Competitive Service vs. Excepted Service: Understanding Your Rights As a Federal Employee or Job Applicant
Most federal employees fall into one of two categories—they work in either: (i) competitive service, or (ii) excepted service. This distinction has important implications for federal employees’ and job applicants’ legal rights; and, as a result, it is important to know into which category your job (or your desired job) falls. Competitive Service Positions in the Federal Government Competitive service positions are those for which applicants must go through a competitive application process.