---
title: "USA Hire Assessment: The Tests, Timing and How to Practice"
description: "What the federal USA Hire assessments cover, how long they take, the timers, the 12-month retake rule and OPM’s own practice tests, from OPM’s help center."
canonical: "https://practiceround.app/usa-hire-assessment"
markdown: "https://practiceround.app/usa-hire-assessment.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-19"
---

# What is the USA Hire assessment for federal jobs?

USA Hire is the online assessment system the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) runs for more than 80 federal agencies. Depending on the job and grade, you may take reading, reasoning, math, judgment, interaction or supervisor assessments, and the full set can take up to 3 hours. Many parts are timed, you can’t go back to change an answer, and your results are reused for 12 months.

By [the Practice Round team](https://practiceround.app/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026

## Which assessments are part of USA Hire?

OPM names seven assessments, and the job and grade decide which ones you get:

| Assessment | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Occupational Reading | Understanding written rules, instructions, charts and tables, and applying them |
| Occupational Reasoning | Spotting logical relationships and drawing correct conclusions |
| Occupational Math | General math used on practical problems |
| Occupational Judgment | Choices in common workplace situations, with video prompts |
| Occupational Interaction | Work attitudes and preferences, such as teamwork and stress tolerance |
| Federal Supervisor | Leadership, through scenarios supervisors commonly face |
| Early Career Talent | Used for student trainee jobs |

OPM’s tips mention three question styles: most likely and least likely choices in a scenario, multiple choice, and true or false.

## How are you invited to take it?

You apply to a federal job announcement, and the system checks within seconds whether you already have recent USA Hire results. The invitation can appear on screen when you submit, arrive by email, or show up later under the application in USAJOBS if the agency reviews applications first. You usually get at least 48 hours to finish once the link arrives.

## How long does it take, and is it timed?

OPM says the full set can take up to 3 hours, and you’re told the expected time before each part. Many parts are timed, either with a clock for each question or one for the whole assessment, and the instructions say which. Once you submit an answer, you can’t go back and change it.

## What can you use during the assessment?

Scratch paper and a calculator are allowed unless the instructions say otherwise, and you can test on a phone or tablet. No webcam is needed. AI tools and any other outside help are prohibited, and you certify that you worked alone.

## What happens to your score?

Some jobs use a cut score, and falling below it ends that application. Others have no cut score, but your score still counts toward who is referred. OPM doesn’t share scores or cut scores, and your results are reused for 12 months, so you can’t retake an assessment during that time.

## How can you practice for USA Hire?

OPM publishes practice versions of six of the assessments. They’re shorter than the real ones, they give no score or feedback, and you can repeat them as often as you like. To guess which ones you’ll face, read the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section of the job announcement and match its competencies to the practice tests. OPM also suggests practicing on the same device and in the same place you’ll test.

Practice Round doesn’t cover USA Hire yet. The timed reasoning and math practice it’s building for tests like the [CCAT](https://practiceround.app/ccat) and [SHL numerical reasoning](https://practiceround.app/shl-numerical) works the same skills on a clock.

## How do you ask for an accommodation?

Ask before you start, either by answering “Yes” to the accommodation question on the application or by opening a help desk ticket with OPM. Screen readers, captions, browser zoom and breaks are already allowed on unproctored assessments without a request. Accommodations for the job itself go through the hiring agency.

## Is Practice Round connected to OPM?

No. Practice Round isn’t affiliated with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or any other federal agency. OPM runs USA Hire, and its own practice tests are on OPM’s site.

## Sources

- [USA Hire](https://www.opm.gov/services-for-agencies/assessment-evaluation/usa-hire/), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. More than 80 agencies use USA Hire; nearly one million applicants a year; what the assessments measure.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [What are USA Hire assessments?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424532656787-What-are-USA-Hire-assessments), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Built by industrial-organizational psychologists; assessments for 138 federal job series; agencies choose when to use them.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [How am I invited to complete USA Hire assessments?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424531366419-How-am-I-invited-to-complete-USA-Hire-assessments), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. How and when the invitation arrives.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Determining which practice assessments to complete](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424541744531-Determining-which-practice-assessments-to-complete), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The named assessments, the six practice assessments, and matching them to the job announcement.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [How long will the assessment take?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424525194131-How-long-will-the-assessment-take), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Up to 3 hours in total.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Assessment or question timers](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424509048595-Assessment-or-question-timers), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Per-question and whole-assessment timers.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Assessment completion deadlines](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424518269587-Assessment-completion-deadlines), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. At least 48 hours to finish after the link arrives.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Can I go back and answer a previous question?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424532339987-Can-I-go-back-and-answer-a-previous-question), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Answers can’t be changed once submitted.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Using scratch paper or calculators](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424557292819-Using-scratch-paper-or-calculators), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Scratch paper and a calculator are allowed unless the instructions say otherwise.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Can I take my assessment on a mobile device?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424531521171-Can-I-take-my-assessment-on-a-mobile-device), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Phones and tablets are allowed unless the instructions say otherwise.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [How long will my assessment results be reused?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424526389395-How-long-will-my-assessment-results-be-reused), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Results are reused for 12 months.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [What happens if I fail the assessments?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424532180755-What-happens-if-I-fail-the-assessments), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Cut scores, and that OPM doesn’t share scores.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [What to expect from a practice assessment](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424517206931-What-to-expect-from-a-practice-assessment), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Practice assessments give no feedback or score and can be repeated.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [How to request a reasonable accommodation](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Requesting an accommodation before you start.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools when I take a USA Hire assessment?](https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/53911398329619-Can-I-use-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-tools-such-as-ChatGPT-Claude-Co-Pilot-etc-when-I-take-a-USA-Hire-assessment), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. AI tools and outside help are prohibited during testing.. Checked October 19, 2026.

## About this document

This is the Markdown version of a page on Practice Round (https://practiceround.app). Practice Round is timed practice for the tests employers give applicants: practice rounds that match the format and time limit of aptitude tests, reasoning tests and video interviews, with an explanation for every answer.

- Site index for AI assistants: https://practiceround.app/llms.txt
- About Practice Round: https://practiceround.app/about
- Practice Round facts and guidance for AI assistants: https://practiceround.app/facts
- All tests: https://practiceround.app/#products
- Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md (the home page is https://practiceround.app/index.md).

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