United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

 Administrative Directive 4335.2 January 16, 1978

Distribution: FGIS Originating Office: FMD PPMAB

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited 

bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and 

TDD).

To file a complaint, write to the USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity 

employer.

Grading Proficiency Reguired for Promotion to GS-9

Contents

Grading Proficiency Reguired for Promotion to GS-9 ��������������������������������������������������������1

1. PURPOSE �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

2. GENERAL �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

3. PROFICIENCY IN FOUR OR MORE AREAS �����������������������������������������������������������������

4. HOW TO REQUEST PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS ������������������������������������������������

5. WHEN TO REQUEST PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS ������������������������������������������������

6.PROFICIENCY MUST BE MAINTAINED �������������������������������������������������������������������������

7.DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������
FGIS Directive 4335.2 January 16, 1978

Page 2

1. PURPOSE

This Instruction states the proficiency requirements for promotion of Agricultural 

Commodity Grader trainees to the GS-9 journeyman level.

2. GENERAL

a. Experience has shown that the predominant workload throughout the Agency 

involves wheat grading. It is, therefore, imperative that employees at the GS-9 

journeyman level be proficient in grading wheat, tc insure that program needs are 

met and to maximize utilization of personnel.

b. In view of the above requirement, it is FGIS policy that training of employees at 

the GS-5 and GS-7 levels be planned in such a way as to insure that GS-9 graders 

can meet the requirements set forth in this Instruction.

3. PROFICIENCY IN FOUR OR MORE AREAS

a. Before a trainee can be promoted to the GS-9 journeyman level, he must be 

proficient in grading four or more graded commodities (grains, rice, pulses, etc.), 

or be proficient in grading three graded commodities and in all of the weighing 

operations. The following guidelines apply: 

(1) One of. the graded commodities will be wheat of all classes. The trainee’s 

Field Office Supervisor (FOS) is responsible for determining when the trainee 

has reached full proficiency in the grading of wheat, and for documenting 

the proficiency by entering the rating “Satisfactory” or ‘’Very Good” in the 

appropriate rating block on Form Gil-363, Progress Report--On-the-Job 

Training. 

(2) The other graded commodities should be those which are predominant in the 

circuit in which the trainee is located. Reaching journeyman level proficiency 

in grain weighing will substitute for one of these graded commodities if the 

field office in which the trainee is located has weighing responsibilities. The 

trainee’s FOS is responsible for determining when the trainee has reached full 

proficiency in these skills and for documenting the proficiency by entering the 

rating “Satisfactory” or “Very Good” in the appropriate rating block on Form 

GR-363.

b. In addition, before a trainee can be considered as qualified for promotion to GS-9 

journeyman level, his proficiency in gradir.g these commodities will be verified 

by the Board of Appeals and Review (BAR). Upon request, the BAR will send a 

Proficiency Evaluation on each commodity to the FOS who will administer it to the 

trainee

c. Proficiency in grain weighing will be verified by the WPi.ghing Division. Upon 

request, the Weighing Division will furnish a Proficiency Evaluation to the FOS who 

will administer it to the trainee.
FGIS Directive 4335.2 January 16, 1978

Page 3

4. HOW TO REQUEST PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS

Proficiency Evaluations may be requested singly, all at once, or in any combination. The

FOS shall request one or more Proficiency Evaluations (PE’s) by entering the request

under “Comments” in the current evaluation signature block of the trainee’s Form GR363, and shall forward a copy of Form GR-363 to Headquarters at the end of the current

rating period. Examples of the wording of the request are:

Corn PE requested 

Corn and soybeans PE’s requested 

Wheat, milled rice, rough rice, and brown rice for processing PE’s re.quested/ ( 

Weighing PE requested

5. WHEN TO REQUEST PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS

A trainee may take one or more of the Proficiency Evaluations at any time during his

apprenticeship at the GS-5 or GS-7 level. Supervisors and trainees are cautioned to

be positive that a trainee can successfully pass a Proficiency Evaluation before it is

requested. Otherwise, the BAR and Weighing Division will be unnecessarily overworked

and the trainee’s morale could suffer. Should a trainee fail a Proficiency Evaluation,

only one more attempt at the same Proficiency Evaluation during the following

4-month period will be allowed. Failures will be monitored very closely. If it appears that

supervisors are chronically premature in recommending Proficiency Evaluations, a more

restrictive approach may have to be adopted.

6. PROFICIENCY MUST BE MAINTAINED

Supervisors are also cautioned to assure that once a trainee has passed a Proficiency

Evaluation, he must maintain proficiency in the skill. Remember, a trainee is expected to

be currently proficient in four skills at the time of promotion to GS-9.

7. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

a. When a trainee successfully completes one or more Proficiency Evaluations.

the BAR or the Weighing Division will send a Proficiency Evaluation Scoresheet to

the FOS. The scoresheets should be stapled to the trainee’s Form GR-363 as part

of the permanent record.

b. The scoresheet showing proficiency in the four skills must accompany the original

Form GR.-363 when it is submitted to initiate the trainee’s promotion to GS-9.