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OPM.gov / Frequently Asked Questions / Assessment Policy FAQ / Administrative Careers with America (ACWA)
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Administrative Careers with America (ACWA)

Questions and answers

On November 19, 1981, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia resolved a class-action suit that was filed in 1979 (http://archive.opm.gov/luevano_archive/luevano-archive.asp).  The suit alleged that the Professional and Administrative Career Exam (PACE), which the Government used to fill approximately 110 occupations at the GS-5 and GS-7 grade levels, had an adverse impact on the selection of African Americans and Hispanics.

 

The resolution of the suit (known as the "Luevano consent decree") ended the PACE examination and required the use of alternative assessments for those occupations at the GS-5 and GS-7 grade levels that were once subject to the PACE exam (please see Appendix D of the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/deo_handbook.pdf, for a complete listing).

 

OPM has developed two types of instruments that you may use for filling those occupations:

  • Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) Written Tests; and
  • ACWA Rating Schedules.


NOTE:  A rating schedule is an evaluation of an applicant's job-related competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) performed by a rater or by an applicant's self-rating (i.e., occupational questionnaire).  For more information, please see Chapter 2, Section C, of the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook.

 

For more information regarding ACWA, please see Chapter 2 of the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook:  http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/deo_handbook.pdf

 

If you would like to find out more about ACWA, please contact Assessment_Information@opm.gov.

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