[Also posted here]
Now that the 2011 Presidential Management Fellows semifinalists have been chosen and the PMF Program Office has posted the list, it's time to think about the next hurdle, the in-person assessment. 1530 people (congratulations to you!) will convoke in four cities around the country between mid-January and late-February for a day-long assessment that includes an individual presentation, a group exercise, and a proctored writing exercise.
This post, and the comment thread, can be used to share assessment preparation tips as well as general tips on navigating the cities in question, so hotel recommendations, flight options, eateries, and in-city transit means are up for discussion. If you would kindly indicate at the beginning of any city-specific information comments which city you are talking about, that would be helpful for people scanning through the comments.
A note on assessment tips: Let's do our best to preserve the integrity of the assessment process, at least during the assessment window. If, after the assessment window closes, you wish to share your experience in more detail for future applicants, I heartily invite you to do so. Remember that while this assessment window is open, you are effectively competing with one another; plan your strategy accordingly, especially if people start sharing detailed experiences. This, in fact, is the one major drawback I see to conducting this style of assessment: information provided by early testers may have an impact on the results of later testers. Note that this thread can also serve as a place to discuss the merits and drawbacks of an in-person assessment.
Please share with us your plans for the assessment: time and location you've selected, preparation tips or guides you think might be helpful, and thoughts on the process so far.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
2011 PMF Semifinalists
Word is that some of the nominees have begun receiving notifications of results indicating they made it to the semifinalist round. At the time of this posting, the list has not been provided, but given the volume of notices (both positive and negative), the notifications could take a while. Stay tuned.
Update 3:48 PM GMT via the PMF Program Office's Facebook page:
So if you haven't heard anything yet, positive or negative, hang in there!
Update #2 7:38 PM GMT
The PMF Program Office has released the official list of 2011 PMF semifinalists. As usual, I will back this file up to analyze later. Anyway, congratulations to the 1530 nominees who made it through. The online assessment was the most selective of the hurdles, discarding about 80% of the nominees. The next steps will be far less selective, though potentially no less challenging. Take a breath and get ready for the next sprint.
For those that didn't make it, there's probably not much I can offer in the way of consolation. I realize the assessment seems arbitrary, and in a way it probably is. But there are other ways into federal service, so if you are passionate about serving, don't give up!
[Also on GovLoop here.]
Update 3:48 PM GMT via the PMF Program Office's Facebook page:
The PMF Program Office started sending the notice of results for all nominees in the PMF Class of 2011 on whether or not selected as semi-finalists on Monday, December 20, 2010. Due to large volume of notifications, it may take a couple days before they are delivered. Once the official list of semi-finalists is ready, a copy will be posted to the PMF website. Thank you!
So if you haven't heard anything yet, positive or negative, hang in there!
Update #2 7:38 PM GMT
The PMF Program Office has released the official list of 2011 PMF semifinalists. As usual, I will back this file up to analyze later. Anyway, congratulations to the 1530 nominees who made it through. The online assessment was the most selective of the hurdles, discarding about 80% of the nominees. The next steps will be far less selective, though potentially no less challenging. Take a breath and get ready for the next sprint.
For those that didn't make it, there's probably not much I can offer in the way of consolation. I realize the assessment seems arbitrary, and in a way it probably is. But there are other ways into federal service, so if you are passionate about serving, don't give up!
[Also on GovLoop here.]
Friday, December 17, 2010
New PMF Site
[Cross-posted to GovLoop here].
After months of waiting, the new PMF site has been released. Thematically, it's an improvement over the old site, but I haven't yet had a chance to dig into it to see if the information is better organized.
What do you all think of it? Can you find things you're looking for easier?
After months of waiting, the new PMF site has been released. Thematically, it's an improvement over the old site, but I haven't yet had a chance to dig into it to see if the information is better organized.
What do you all think of it? Can you find things you're looking for easier?
2011 PMF Semi-Finalists and In-Person Assessment: Open Thread
[Cross-posted to GovLoop here]
No, the semi-finalist list is not out (to my knowledge). Once it does come out, I'm sure most of you will know before I do. (Nor, as an aside, has the PMF site finally cleared what I assume is legal review for publishing). This post can serve as an open thread for anyone who wants to share the good or bad news, once it arrives.
In the mean time, however, we can discuss the in-person assessment a bit. A commenter in a previous thread pointed me to a document proposed to (but not, apparently, published by) the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council regarding the administration of the in-person assessment (warning: PDF). Based on other information I have seen, the document appears to cover the breakdown of the in-person assessments, anticipating the number of semi-finalists that are expected at each of the assessment centers. Of particular note is the anticipated number of semi-finalists: 1500. Of the over 9100 applicants and 7400 ultimately nominated, the PMF Program Office intends to invite around 1500 semi-finalists to the in-person assessments. For those interested in graphing this, that's: 82% of applicants become nominees; and 20% of nominees (or 16% of applicants) will be chosen as semi-finalists. Further, the PMF Program Office indicates that about 750-800 semi-finalists will advance to finalist status (as a percentage of applicants, that's 8.2-8.7%; as a percentage of nominees, that's 10-10.7%; and as a percentage of semi-finalists, that's 50-53%). Historically, agencies have been able to absorb maybe half of the finalists, depending on demand. It's a useful approximation here, but given the state of the economy and the political climate toward federal employees right now, it's anyone's guess as to how this will play out in 2011. If we take the historical rate, then, an applicant has about a 1-in-25 shot at landing a position; a nominee improves to 1-in-20; and a semi-finalist improves to 1-in-4. Put another way, the program selects only about 4-5% of its applicants, which is pretty competitive (but you knew this, right?)
Now back to the in-person assessment. The locations (which were apparently polled preferentially) are:
(According to the document) The assessment is a one-day, day-long assessment before a three member panel (comprised of an OPM official, an official from another agency, and a current or former PMF), and it will require semi-finalists to prepare and deliver an individual presentation, participate in a group exercise, and deliver a proctored writing assessment. The assessments will be spread out over approximately three weeks, so you will have a time window in which to schedule the assessment.
What do you think of this format? The assessment locations? When/where would you plan (or are you planning) to take the in-person assessment? And finally, is this process something in which you would expect to participate next year (or thereafter), should you become a finalist and find an appointment?
No, the semi-finalist list is not out (to my knowledge). Once it does come out, I'm sure most of you will know before I do. (Nor, as an aside, has the PMF site finally cleared what I assume is legal review for publishing). This post can serve as an open thread for anyone who wants to share the good or bad news, once it arrives.
In the mean time, however, we can discuss the in-person assessment a bit. A commenter in a previous thread pointed me to a document proposed to (but not, apparently, published by) the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council regarding the administration of the in-person assessment (warning: PDF). Based on other information I have seen, the document appears to cover the breakdown of the in-person assessments, anticipating the number of semi-finalists that are expected at each of the assessment centers. Of particular note is the anticipated number of semi-finalists: 1500. Of the over 9100 applicants and 7400 ultimately nominated, the PMF Program Office intends to invite around 1500 semi-finalists to the in-person assessments. For those interested in graphing this, that's: 82% of applicants become nominees; and 20% of nominees (or 16% of applicants) will be chosen as semi-finalists. Further, the PMF Program Office indicates that about 750-800 semi-finalists will advance to finalist status (as a percentage of applicants, that's 8.2-8.7%; as a percentage of nominees, that's 10-10.7%; and as a percentage of semi-finalists, that's 50-53%). Historically, agencies have been able to absorb maybe half of the finalists, depending on demand. It's a useful approximation here, but given the state of the economy and the political climate toward federal employees right now, it's anyone's guess as to how this will play out in 2011. If we take the historical rate, then, an applicant has about a 1-in-25 shot at landing a position; a nominee improves to 1-in-20; and a semi-finalist improves to 1-in-4. Put another way, the program selects only about 4-5% of its applicants, which is pretty competitive (but you knew this, right?)
Now back to the in-person assessment. The locations (which were apparently polled preferentially) are:
- Washington, DC
- Chicago, IL
- San Francisco, CA
- Atlanta, GA
(According to the document) The assessment is a one-day, day-long assessment before a three member panel (comprised of an OPM official, an official from another agency, and a current or former PMF), and it will require semi-finalists to prepare and deliver an individual presentation, participate in a group exercise, and deliver a proctored writing assessment. The assessments will be spread out over approximately three weeks, so you will have a time window in which to schedule the assessment.
What do you think of this format? The assessment locations? When/where would you plan (or are you planning) to take the in-person assessment? And finally, is this process something in which you would expect to participate next year (or thereafter), should you become a finalist and find an appointment?
Friday, November 19, 2010
PMF Nominations
[Crossposted to GovLoop here]
The list of 2011 PMF nominations came out a couple of days ago. I've been too busy to do more than glance over the list, but figured I would point out the stats from the top. Of the over 9100 applicants, 7482 were nominated by their schools.
Next week, from what I hear, nominees will begin taking the online assessments. I am interested in what you all think of the assessment, bearing in mind you probably don't have any previous PMF assessments with which you can compare. Also, we don't want to run the risk of exposing too much information (the PMF Program Office gets really touchy about that).
Since the PMF Program Office will eventually remove the nominees list, I have placed it where you can always access it: click here.
Let me know if you have any trouble getting to it.
The list of 2011 PMF nominations came out a couple of days ago. I've been too busy to do more than glance over the list, but figured I would point out the stats from the top. Of the over 9100 applicants, 7482 were nominated by their schools.
Next week, from what I hear, nominees will begin taking the online assessments. I am interested in what you all think of the assessment, bearing in mind you probably don't have any previous PMF assessments with which you can compare. Also, we don't want to run the risk of exposing too much information (the PMF Program Office gets really touchy about that).
Since the PMF Program Office will eventually remove the nominees list, I have placed it where you can always access it: click here.
Let me know if you have any trouble getting to it.
Friday, October 22, 2010
2011 PMF Assessment Preparation: Open Thread
The PMF application period for 2011 is closed, although schools still have until October 31 to send in nomination forms. As of 10/22/2010, over 9100 applications had been received (not all of these will turn into nominations). That's a 4.5% increase over last year's figures (8700).
Now that the application period has closed, it's open season for assessment preparation. I am intending that this article be used to gather materials and resources to help people prepare for the assessment process.
This year's program brings with it some adjustments to the assessment process. In prior years, the assessment was a one-step process consisting of a proctored exam with three sections: 1) Critical Thinking (like a logic test), 2) Life Experience, and 3) Writing (wherein the tester is given some passages to revise and some grammar questions). This year, the assessment apparently has been broken up into two phases, an online (unproctored) exam and an in-person interview phase (though I need some confirmation of this). Further, online assessment has been altered to a new format and now consists of the following parts (described more fully below): 1) Situational Judgment, 2) Life Experience, and 3) Writing Sample. The combination of these changes represents a larger shift in methodology for the PMF program, at least in my short history with it. I will leave it to my audience to speculate on the impact of these changes to the rigor and prestige of the program, as well as its ability to meet some stated goals (diversity, namely). First let's look at what the assessment restructuring looks like. Since I don't have any additional information yet, I am drawing this from the contents of the PMF Program Office's latest preparation guide.
Since the format is greatly altered this year, materials that were helpful in previous years may have limited utility this year. Specifically, the shift from the Critical Thinking assessment to the Situational Judgment assessment means that guides like the DHS Manual of Job Related Thinking Skills is probably no longer suitable. Does anyone know of other exams that have sections comparable to the Situational Judgment assessment? Any other materials you'd like to share? Comments are always welcome.
Now that the application period has closed, it's open season for assessment preparation. I am intending that this article be used to gather materials and resources to help people prepare for the assessment process.
This year's program brings with it some adjustments to the assessment process. In prior years, the assessment was a one-step process consisting of a proctored exam with three sections: 1) Critical Thinking (like a logic test), 2) Life Experience, and 3) Writing (wherein the tester is given some passages to revise and some grammar questions). This year, the assessment apparently has been broken up into two phases, an online (unproctored) exam and an in-person interview phase (though I need some confirmation of this). Further, online assessment has been altered to a new format and now consists of the following parts (described more fully below): 1) Situational Judgment, 2) Life Experience, and 3) Writing Sample. The combination of these changes represents a larger shift in methodology for the PMF program, at least in my short history with it. I will leave it to my audience to speculate on the impact of these changes to the rigor and prestige of the program, as well as its ability to meet some stated goals (diversity, namely). First let's look at what the assessment restructuring looks like. Since I don't have any additional information yet, I am drawing this from the contents of the PMF Program Office's latest preparation guide.
- Situational Judgment: These questions pose scenarios drawn from real-life situations that a PMF may encounter on the job and asks the tester to select a response from the given choices. The response is supposed to be what the tester would actually do in the given scenario, not what he/she thinks the right answer should be. The preparation guide gives some sample questions that presumably prepare one for the kinds of things that appear on the actual test. No special knowledge is needed to succeed on this portion.
- Life Experience: This is not different from the same portion in previous years. Like the previous section, there is not really a set of right or wrong answers, so you are encouraged to be honest about your experiences here. Again the sample questions provide an indication of what to expect.
- Writing Sample: The final section is the writing sample. This has not appeared in the last few assessment cycles, so I couldn't say whether or not it's ever been included. Instead of presenting the tester with passages in need of correction, this year testers are expected to write on a given topic. The writing sample assessment concentrates on written communication skills; consequently, testers will be judged on clarity of writing, coherence and organization of ideas, and proper use of grammar. As far as I can tell, the actual content is not graded (I could be wrong).
Since the format is greatly altered this year, materials that were helpful in previous years may have limited utility this year. Specifically, the shift from the Critical Thinking assessment to the Situational Judgment assessment means that guides like the DHS Manual of Job Related Thinking Skills is probably no longer suitable. Does anyone know of other exams that have sections comparable to the Situational Judgment assessment? Any other materials you'd like to share? Comments are always welcome.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
PMF Info on GovLoop
Effective immediately, I will begin crossposting the PMF Info blog on GovLoop.
What this means for those of you who follow the blog is that there will be two places to engage in conversation, but it also creates an interesting privacy situation for you to navigate. To the extent possible, I will preserve your anonymity on the PMF Info blog, but you may have no such guarantees on GovLoop unless you have taken steps yourself to ensure your privacy there.
What this means for PMF Info is greater exposure to audiences that are already potentially interested in issues surrounding the PMF program, as well as a larger network of people that might be able and willing to help answer some of the questions I pose (especially around analyzing nominee and finalist data).
Please feel free to engage in conversations wherever you feel most comfortable, and with any luck, together we can build a community around useful and timely information regarding this program.
I will be looking for ways in the near future to keep tabs on active conversations spanning both sites without sacrificing anyone's expectations of privacy, so stay tuned!
Latest Comments on GovLoop
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)