Job Simulations: Trying Out for a Federal Job - A 5-Step Assessment Strategy for Federal Hiring

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford

Examines the utility of job simulation assessments for the United States Federal hiring process. Defines job simulation as realistic, job-related situations that capture applicant behaviors or responses to judge qualifications. Argues simulations can predict on-the-job performance better than many common assessments and may increase fairness, while noting high development cost. Provides factors for agencies to consider and outlines a five-step strategy to build and implement an assessment program.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages76

Reading Time3 h 12 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

Background

Purpose and Methodology

Principles Of Assessment

Benefits of Good Assessments

What Makes a Good Assessment?

Job Simulations: What They Are

Definition

Types of Job Simulations

Job Simulations: How Federal Agencies Use Them

Nature of Assessment Programs

Use of Job Simulation Assessments

Formulating An Assessment Strategy

Conduct a Job Analysis

Identify the Assessments

Develop Testing Procedures

Select Qualified Assessors

Measure the Success of the Assessment Procedures

Conclusion

JOB SIMULATIONS: TRYING OUT FORA FEDERAL JOB A Report to the President and the Congress of the United States by the U. S. Merit Systems Protection Board THE CHAIRMAN U.S. MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD 1615 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20419-0001 September 2009 The President President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Dear Sirs and Madam: In accordance with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 1204(a)(3), it is my honor to submit this Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) report, Job Simulations: Trying Out for a Federal Job. The purpose of this report is to examine the utility of job simulation assessments for use in the Federal hiring process. We define job simulation as an assessment that presents applicants with realistic, job-related situations and documents their behaviors or responses to help determine their qualifications for the job. Job simulation assessments can be a critical measure in ensuring that agencies are selecting the best candidates. Simulations can do a better job of predicting which applicants will perform well on the job than many other commonly used assessments, and they can provide a greater degree of fairness in the process. However, their potentially high development cost is a key drawback. Job simulations may not work in every situation. It is important, therefore, for agencies to have a good grasp of the job for which they are hiring, the competencies needed for that job, and knowledge about which assessments would best fit their specific needs. This report identifies a number offactors for agencies to consider when making decisions about their assessment process. Also, it identifies a 5-step assessment strategy we believe should help agencies develop and implement an assessment program that assists them in selecting employees on the basis of relative ability, knowledge, and skills, as set forth in the merit system principles. I believe that you will find this report useful as you consider issues affecting the Federal Government’s ability to assess and select a high-quality workforce now and in the future. Respectfully, Neil A. G. McPhie JOB SIMULATIONS: TRYING OUT FORA FEDERAL JOB A Report to the President and the Congress of the United States by the U. S. Merit Systems Protection Board U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board Neil A. G. McPhie, Chairman Mary M. Rose, Vice Chairman Office of Policy and Evaluation Director John Crum, Ph. D. Project Manager Laura Shugrue Executive Summary Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................................................ i Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose and Methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Principles Of Assessment ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Benefits of Good Assessments ............................................................................................................................ 5 What Makes a Good Assessment? ................................................................................................................. 6 Job Simulations: What They Are ................................................................................................................................... 9 Definition ..............................

FAQs

How does the report define job simulation assessments?

Job simulations present applicants with realistic, job-related situations and document behaviors or responses to help determine qualifications for the job.

What advantages and disadvantages does the report associate with job simulations?

Simulations can better predict which applicants will perform well and can provide greater fairness, but their potentially high development cost is a key drawback.

What five-step assessment strategy does the report propose?

The strategy includes conducting a job analysis, identifying assessments, developing testing procedures, selecting qualified assessors, and measuring the success of the assessment procedures.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford