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Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) Syllabus
The merit-based federal hiring system run by the Office of Personnel Management through which most U.S. government jobs are filled and assessed.. The complete Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) outline — 6 subjects, 21 chapters and 66 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
4 chapters · 14 topics · 34 sub-topics
Navigating USAJOBS and the Application Process4 chapters · 13 topics · 29 sub-topics
Assessments and Examinations4 chapters · 12 topics · 24 sub-topics
Veterans' Preference and Special Eligibilities3 chapters · 9 topics · 15 sub-topics
Suitability, Security, and Onboarding3 chapters · 9 topics · 17 sub-topics
Federal Workplace Knowledge and Career Growth3 chapters · 9 topics · 20 sub-topics
Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) flashcard decks
312 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Foundations of the Federal Merit System — 55 cards
- Navigating USAJOBS and the Application Process — 51 cards
- Assessments and Examinations — 53 cards
- Veterans' Preference and Special Eligibilities — 49 cards
- Suitability, Security, and Onboarding — 52 cards
- Federal Workplace Knowledge and Career Growth — 52 cards
How to work through the Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Foundations of the Federal Merit System carries 14 topics while Federal Workplace Knowledge and Career Growth carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring).
The ~75 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus?
Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) covers 6 subjects: Foundations of the Federal Merit System, Navigating USAJOBS and the Application Process, Assessments and Examinations, Veterans' Preference and Special Eligibilities, Suitability, Security, and Onboarding and Federal Workplace Knowledge and Career Growth. Together they contain 21 chapters and 66 named topics.
How big is the Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus?
The full Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) outline breaks down into 21 chapters, 66 topics and 139 sub-topics. Foundations of the Federal Merit System is the largest single subject with 14 topics across 4 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus?
Roughly 75 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.
Are there Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) flashcards?
Yes — 312 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Civil Service Examination (USAJOBS / OPM federal hiring) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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