Best Qualified Candidates: Those basically qualified candidates who rank at the top when compared to other qualified candidates for a position by evaluation of the candidate's qualifications with selective placement and quality ranking factors.
Career Ladder: The grade range from the entry level through and including the full performance level for an occupation (promotions in the career ladder are made noncompetitively after competitive entry into the occupational career ladder).
Full Performance Level (FPL): The highest non- supervisory level to which an Employee may be promoted through successive noncompetitive career promotions if the Employee is one of a group in which all Employees are given grade building experience, demonstrates ability to perform at the next higher level and if there is enough work at the FPL for all Employees in the group.
Merit Promotion Certificate: A list prepared by the personnel office or chairman of the promotion committee which identifies, in alphabetical order, the best qualified candidates for a specific vacancy announced under merit promotion procedures.
Minimally Qualified Candidates: Those who meet the OPM qualification standard as well as the minimum level of all selective placement factors.
OPM Qualification Standards: Standards pertaining to work experience, voluntary experience, education, and training which a candidate must meet to be a basically qualified candidate for a position.
Promotion Committee. A minimum of three individuals with submit matter expertise relative to the position being filled who evaluates qualified candidates on the basis of the KASOCs. End product of the committee is the merit promotion certificate.
Quality Ranking Factors: KASOCs which are expected to significantly enhance performance in a position that are identified as criteria for distinguishing the better candidates from among a group of minimally qualified applicants. These are desirable KASOCs and if a candidate does not posses a particular quality ranking factor, he/she is still eligible to be considered for the position.
Selective Placement Factors: Knowledge, abilities, skills, and/or other characteristics (KASOCs) that are essential/mandatory for satisfactory performance on the job and which are requirements in addition to the OPM basic qualification standard for a position. They are used to determine a candidate's eligibility for consideration. If a candidate does not meet a selective factor, he/she is ineligible for further consideration for the position.