Using Job Performance as a Component of Civil Service Examinations

There has been a long-standing complaint about civil service test results. Too often, highly regarded candidates do not score well enough to be reached for appointment, and poorly regarded candidates do score well, and block the appointments of the best candidates. Efforts have been made in recent years to expand selection beyond the “rule of three” and to provide for more flexible lateral movement. These efforts, however, do not address the underlying need for fixing the product.