You sholudn't have a score if you did not pass the test...it should just say ineligible with your ksa ratings F(fail) B(below average) *(ksa not needed) or ... blank(passing ksa). Put in writing along with training for each KSA (within a 30 day timeframe from the trainig) for each KSA failed. Give this to your MDO. They have a certain amount of time to give you.. a review panel, test AND final results of the test. I believe the time they have is a TOTAL of 37 calendar days. Talk to your steward about this...hopefully you ARE part of the union. Good Luck.

You say you took the test from the outside ? If so, you need to have management convert IN-SERVICE exam score to IN-CRAFT exam score...then you can do the upgrade. If your results do say in-craft somewhere on it..then there should be no problems upgrading.

Thanks guys for your help,But is entrance exam the same as in service?
I will be going to see the human resorces tomorrow and try and get something done.
Roy

   ALSO does anyone know if they are taking transfers for maintenence ortesting for it

Hi Again
Does anyone have the phone number of The National Test administration
Center System-Eagan,MN.They keep the test scores for us.Or Their E-mail addresse,It seems they know everything about testing in the p.o. I
keep getting differant answers from our local human resources.
Thanks Alot
Roy

I have been a custodian now for three weeks in Nashville after transferring here from the Chattanooga REC (Remote Encoding Center) after it was closed down. I was a level 5 DCO (data conversion operator) at the REC and when I bid on the residual custodian job in Nashville, I was told that I would be locked in my pay grade for two years. Some people from the APWU in Chattanooga even told me that I might be locked in for life, provided I don't bid on any lower level jobs. Can anyone tell me if this is true? Nobody at the Nashville P&DC seems to know but back in 2004 I went through another REC closing in Bowling Green, KY and two guys I worked with there took residual custodian jobs and they are currently level 5 and are still custodians, so I think there might be some truth to this. Those two guys were maxed out on their step increases when they took the custodian jobs and I thought that might have something to do with it.

Has anyone heard of the 955 exam ? What's this all about ?

/m1075 Ohio... take a look at this link if you get a chance.. Explains a lot of things.

http://blue.usps.gov/hrisp/ser/implement_r...nce_hiring_memo.htm

I work out of the chicago bulk mail center,The postal service is revising the 933 -932 -931 exams,The way I understand it is the 955 exam will take the place of 933-931-932.Ther will be no ksa booklets to fill out,you will be interviewed by mss supervisor,and your test scores will tell all for your promotions,This is why there is a hold on the maintenance exam,SO THEY GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME.Good luck.
Roy

EMPLOYEE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT


December 23, 2008

MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES (AREA)
MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES (DISTRICT)
MANAGER, COPORATE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
MANAGER, TALENT ACQUISITION AND RETENTION
 
SUBJECT: Implementation of the Revised Maintenance Selection System for Entrance Hiring


This memorandum is to announce the implementation of a new Web-based testing process for external hiring into jobs covered by the Maintenance Selection System (MSS).

Effective January 1, 2009, the new Examination 955 will replace paper and pencil examinations 931,932 and 933 for external selection into MSS jobs. Applicants who apply for MSS vacancies in eCareer will be administered Examination 955 by our contractor pan (Performance Assessment Network). This change will streamline the hiring process by shifting work associated with giving examinations to pan and by performing testing assessment only when actual vacancies exist.
 
This new process also simplifies administering the entrance review panel evaluation by eliminating Candidate Supplemental Applications and the need for applicants to complete them. The new hiring process for MSS jobs further leverages the eCareer technology and better aligns the external filling of MSS vacancies with preferred recruitment and hiring practices.

Implementation instructions for the Examination 955 are attached as well as a communications timeline and important dates to remember. Please have your staff and others involved in the administration of MSS review these instructions and take the necessary steps to ensure that external applicants for MSS jobs are processed accordingly.
 
This memorandum, attachment, and exhibits will be made available under "What’s New" on the Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/hrisp/ser/welcome.htm.

Your cooperation is appreciated, and we look forward to a smooth implementation of the revised and streamlined hiring process for MSS jobs.

 
Mangala P. Gandhi
Manager
Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition

Implementation Instructions For
The Revised Maintenance Selection System (MSS)

Effective Date

Effective January 1, 2009, a new Web-based Examination 955 for Maintenance Selection System (MSS) external hiring will replace the paper and pencil examinations 931, 932 and 933. External applicants for all MSS positions will participate in this one new examination. Scoring of Examination 955 will be calculated for each of four job families as shown in Exhibit A. Updated qualification standards will be published to reflect the new examination. All entrance hiring under the revised MSS will be conducted through eCareer.

Districts and installations must fully process any selections from entrance registers under the current MSS process prior to filling vacancies in eCareer. When existing MSS entrance registers are exhausted, vacancies for MSS jobs must be announced in eCareer.


Necessary Action


a. Applicants who responded to entrance examination announcements and have not been scheduled to take examinations 931, 932 and 933 should not be scheduled. Instead, notify these applicants about the cut-over to eCareer using Exhibit B.
b. Review the following list of MSS examination materials and determine whether you have these materials on hand:

EXAM BOOKLETS, EXAM 931 SERIES 17, 18, 19
EXAM 931 ORAL EXAMINATION, SERIES 17, 18, 19
EXAM BOOKLETS, EXAM 932 SERIES 230, 231, 232
EXAM 932 ORAL EXAMINATION, SERIES 230, 231, 232
EXAM BOOKLETS, EXAM 933 SERIES 37, 38, 39
EXAM 933 ORAL EXAMINATION, SERIES 37, 38, 39
FORM, PS 8085 – EMPLOYEE MAINTENANCE APPLICATION FORM
FORM, PS 8051 – MAINTENANCE SELECTION SYSTEM COVER SHEET
MSS CANDIDATE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION BOOKLET
FORM, PS 8087-REVIEW PANEL GROUP A, B AND D
FORM, PS 8088 - REVIEW PANEL GROUP C
FORM, PS 8086 - SUPERVISOR EVALUATION FORM
MSS REVIEW PANEL EVALUTION GUIDELINES

Assess whether there are materials that you will not need to continue to process incraft and inservice applications. Label MSS materials (including items not listed above) that are not needed as “Obsolete Materials” and send by registered mail to:


Measurement and Evaluation Team-DU
2701 E Imhoff Road
Norman, OK 73071-1198.

b. Human Resources MSS Coordinators, Maintenance MSS Coordinators, and chairpersons for review panels will need to request access to pan. Current users of eMSS should expect additional communication regarding access to pan and should not take action at this time. Others should follow instructions in Exhibit C for to gain access. The purpose of the access is to be able to print the Review Panel Guidelines and enter review panel ratings.


New Process


1. MSS vacancies to be filled externally are posted in eCareer using the standard requisition setup.
2. External applicants apply to vacancies in eCareer.
3. Upon submitting an eCareer application, applicants are immediately notified to begin the assessment process. Applicants have 14 days to complete all assessment related activity with pan.
4. Applicants take the unproctored part of Examination 955 on their own time and at their convenience.
5. If applicants qualify on the unproctored portion, they are notified to self-schedule and complete the proctored portion of Examination 955 through pan. The proctored test sessions will be conducted by vendor personnel at a pan testing site.
6. Upon completion of assessment related activity for Examination 955, results will be automatically forwarded back to eCareer.
7. Applicants who fail to meet the required standard on either section of Examination 955 (unproctored or proctored) are removed from the application process. These applicants are ineligible for any further consideration.
8. Applicants rated eligible on Examination 955 will receive a numeric score for each of four job families (see Exhibit A). Veterans’ Preference will be applied by eCareer. The job family score with veterans’ preference added will determine the applicants ranking for jobs within that group.
9. Applicants will be processed through prescreening activities and will progress, dependent upon suitability and other issues uncovered.
10. Applicants who appear on an external hiring list and are in range of consideration are invited to participate in a structured interview, review panel process. Structured interview guidelines and content are organized into five job families as described in Exhibit A.
11. The composition of the review panel for entrance hiring has not changed. The review panel chairperson (RPC) will access the pan system to download copies of the applicable interview for one of five job families. Review panel members must treat these interview guide books as restricted material.
12. Structured interviews will be conducted by the review panel with applicants in range of consideration.
13. The RPC (or the Human Resources MSS Coordinator) will access the pan system to document the interview results. Applicants deemed ineligible will receive no further consideration.
14. pan then sends the results of the evaluation to eCareer as part of the secondary test process. Applicants deemed ineligible on the structured interview will be rejected from the hiring list.
15. A selection list is forwarded to the selecting official based upon the Rule of Three for applicants who are considered eligible for further consideration after the structured interviews are complete. The selecting official selects applicants for the vacant position(s) by applying the Rule of Three, with proper consideration of veterans’ preference.

Thanks for confusing the heck out of me Cali !!

/m1081 Ohio... I did not mean to confuse you. Just showing that any new hires are going to be using an online version of MSS and that the Examination 955 is taking the place of the examinations 931,932 and 933 that all of us are used to. So, USPS is now in the process of changing over to an online version of the 955 that current Maintenance employees will be using if they were planning on the examinations 931,932 and 933 during this open season. Currently, the open season went from 1-31 March 2009. At the close of the sign up for open season the Postal Service has 150 days to complete the testing and getting the results back. So right now it is a waiting game.

I'm not new hire. I wanted to upgrade a few KSA's to retake the MPE exam(933). I was told I can't take the 933 because of the new 955. What happens to the 37 day rule management has for my upgrade ?

Contractually the 37 day rule still applies. If the Postal Service goes beyond that I would be filing a grievance and making sure that any positions that get posted after the 37 days for the registers I would be on after I updated I would challenge them. Get with your Union Rep and make sure that your Management follows the rules. Good Luck....