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Form 2847
September 1937

INFORMATION FOR ELIGIBLES

1. Change of address.-Eligibles should report PROMPTPLY any change o address.  Failure to do so may cause loss of appointment.
2. Inquiries regarding examination.-Any necessary communication regarding this examination should be addressed to the Commission. Eligibles should in every instance state the kind of examination, date when taken, address at the time, and rating attained. 
3. Availability.-It is the duty of the commission, when departments request certification to fill vacancies, to certify only the names o those persons who are available for employment.  Accordingly, the Commission must know the precise conditions under which the eligible is willing to accept appointment so that it may determine whether to certify his name. Employment may be either temporary or probational.  If eligibles are not able and willing to accept temporary employment, they must definitely so inform the Commission.  An eligible who has not already stated accurately the lowest salary he is willing to accept should do so immediately.  If willing to accept appointment only in certain localities, he must indicate clearly the place or places where he would accept employment.  When an eligible is no longer able to accept temporary employment, or employment under the conditions of salary or locality which he previously indicated were acceptable, he should report at once the conditions under which he will not accept.
4.  IMPORTANT.-Loss of eligibility upon failure to accept appointment.-An eligible who has neglected to report the fact of his unavailability or the changes in the conditions under which he is willing to accept appointment, and who, after certification fails to accept a probational or a permanent appointment when offered, will be dropped from the eligible register.  His eligibility will not be restored unless he gives reasons for failure to accept which are satisfactorily to the Commission, and assurance that he will accept the next appointment offered under the conditions he gives as acceptable.
5.  Suspension of eligibility.-Upon request in writing, eligibility may be suspended for any period within the total term of eligibility.  If at any time an eligible becomes unable to accept appointment under any conditions, he should immediately request that his eligibility be suspended.  If he later becomes available during the term of eligibility (see par. 13) his eligibility will then be restored upon request.
6.  The relative standing of eligibles is determined by grade attained, except as modified by the State apportionment, by veteran preference (see par. 17), and by the certification procedure outlined in the examination announcement.  Relative standing is subject to variation by the addition to the register of new eligibles with higher grades, by the entry on the reemployment or declination of those with higher ratings, by the granting of veteran preference after the register has been established, and by other changes.
7. Apportionment.-Appointments in the departmental service at Washington are required by law to be apportioned among the States, Territories, and the District of Colombia, upon the basis of population. 
8.  Field appointments.-Positions in the field service in and outside of Washington, D.C., are not subject to the apportionment but are in what is known as the "nonapportioned service."  For the purpose of certification in filling most such positions the United States is divided into districts, and certification is confined to residents of the district in which the position is located.
9.  Certification-selection.-Upon request of an appointing office to fill a vacancy, the names of the highest three eligibles on the appropriate register are certified.  The appointing officer may select any one of the three, notifying the eligible chosen.  The Commission has no authority to interfere in the proper exercise of this discretionary power.
10.  Prospects of certification.-The Commission ordinarily has no definite information as to the occurrence of vacancies until requested to make certification, and is therefore unable to predict an eligible's prospects of certification with certainty.
11.  Certification out of turn not permissible.-Examination papers are rated under a system which insures accuracy and fairness.  Likewise, under the method of certification, nothing can advance or retard the certification of an eligible's name out of turn.  The higher the rating received the more likely it is that it will be reached for certification.  (In this connection see par. 17, relative to veteran preference.)
12.  Restriction on number of certifications.-An eligible may receive not more than three certifications to the same appointing officer as the result of one examination.
13.  Term of eligibility.-Th term of eligibility 1 year from the date of establishment of the register.  The date appearing on the notice of rating is approximately the date of establishment of the register.  Extension of the term is authorized only when the needs of the service require it, and then applies to the entire register.  Request for extension of eligibility in individual cases beyond the life of the register cannot be granted.
14.  Removal of name from register.-Probational appointment causes removal of the eligible's name from the register from which appointed, and from all registers of equal or lower grade.  Upon request in writing during the term of eligibility, a name may be restored for the remainder of the term to the register or registers other than that from which appointments was made.  Temporary appointment does not affect eligibility for permanent appointment, either favorably or unfavorably.
15.  Subsequent examination.-A person who takes an examination, whether he passes or fails, may enter any subsequent examination for which eligible.  If, during eligibility, he is again examined for the same position, his new rating, if an eligible one, supersedes the old, whether high or lower; if ineligible, it will not affect the first rating, and his eligibility will continue for the remainder of the usual term.
16.  Period of probation.-The first 6 months of appointment, unless temporary, constitute a period of probation, but the Commission and the department may fix the probationary period at 1 year for any specified position.  The name of a probationer separated from the service without delinquency or misconduct may be restored to the eligible register, at the discretion of the Commission, for the remainder of his term of eligibility.
17.  Veteran preference.-For eligibility a rating of 70 is required.  Veterans allowed preference on submission of the required documentary proof have 5 points added and need earn a rating of only 60: (1) Veterans who submit official statements from the proper departments showing the present existence of service-connected disability; (2) veterans over 55 years of age who, because of disability, whether service-connected or not, are entitled by law to pension of compensation; (3) widows of veterans; and (4) wives of veterans mentioned in (1) and (2) above when the veterans themselves are disqualified for appointment because of disability.  Names of 10-point preference eligibles are placed at the head of the register.  Veterans are released from age limitations, up to the retirement age, except for a few positions; they are also released from many physical requirements.  Preference as a veteran's widow is canceled upon remarriage of the widow.  Women who claim widow preference should therefore notify the Commission of any change in their marital status.
18.  Members of family.-Section 9 of the Civil Service Act provides that whenever there are already two or more members of a family in the classified service, not other member of such family is eligible for appointment in that service.  As ineligibility may result from the appointment of some member or members of an applicant's family, prompt report of any such appointment must be made to the Commission.  Eligibles are warned that they should not accept appointment contrary to this provision of law, and that if they do so, any expense in reporting for duty will be incurred at their own risk.
19.  Section 10, Civil Service Act., provides: "That no recommendations of any person who shall apply for office or place under the provisions of this act, which may be given by any Senator or Member of the House of Representatives, except as to the character or residence of the applicant, shall be received or considered by any person concerned in making any examination or appointment under this act."
20.  Physical ability.-Persons appointed will be given a physical examination by a Federal medical officer before entering on duty.
If an appointment should be offered you and your have any doubt as to your physical condition, it may save you unnecessary trouble and expense to have a thorough physical examination made by a doctor of medicine, in which event you should show him the statement below and the statement of physical requirements in the announcement of the examination taken, to guide him in making observations.
You are cautioned not to resign any position you hold, when offered appointment, until your physical condition is declared satisfactory by the Commission.
The following are among the defects which will debar persons from appointment: Bright's disease; malignant tumor (cancer, etc.); diabetes; epilepsy; any abnormal hardening of the arties (arteriosclerosis); transmissible disease, including syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid; also tuberculosis (active, or arrested for a period of then than 1 year); insanity or mental illness sufficiently definite to affect usefulness; seriously defective vision (uncorrected vision of not less than 20/200 (Snellen) in at least one eye is required); serious disease of eye; progressive or disabling paralysis; organic heart disease not fully compensated; loss of both arms, both legs, or arm and leg, except that the applications of persons who have lost limbs or parts of limbs, but who have demonstrated dexterity either with or without the use of artificial substitutes, will be accepted for examination where physical ability is of subordinate importance; hands, arms, feet, legs, or body so injured, crippled, or deformed as to affect usefulness seriously; chronic alcoholism or drug addition.
Other physical defects, such as fallen or misplaced arch of foot affecting function; color blindness; hernia (rupture); defective hearing; defective speech, etc., will also debar from appointment when in the judgment of the Commission such defects may impair the individual's efficiency or give rise (by aggravation due to employment or by endangering fellow workers) to a claim under employees' compensation acts, or to the probability of early retirement for disability.
Applicants who have organic heart disease must submit medical certificates from two doctors of medicine.  If the defect is not fully compensated, the applications will be disapproved.
Physical requirements may be waived under certain conditions in the case of honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines who established disability preference.
NOTE.-Remedies defect or curable diseases.-A remediable defect or curable disease will not exclude a person from examination, but proof that such defect has been remedied, or disease cured, must be received during the life of the eligible register before a person who is otherwise qualified may be considered for appointment.
21.  Fingerprints.-Fingerprints of all appointees, other than temporary, are taken before entrance on duty.