Many apply only few are choosen

[shark206]

I passed the oral board, but was never called for background. Sometime this dream of my seemed out of reach. How did you stay on track and not lose focus? So many applied, and only a few are hand picked.

[SlowDownThere]

I don't know what to tell you, other than to hang in there. The economy has many agencies slowing down the hiring process, or stopping it all together. But keep in mind that recessions don't last for ever. They end.

[L-1]

The answer here may be with you test score. People are processed in the order of their tests scores. Highest score gets processed first, second highest score gets processed next. If your combined test scores are low, you just aren't reachable yet. There is no point in starting your background when there are people with higher scores ahead of you.

You might want to check and see where you test scores placed you on the hiring list. (Some call it an hiring list, others call it an eligible list or an appointment list, etc.) Find out where you are on it (# 1, #20, #95), how long the list is good for and how many appointments they expect to make from it. From that information you should be able to get a feel for when they may reach you.

If the list is good for two years, you are #100 on the list and they expect to hire 200 people over the next two years, they will probably get to you in a year. OTOH. if the list is only good for one year, you are #100 and they only expect to hire 50 people, you will probably not be reachable and should continue testing elsewhere.

FWIW, when I retired I saw a neat civilian job with the Feds as a courier. It didn't pay much but it would have allowed me to travel around the world on Uncle Sam's dime. I tested and came out #56 on the nationwide list that was good for two years. The problem was that they only anticipated hiring 36 people over the life of the list, so there was no way I was going to be reachable and I knew not to hold my breath for that position.

[ChgoPaintball]

Dont be discouraged. When I was hired I was number 15 on a list. Took 1.5 years for my BI to start.

Now im testing everywhere else. Im alright but not great on standardized tests. So Im usually in the high 20s. Unless the agency does something nutty where they score people by the ten thousandths (0.0000). Which then makes me a 55 out of 200.

Just keep attacking. Dont give up. Im currently on the same boat where sometimes I just want to throw in the towel in being a police officer.

But I have a few things to keep me motivated. My gf I want to marry and a career I always wanted to do since I was 16. I dont like to give up on my dreams easily.

[shark206]

Thank you for all the support. I have a written test coming up in 3 months. In order for me to advace to oral board I need to score 86% or better. This will be my ticket to the background. My last test I scored 80%. I'm shooting for 90% this time around. Eveytime when I feel like giving up, my impulse and instict tells me to go a little further.

[PhilipCal]

Thank you for all the support. I have a written test coming up in 3 months. In order for me to advace to oral board I need to score 86% or better. This will be my ticket to the background. My last test I scored 80%. I'm shooting for 90% this time around. Eveytime when I feel like giving up, my impulse and instict tells me to go a little further.

I assume you're talking about a written test. If so, shoot for a score in the mid to high nineties. That should be put you in the running for advancement in the process, and is the first "number" in a combined or weighted exam score. These scores are what place you on the Eligibility Register and they also determine where on that Register, you are.

[mikeymedic]

I had passed the Academy at the top of my class and it still took me a ton of testing and rejections with 97% written scores and PAT scores. Don't give up.