A. DEU stands for Delegated Examining Unit. Within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), there are eight DEUs located throughout the country servicing VA medical centers. DEUs announce certain open positions to the public (via job postings) that VA facilities do not have the authority to recruit for. Those positions generally include non-health care or health care support jobs, such as clerks/secretaries, police officers, engineers, food service workers, housekeeping aids, and psychology technicians, to name a few. Medical center HR departments have the authority to recruit directly from the public for professional medical positions, such as physicians, RNs, LPNs, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, etc. Currently, the DEU does not post job announcements for those types of health care positions.

A. Rather than the DEU, you should contact the HR department at the facility where the position is located.

A. If you do not have access to a computer with printing capabilities, you can go to the nearest VA medical center Human Resources Management Office to obtain all of the required forms and a copy of the announcement.

A. All documents are faxed to the central scanning center in Macon, GA, where they are matched to the correct announcement by the vacancy ID number. The assessment is scanned electronically. If you have completed your assessment online and then faxed supporting documents, they will be matched to your assessment. You should keep a copy of the fax receipt showing that all pages were received.

A. Please review this entire FAQ section to find the answers to your questions. Detailed instructions are also located within each job announcement. If you still have questions, you can contact the VA human resources office listed in the announcement.

A. Make sure to print the entire announcement by clicking on Print Preview at the bottom of the first page of the announcement.

• Read the announcement thoroughly.
• Print OPM Form 1203-FX, Assessment Questionnaire. This is basically an answer sheet. You will need to follow the questions in the job announcement to fill out this form. You must submit all 6 pages (even if you don't answer any questions on the last page). Don't forget to fill out the top of each page with your social security number and vacancy ID number.
• Make sure to answer the narrative questions thoroughly on a separate piece of paper. Some questions require you to support your answer in writing. Please read each question and instructions carefully.
• If education transcripts are required or you are qualifying based on a combination of experience and education, you must submit transcripts or a complete course listing from the school (originals are not required for the application process; however, they will be required by the hiring facility if you are selected for the position). Education information is detailed in the Qualifications section of the job announcement.
• If you are a Veteran, you must submit the required documentation or preference cannot be given. Please see the Veterans' preference FAQs for specific information.
• Fax your entire packet, with the OPM Form 1203-FX on top (the first page is your cover page), to 1-478-757-3144 in the following order.
  
  
  • OPM Form 1203-FX (6 pages) (top)
  • Narrative responses
  • Resume
  • Veteran's preference documentation
  • Transcripts, if required (bottom)
Make sure you keep a copy of your fax receipt showing that all pages have been received.
• Your application must be RECEIVED by the closing date listed on the job announcement. You must fax your application packet by that date. Late applications cannot be considered.

A. You must use the fax coversheet listed in the last section of the job announcement.

A. You must either submit your assessment online or fill out the OPM Form 1203-FX and fax it. You cannot fax a printed copy of the online assessment. You may print a copy of your online assessment for your records, but you must actually complete the online process so that your assessment is submitted to the Delegated Examining Unit electronically. Look under "Application Manager" to see if your status shows as "Complete." If not, you have not actually submitted the assessment electronically. You will receive a letter stating that you were not considered because either you did not submit a questionnaire or it was completed/submitted incorrectly. Again, do not fax printed copies of your online assessment.

A. No. Writing your answers on the announcement (or sending in a copy of the online assessment without actually submitting it electronically) does not qualify as completing the questionnaire. You will receive a letter stating that you were not considered because either you did not submit a questionnaire or it was completed/submitted incorrectly. You must either submit your assessment online or fill out the OPM Form 1203-FX and fax it.

A. No. Original unopened transcripts are only required if you are selected for the position. Faxing or uploading a copy of your transcripts or full course listing is acceptable. We do not accept mailed supporting documents and also cannot consider transcripts that are submitted late from the school.

A. Please read the Qualifications section of the job announcement carefully for detailed information regarding education. If this section states that you can substitute education for experience and this is the way you are attempting to qualify, you must submit transcripts or a full course listing from the school. If it states that education is a basic requirement, you must submit transcripts regardless of your experience. You cannot be considered without proof of meeting this basic requirement.

A. No. Please do not send duplicate information. It is not required and is unnecessary.

A. You can sign back into your Application Manager account to check your status. Click on the vacancy ID for the announcement, then Details. It will show the date your assessment was submitted and the date your resume and other supporting documents were received.

A. USAJOBS and Application Manager are two different programs. Once you leave USAJOBS and sign in to Application Manager, USAJOBS cannot track your status. You must sign in to Application Manager to view your status.

A. No. Please do not send duplicate information. It is not required and is unnecessary.

A. All documents are faxed to a central location in Macon, GA. The documents are then matched with the job announcement by the vacancy ID number. If you completed your assessment online and then faxed supporting documents, those documents will be matched to your assessment. You should keep a copy of the fax receipt showing that all pages were received.

A. The easiest option is to save a copy of your resume on your computer or on a disk. If you have other documents, such as transcripts or Veterans' preference information, you may want to scan them so that they can be stored electronically on your computer or on a disk. You can then upload those documents as needed.

A. Each job announcement has a different vacancy ID number. The job may be in a different location or at a different grade level than the previous announcement. The job duties may also vary. In any case, you must apply for each announcement separately.

A. No. Please make sure your fax receipt shows that all pages have been received. Keep a copy of the receipt for your records.

A. No. You can check your status through your Application Manager account. If you faxed any supporting documents, it can take between 24 and 36 hours for them to show in your account.

A. No. Please review the Qualifications section of the job announcement. The DEU cannot determine your qualifications over the telephone or by e-mail.

A. No. Applying online is highly recommended. When you apply this way, all of your information, including your assessment questions and resume, etc., (if you upload directly) is grouped and attached directly to the appropriate job announcement. When faxing, you risk an incomplete submission if all of your forms don't go through. Completing and submitting the assessment online also ensures that you have completed it in the correct format. Duplicate online and fax submissions are unnecessary.

A. Normally you will receive notification (by e-mail if you provided an e-mail address or by mail if you have not) within 10-15 business days after the closing date.

A. You may or may not be contacted for an interview. The facility must abide by Office of Personnel Management rules in the selection process but is not required to interview all names that are referred. The facility is given 30 days to use each "referral certificate" and can request an extension of up to another 60 days. All questions regarding the interview process and notification of non-selection should be made directly to the human resources department at the facility where you have applied.

A. No (in most cases). See the Veterans' preference FAQ section for details if you are a Veteran (30% or higher service-connected disabled only).

A. Veterans with preference have either 5 or 10 points added to their scores (if they submit all of the required documentation). That means that there could potentially be applicants with scores of up to 110. Only 3-5 names are referred for each vacancy opening, and certain Veterans with preference (CPS Veterans) automatically go to the top of the list.

A. You must either submit your questionnaire online or complete and fax the OPM Form 1203-FX. Your answers cannot be "read" by the scanner if you submit your answers in a different format. When you fill out the questionnaire online, you must click on "Submit" to complete the electronic process.

A. You must either submit your questionnaire online or complete and fax the OPM Form 1203-FX. Your answers cannot be "read" by the scanner if you submit your answers in a different format. To fill out the questionnaire online, you must click on "Submit" to complete the electronic process.

A. If you provided an e-mail address, you should have received an e-mail message from the DEU within 10-15 business days after the closing date. If you did not supply an e-mail address, you should receive a letter from the DEU within that timeframe.

A. The hiring process may take a while. There may be other lists of qualified applicants that the hiring facility is reviewing, which may include internal applicants, Veterans, former Federal employees or Schedule A-handicapped individuals. The hiring facility will notify you directly to schedule an interview or inform you that the vacancy has already been filled.

A. No, you must also complete the assessment questionnaire. It is a requirement for every position announced by the DEU. You can submit your questionnaire online or complete and fax the OPM Form 1203-FX. Review the job announcement carefully. You may be required to submit additional forms and documentation, as well.

A. Due to security precautions (your full social security number is on the application) and due to the volume of applications that are processed by each DEU, we are unable to accept applications by e-mail. This is stated in each announcement, along with detailed instructions on how to apply.