Post by aljhunter on Apr 29, 2008 9:26:41 GMT -5
Has anyone heard anything about the re-opening of the exam ? If they don't do it by May 9th, the "open period" does that mean they won't do it for the indefinite future ? Thank you, Mike G. I think that Mike G. is referring to the Administrative Law Judge posting on USAJOBS. The announcement refers to: OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, May 10, 2007 to Friday, May 09, 2008 But, as we all know, OPM opened the announcement on May 4, 2007, and closed the announcement after the receipt of 1250 applications, approximately May 8 or 9, 2007. Some people on this Board think that OPM will announce a new examination this Fall, after SSA and other agencies complete their hiring from the current Register. Other people on this Board think that OPM will wait until the expiration of the current Register to announce a new examination. I suppose only OPM knows, but it makes sense that OPM may wait a while, as the great, immediate need for new ALJs is being met by the current Register. Besides, those with a veteran's preference can apply to take the exam and sit for the structured interview even though the announcement is closed to the general population. So, OPM is ostensibly able to continuously supplement the current Register with new candidates. . . |
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Post by nonamouse on Apr 29, 2008 9:55:05 GMT -5
The register is about to be depleted by approximately 55 additional people this June. My gut feeling is that OPM will post the job for applications again before SSA requests the next large certificate, presumably in 2009.
If we assume that the register was only about 600 names last October and they had to pull about 450 for the last large cert, then they may scrape the bottom of the register or have insufficient names for another large cert of 150 next year.
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Post by gadourylaw on Apr 29, 2008 10:18:12 GMT -5
I just thought that there was a rumor previously that they were going to open the exam again at the beginning of May, maybe I confused this with the the new certification process. I am wondering, does anyone think it is at all likely likely that they would open the exam again in May (2008) ?
Thank You,
Mike G.
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Post by aljhunter on Apr 29, 2008 10:25:07 GMT -5
I would not think that OPM would open the exam again in May 2008, particularly as SSA is working a new Certificate. Most rumblings from people on the "inside" (folks associated with an agency) support the proposition that OPM will open the exam again in Fall 2008.
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Post by learnedhand on Apr 29, 2008 11:59:23 GMT -5
I have mentioned this before, but I was told last year by an OPM staffer that OPM had gotten behind in the past and did not want to do so again. The plan was to reopen the register in a year (from 2007) and thereafter every other year. I expect them to reopen the register in late summer or fall 2008 and then in 2010. People currently on the register will stay on until 2010, at which point they will be able to repply go through the process again if they desire.
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Post by aljhunter on Apr 29, 2008 12:15:53 GMT -5
I do not think that people on the current register have to "reapply" when OPM opens the exam again, unless OPM simultaneously cancels the existing register. I believe that a candidate on the current register has the option to sit for the written demonstration and the structured interview again if the candidate wants to attempt to improve the candidate's score.
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Post by happy on Apr 29, 2008 12:16:48 GMT -5
You don't HAVE to reapply again if you are already on the register. You can, if you want to improve your score. However, you can only do so if the process reopens more than 1 year after the date on your Notice of Results.  |
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Post by pm on Apr 29, 2008 19:49:01 GMT -5
The AR is part of the exam so I assume you would resubmit the AR. I don't think there would be any way to take the WD and the SI without submitting a new AR.
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Post by morgullord on Apr 30, 2008 6:24:38 GMT -5
My understanding is that everyone on the current register will be required to reapply. In her testimony before Congress last April, OPM Commissioner Springer indicated that OPM would prepare a "boutique" register for SSA's use. This is why one of the communiques from OPM stated that the Register would dissolve in October 2010.
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Post by pm on Apr 30, 2008 9:22:15 GMT -5
When the current register expires, everyone will have to reapply. But no one has to reapply when the register reopens prior to the expiration date. The register will dissolve because registers traditionally dissoolve so that they can be updated with the latest, best candidates. Springer never testified that she would be preparing a special register for SSA's use. Here is her 5-1-07 statement: waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=5844 |
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Post by happy on Apr 30, 2008 9:29:21 GMT -5
One of my colleagues recently reminded me that the current register is not like the old one. It was not a matter of everyone who applied/tested/interviewed is on there, ranked accordingly. Rather, OPM skimmed the top half (or so) of the applicants and ranked from there based upon the additional factors of the WD and SI. I hope the Agency (read "Commissioner") remembers in the great push to reopen the exam that they aren't exactly getting the "dregs" by reaching the lowest point of the current register. Everyone on the register is highly qualified. Not saying of course, that strange things didn't happen and other highly qualified individuals were left off. I can't imagine that OPM would undergo the cost and extreme hassle of the exam process unless the current register were somehow inadequate to meet the needs of the requesting Agencies. If I'm wrong, I sure hope they don't do it until November 08 -- I need to improve my score!  |
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Post by oldjag on Apr 30, 2008 12:37:01 GMT -5
I have met some of the people who were sent to the WD and SI and I would not ever want them to judge a claim for anyone I knew.  However, while the task of re-opening and scoring the application is large, it is nothing compared to redoing the entire exam process. The bottom line, I would expect OPM to re-open the application process some time in 2008 or early 2009 with the same type of cut-off, i.e. 2 weeks or until the day we get xxx applications. So if you are looking to apply, or improve your score--NOW is the time to fine tune the application. Remember also that the people who score the applications are personnel experts, probably not lawyers. They will not try to guess what you mean to say or know what a lawyer's job entails--you have to tell them. Make sure you cover the exact requirements in each of the areas--using the same language as in the application. Then look at USA jobs EVERY day. As has been said--"No one will know the exact time of the coming." Good luck to all!!!  |
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Post by morgullord on Apr 30, 2008 12:40:09 GMT -5
This register is a boutique register for SSA. Why else would it have required applicants to indicate interest in cities where SSA hearing offices are located?
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Post by nonamouse on Apr 30, 2008 13:00:44 GMT -5
This register is a boutique register for SSA. Why else would it have required applicants to indicate interest in cities where SSA hearing offices are located? The ALJs for other agencies are primarily concentrated in the DC/VA area, so they are covered by the cities listed. SSA has the most hearing office locations, so of course the list applies more to them. The reality is that the other agencies with ALJs like to let SSA hire and train them first. They will then post for an "experienced" ALJ and poach from ODAR. The chances of someone getting in at another agency fresh from the register only works on the rare occasion. For example, Medicare hearings used to be at ODAR and now they hire directly from the register for those hearings at the "new" agency. I wonder if anyone remembers the last time that one of the regulatory agencies with the more complex technical case loads hired an ALJ from the register? |
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Post by aljhunter on Apr 30, 2008 13:22:29 GMT -5
Didn't HUD and Labor hire directly from this Register? One member of this Board--PeeJay, the member with the score in the 90s--went with Labor, if I recall correctly. . .
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Post by happy on Apr 30, 2008 13:55:16 GMT -5
The OPM list included sites where SSA does not have hearing offices, like Arlington, TX, so I wouldn't say it's simply boutique for SSA.
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Post by lurker on Apr 30, 2008 14:12:55 GMT -5
The OPM list included sites where SSA does not have hearing offices, like Arlington, TX, so I wouldn't say it's simply boutique for SSA. Right. There were locations listed on the OPM list where DOL has ALJ offices and there is no SSA location, such as Cherry Hill, NJ. I think the list may have looked like an SSA list because SSA has so many offices and as someone else pointed out, most of the agencies who hire aljs are concentrated in DC/VA. Other agency locations may have overlapped with SSA locations (for instance, there are ALJs from DOL and SSA in Pittsburgh). Also, to echo an earlier post, agencies other than SSA tend to wait and hire "experienced ALJs" out of SSA rather than hire off the registry. DOL's decision to hire off the registry this time was, AFAIK, unusual. |
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However, while the task of re-opening and scoring the application is large, it is nothing compared to redoing the entire exam process. The bottom line, I would expect OPM to re-open the application process some time in 2008 or early 2009 with the same type of cut-off, i.e. 2 weeks or until the day we get xxx applications. So if you are looking to apply, or improve your score--NOW is the time to fine tune the application. Remember also that the people who score the applications are personnel experts, probably not lawyers. They will not try to guess what you mean to say or know what a lawyer's job entails--you have to tell them. Make sure you cover the exact requirements in each of the areas--using the same language as in the application. Then look at USA jobs EVERY day. As has been said--"No one will know the exact time of the coming."
