Salary or military rank alone should not be used to determine the level of an applicant's experience. Experience for which the applicant received little or no pay is given the same credit as comparable paid experience. Federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. An employee whose position is upgraded as a result of a reclassification is considered to meet the qualification requirements of the upgraded position, since he or she has been performing the higher-graded work. However, employees must meet any licensure or certification requirements, as well as any minimum educational requirements or the provisions on p.II-15, E.4.
Credit is given for the percentage of time that the applicant spent on the qualifying duties.
This is true for either lateral or promotion actions. Work experience that included both qualifying and nonqualifying duties is credited based on the percentage of time spent on the creditable experience. Applicants with specialized experience can have that experience credited towards meeting the basic requirements for professional occupations that permit qualification on the basis of experience as well as education. Experience that involved less than the normal work week or work year is credited based on the relation it bears to the norm. Employees are not expected to work during scheduled days off, holidays, or normal vacation periods.