The Dreaded KSAs—Your Tickets to a Federal Job

According to Karol Taylor, a guru on getting a government job who has many years in government HR behind her, KSAs are going to be changed. Speaking to a Washington, DC job hunters support organization in February, she said it’s in the works to replace KSAs with another assessment tool, but she said they will really just reappear in a new form with a new name. In the meantime, in order to land a federal job, you have to master the dreaded KSAs.

What the heck are KSAs?

K=Knowledge • S=Skills • A=Abilities

In up to 4,000-character answers to a series of questions specific to a job opening, you are asked to describe your successes to demonstrate these three attributes. Your answers are read by real people, who then score your response. If your KSA score combined with your application score is higher than 90, you are more likely to be asked to meet for an interview.

There are many keys to being one of those who rises to the top of the heap. Here are some resources to help you get started:

Washington Post online article by Derrick Dortch, career counselor: Common Mistakes in Applying for Federal Jobs

AARP Webinar: The Ins and Outs of Applying for a Federal Job

Tips on writing a KSA from Making the Difference

Downloadable PDF guide to writing KSAs from Our Public Service

Ten tips for applications from USA Jobs

• See a full report in a February post on Karol Taylor's presentation, including her many helpful tips on applying for a federal job.