Checked 27 October 2026. From OPM’s USA Hire page and the USA Hire Applicant Help Center articles (edited between 8 October 2025 and 20 October 2026), read on 27 October 2026. OPM can change its assessments and help articles; the job announcement and your assessment instructions are the authority for your application.
USA Hire is the online assessment platform OPM runs for federal agencies. If an announcement uses it, you are invited to take one or more assessments after you apply, and your results can decide whether you go any further. This guide sets out what each USA Hire assessment measures, how long they take, the rules the help center gives for timers, breaks, calculators and phones, how cut scores and results work, and what to practise. It quotes OPM’s own pages, read on 27 October 2026. It also gives you three original Judgment-style scenarios to try, with how each option reads against the competency OPM says that assessment measures. ProSyllabus is not affiliated with OPM or USA Hire.
The short answer
USA Hire assessments are online tests of general competencies, such as math, reasoning, reading and judgment, that you take on your own device by a deadline after applying. They can take up to 3 hours, results are reused for 12 months, and OPM does not tell you your score.
Some assessments have a cut score you must meet to stay in the running; the announcement’s “How You Will Be Evaluated” section will typically say so. There are no official study guides, but OPM offers practice assessments.
OPM USA Hire page and USA Hire Applicant Help Center, read 27 October 2026.
- USA Hire practice: 2 full mocks + a drill per part
- Federal Resume Builder: three announcements
- Each resume written against the specialized experience, two pages or less, PDF and Word
What USA Hire is
OPM describes USA Hire as “an online assessment platform that provides Federal agencies with powerful assessment tools”. Its assessments were developed by industrial-organizational psychologists to measure general competencies required for successful job performance. On its agency page OPM says USA Hire is trusted by more than 80 federal agencies and evaluates nearly one million applicants each year, and that the assessments are automatically scored. It has assessments for 138 federal job series from entry level to senior level.
Not every announcement uses it: “Agencies have the flexibility on when to use USA Hire.” OPM’s June 2025 Q&A for agencies adds that most standard batteries measure a combination of cognitive skills such as reasoning, reading comprehension and decision making, and non-cognitive skills such as customer service, flexibility and resilience.
How you are invited
Where USA Hire sits in an application
| Step | What happens (OPM help center) |
|---|---|
| 1. You apply | The system checks, usually within seconds, whether you have already completed the assessments the job needs. |
| 2. You are told | On screen when you submit, by email from usastaffingoffice@usastaffing.gov, or through “Track this application” in your USAJOBS dashboard. Some agencies review applications first, so the invitation can come later. |
| 3. You get a link and a deadline | A unique access link to the required assessments and the date by which you must complete them. |
| Or: already complete | If you completed the same assessments for another federal application within the reuse period, your answers are reused and you get a notice that all assessments are complete. |
To see which assessments you will get before you start one, OPM suggests entering through your link and viewing the list on your Assessment Activities page, without beginning an assessment. Two warnings come with that route: once you acknowledge the Important Information page you cannot return to it, and OPM says “Do not proceed past this page until you are ready to begin your first assessment.” For an approximate answer without opening the link, match the competencies in the announcement’s “How You Will Be Evaluated” section to the ones each assessment measures, listed below; your assigned list is what confirms it.
The assessments and what each measures
| Assessment | What OPM says it measures | OPM’s preparation tip |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Math | Your general math knowledge and how well you can use it (Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning) | Brush up on percentages, fractions, decimals, proportions, basic algebra, geometry and probability; have a calculator and scratch paper |
| Occupational Reasoning | Identifying logical relationships and analyzing information to make correct inferences or conclusions (Reasoning) | Note which statements are facts and which are possibilities; organize the information in lists |
| Occupational Reading | Understanding written material and applying it to situations (Reading Comprehension), including rules, reports, charts and tables | Use context clues and process of elimination |
| Occupational Judgment | How you make decisions in common workplace situations involving colleagues, customers and others (Decision Making) | Read the prompt and watch the video; answer honestly; do not overthink |
| Occupational Interaction | Personal characteristics such as attitudes, interests and preferences: flexibility, learning, stress tolerance, customer service, integrity, teamwork, accountability, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, self-management | Answer as you normally respond at work |
| Early Career Talent | For student trainee positions; a series ending in 99, such as 0099, at grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 11 may use it. Measures attention to detail, flexibility, interpersonal skills, learning, problem solving, self-management, technology application | Answer honestly; can be done on a phone or computer |
| Federal Supervisor | Leadership competencies through supervisory scenarios: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, flexibility, interpersonal skills, problem solving, resilience | Answer as you would really respond |
OPM’s agency page also lists a Writing Skills Assessment, a Data Skills Assessment, a Program and Project Management Assessment, leadership assessments and custom assessments. How many you take “depends on the position and grade you applied to, and whether you’ve already taken any of these assessments within the reuse period”.
- USA Hire practice: 2 full mocks + a drill per part
- Federal Resume Builder: three announcements
- Each resume written against the specialized experience, two pages or less, PDF and Word
Timing and the rules on the day
| Question | OPM’s answer |
|---|---|
| How long does it take? | It depends on which assessments you have; “It could take up to 3 hours.” You are told the expected time before each one. For agencies OPM estimates a battery of two assessments at 1 hour, three at 1.5 to 2 hours and four at 2 to 3 hours. |
| Is it timed? | Many assessments are. An item timer resets for each question; an assessment timer covers all questions. The instructions say which. |
| Can I go back? | No. Once you click “Record Answer”, “Next” or “Submit”, you cannot review or change those answers. |
| Can I take a break? | Yes, unless the instructions say otherwise. OPM recommends breaks between assessments. To pause inside one, close the browser completely; if it cannot be paused, or you do not close the browser completely, the clock keeps running, you might run out of time, and that records your score. |
| Calculator and scratch paper? | “Unless otherwise stated, you can use scratch paper and a calculator.” Notes must not be shared and should be destroyed afterwards. |
| On a phone? | Yes, unless the instructions say otherwise. |
| Can I use an AI tool or other help? | No. “Using artificial intelligence (AI) tools during testing is prohibited”, and “all forms of assistance are prohibited.” You certify you worked independently and did not copy or share assessment content, including with the Help Desk; failing to certify, or certifying falsely, makes you ineligible for that announcement. OPM adds that cheating or dishonest conduct may lead to disqualification from seeking federal employment in the future, and a current federal employee may be removed or debarred (5 CFR part 731). |
OPM’s test-day list: allow up to 3 hours, use a reliable internet connection and a quiet place, keep a pen or pencil, blank paper and a calculator at hand, and do not use a VPN, which can cause submission errors. If the practice assessments show you need a reasonable accommodation, OPM says to request one before you begin the real assessments.
Free Judgment sample: three original scenarios
The Occupational Judgment Assessment measures Decision Making, which OPM defines as: “Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.” OPM’s strategy tips describe “Most Likely/Least Likely Questions”: identify the issue, choose how you would handle the scenario in real life, and do not assume information beyond what is given. The three scenarios below use that format. They are ours, not USA Hire’s, and the real assessment can use video.
Free Judgment sample 1 of 3 · original
You process benefit forms. On Friday afternoon you notice that a form you approved on Monday used last year’s income limit. The applicant has not been paid yet, and your supervisor is out until Tuesday.
Which would you be most likely to do, and which least likely?
- A. Wait until Tuesday and tell your supervisor then.
- B. Put a hold on the payment if your office’s procedure lets you, note why in the file, and email your supervisor the details today.
- C. Correct the form yourself without telling anyone, since the payment has not gone out.
- D. Ask a co-worker what they would do and follow their advice.
How each option reads against OPM’s Decision Making definition
- A. Lets a known error run until Tuesday; it delays the decision the situation calls for.
- B. Acts within procedure, keeps a record and informs the person accountable: the closest to “commits to action, even in uncertain situations” and “perceives the impact and implications of decisions”.
- C. Fixes the number but hides the decision from the people it affects.
- D. Asking may help, but following a co-worker’s advice without checking the procedure or telling your supervisor leaves the decision with someone else.
Our reading: B fits the definition best and C least. In the real assessment, answer as you would really act.
Our reading, not a USA Hire answer key: we found no official key on the OPM pages we read, and OPM tells applicants to answer honestly. This scenario is original and fictional, written by ProSyllabus; it is not a USA Hire question.
Free Judgment sample 2 of 3 · original
Two customers are waiting at your counter. One has a simple question; the other has a complicated problem and is getting upset. You are the only one on duty for the next 20 minutes.
Which would you be most likely to do, and which least likely?
- A. Answer the simple question first, telling the second customer you will be with them in a minute.
- B. Deal with the upset customer first because they are louder.
- C. Ask both to come back later when a colleague is on duty.
- D. Start on the complex problem and let the other customer wait as long as it takes.
How each option reads against OPM’s Decision Making definition
- A. A quick, explained choice that serves both and keeps the line moving.
- B. A choice driven by pressure, not by weighing the two needs.
- C. Avoids the decision and sends away both customers.
- D. A decision, but one that ignores its effect on the customer with the simple question.
Our reading: A fits the definition best and C least.
Our reading, not a USA Hire answer key: we found no official key on the OPM pages we read, and OPM tells applicants to answer honestly. This scenario is original and fictional, written by ProSyllabus; it is not a USA Hire question.
Free Judgment sample 3 of 3 · original
Your team must choose between two filing systems by the end of the week. You have usage figures for one system but not the other, and your manager has asked for your recommendation.
Which would you be most likely to do, and which least likely?
- A. Recommend the system you have figures for, and say which data are missing and what they could change.
- B. Tell your manager you cannot recommend anything until you have complete figures for both.
- C. Recommend the system the most senior colleague prefers.
- D. Recommend whichever system was cheaper last year, without mentioning the missing figures.
How each option reads against OPM’s Decision Making definition
- A. Makes a timely recommendation and states its limits: “well-informed” and “commits to action, even in uncertain situations”.
- B. Careful, but waiting for complete figures may put the end-of-week deadline at risk; the scenario does not say they can be had in time.
- C. Uses seniority in place of the information available.
- D. A decision, but not an objective one, and it hides what is unknown.
Our reading: A fits the definition best and D least.
Our reading, not a USA Hire answer key: we found no official key on the OPM pages we read, and OPM tells applicants to answer honestly. This scenario is original and fictional, written by ProSyllabus; it is not a USA Hire question.
A word of caution from OPM’s own tips: “Be true to yourself” and “Select answers that honestly reflect how you would respond to the workplace scenarios.” The value of these samples is in seeing the format and the competency, not in learning answers to repeat.
How to practise
OPM says there are currently no official study guides. It does offer practice assessments with “the same look and feel” as the real ones. What they do and do not give you:
| Feature | OPM practice assessments | Our independent practice test |
|---|---|---|
| Questions similar to the real assessment | Yes | Original Math, Reasoning and Reading questions |
| Shows whether each answer was right | No: “there is no feedback given on your answers” | Yes, with the reason for every answer |
| A score at the end | No | Your score by part, against our own practice bands |
| Number of attempts | As many as you like | 3 questions free, the rest in the full test |
| Covers every assessment | No: they are shorter, and “not all USA Hire assessments have a practice version available” | Math, Reasoning and Reading only; Judgment and Interaction are not scored there |
Our advice: do OPM’s practice assessments on the device and in the place you will use, as OPM suggests, then use scored practice for the parts that have right answers. The ProSyllabus USA Hire Assessment Practice Test has 3 Math, Reasoning and Reading questions free, played in our quiz player; its clocks are our own pace, because the OPM help-center pages we read list no public time per part; your instructions tell you the time before each assessment. More on the exam page: USAJOBS federal resume and USA Hire.
- USA Hire practice: 2 full mocks + a drill per part
- Federal Resume Builder: three announcements
- Each resume written against the specialized experience, two pages or less, PDF and Word
Results, cut scores and retakes
| Question | OPM’s answer |
|---|---|
| Will I see my score? | No. OPM does not provide cut scores or individual results, “in accordance with 5 C.F.R. § 300.201(a)”. The hiring agency may share scoring information under its own policies. |
| Can I fail? | Only if the assessment has a cut score, the minimum score to stay eligible. “If there is not a cut score, you cannot fail the assessment if you completed the assessment.” The announcement’s “How You Will Be Evaluated” section will typically say. |
| What does failing look like? | A notice that you are ineligible “because you did not attain the overall minimum score on the required assessments for this position.” |
| Can I retake it? | Not during the reuse period: results are reused for 12 months from the date you complete the assessment, unless you are told otherwise. |
| Does one result follow me everywhere? | Your responses are reused, but a cut score is specific to a series and grade, so another series or grade, or an announcement without a cut score, can have a different outcome. |
| Eligible, but not referred? | That “does not necessarily mean that you did not perform well or failed any assessments”. Veterans’ priority, special consideration for displaced federal employees and large applicant pools all affect who is referred. |
Our reading of the 12-month reuse rule: the first time you take an assessment matters more than it looks, because that result is applied to every application that uses the same assessment for a year. If you can choose when to start, start when you are rested and ready, not on the first evening the link arrives.
USA Hire and your resume
The assessment does not replace the resume. USAJOBS says the agency first checks your eligibility, then reviews your resume and qualifications and ranks you against the job’s requirements; OPM’s Q&A for agencies gives examples of how minimum qualifications can be assessed: a structured resume review to decide whether an applicant meets the specialized experience requirement, or a minimum cut score on a competency-based assessment. Both can matter in the same application: prepare the resume before you apply, and complete any assessments by the deadline in your invitation.
Free checker
Your resume is checked too. See what a reviewer will find in it.
Drop your resume PDF into the ProSyllabus federal resume checker. Your browser reads the file; nothing is uploaded or stored. It tells you the page count, the file size, whether the PDF carries attachments, the font, font sizes and margins it finds, and, for each job it identifies, whether it finds the header details OPM and USAJOBS ask for: title and employer, start and end dates with month and year, hours per week, and series and grade for federal jobs. “Not found” means the checker could not find it, so check those lines yourself. It does not judge your descriptions: the bullets still have to show you can do the announcement’s tasks at the required level.
A planning aid by ProSyllabus, not affiliated with OPM or USAJOBS. The hiring agency decides whether you qualify.
For the resume side: how to show specialized experience, a free two-page template and the two-page rule.
What we could not find
Not on any official page we read
- The number of questions or the time limit of each assessment. OPM says the instructions tell you if it is timed and how much time you have before you start.
- Any cut score value. OPM does not publish them.
- An official answer key for the Judgment or Interaction assessments. OPM’s advice is to answer honestly.
- Whether a particular announcement uses USA Hire before you apply, other than its “How You Will Be Evaluated” section.
Pages read on 27 October 2026: OPM’s USA Hire page, the USA Hire Merit Hiring Plan Q&As, the 27 USA Hire Applicant Help Center articles listed below, and the USAJOBS and OPM resume pages.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the USA Hire assessment?
An online set of tests that OPM runs for federal agencies, measuring general competencies such as math, reasoning, reading comprehension, decision making and interpersonal skills. If an announcement uses it, you are invited after you apply and must finish by a deadline.
How long is the USA Hire assessment?
Up to 3 hours, depending on how many assessments your job uses. OPM estimates two assessments at about 1 hour, three at 1.5 to 2 hours and four at 2 to 3 hours. You are told the expected time before each one.
Can you fail the USA Hire assessment?
Only if it has a cut score. Then you must meet or exceed it to stay eligible. Without a cut score you cannot fail by completing it, but your result still helps decide who is referred.
Can I retake the USA Hire assessment?
Not for 12 months. OPM reuses your results for 12 months from the date you complete the assessment unless you are told otherwise, so you cannot retake it during that time.
Will OPM tell me my USA Hire score?
No. OPM does not provide cut scores or individual results, under 5 C.F.R. § 300.201(a). The hiring agency may share scoring information depending on its own policies.
Is there a USA Hire practice test?
Yes. OPM offers practice assessments for some of its assessments; they give no score and no feedback. Independent practice tests, such as ours for Math, Reasoning and Reading, show answers and explanations.
Can I use a calculator on USA Hire?
Yes, unless stated otherwise. OPM says you can use scratch paper and a calculator, and suggests having both ready.
Can I use AI on the USA Hire assessment?
No. OPM says using AI tools during testing is prohibited as a form of assistance. You certify that you worked independently, and failing to certify or certifying falsely makes you ineligible for that announcement.
Sources
- official — OPM: USA Hire (Agency Services, Talent Systems), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: What are USA Hire assessments? (edited 24 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: How am I invited to complete USA Hire assessments? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Determining which practice assessments to complete (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: How many assessments will I take? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Occupational Math Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Occupational Reasoning Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Occupational Reading Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Occupational Judgment Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Occupational Interaction Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Early Career Talent Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Federal Supervisor Assessment (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: How long will the assessment take? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Assessment or question timers (edited 8 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Can I go back and answer a previous question? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Taking breaks (edited 8 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Using scratch paper or calculators (edited 8 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Can I take my assessment on a mobile device? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Submitting answers (edited 29 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot, etc., when I take a USA Hire assessment? (edited 29 July 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: General pre-testing tips (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: General test taking strategies (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: What to expect from a practice assessment (edited 14 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: Are there any study guides available for the assessments? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: What happens if I fail the assessments? (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: When will I find out if I passed/failed the assessments? (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: How long will my assessment results be reused? (edited 21 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Applicant Help Center: I didn’t get referred. Does that mean I didn’t score well or failed the assessment? (edited 29 September 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USA Hire Resource Center (OPM): USA Hire Merit Hiring Plan Q&As, June 2025 (edited 8 October 2025), read 27 October 2026
- official — USAJOBS Help Center: What is the difference between eligibility and qualifications? (edited 20 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — USAJOBS Help Center: How do I write a resume for a federal job? (edited 21 October 2026), read 27 October 2026
- official — OPM: Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit (Merit Hiring Plan resources), read 27 October 2026
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
