Definitions.
5 C.F.R. § 337.302
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01In this subpart:
(a) Category rating is synonymous with alternative rating as described at 5 U.S.C. 3319, and is a process of evaluating qualified eligibles by quality categories rather than by assigning individual numeric scores. The agency assesses candidates against job-related criteria and then places them into two or more pre-defined categories.
(b) Quality categories are groupings of individuals with similar levels of job-related competencies or similar levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026