KSA - KSAs

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Definition of KSAs

When you apply for a Federal Government position, some Federal job announcements require additional statements. These statements are known as KSAs - Knowledge, Skills, and Ability statements. They also may be called Selective Factors, Key Elements, TQs (Technical Qualification statements), Essay Statements, KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics). If they are asked for within a Federal Vacancy announcement, they are required or your application will be considered ineligible.

What Do KSAs Require?
For many announcements, these questions are separate 1/2 to 1 page answers to questions related to the job you are applying for. Other announcements may specify other lengths - or may ask to include answers to the KSAs in your RESUMIX resume. Some announcements require you to transfer your KSA answers in an online application. You will need to read each announcement carefully for specific requirements such as character count. We can help you to read these announcements to determine what is required.

How Do You Answer KSAs?
KSAs can be difficult questions to answer. KSAs are questions asked that must provide justification to each specific question asked. For example KSAs are written in a CCAR (Content, Challenge, Action and Result) model. Typically these questions do not want you to ramble on describing job descriptions, but are looking for stories that support your involvement and experience relating to the KSA question asked. You will want to devise some of your best accomplishments in these statements. Each KSA will be graded from 5 to 20 points per answer - and are critical in being ranked as "qualified" or "best qualified". We offer our expertise in writing these statements, highlighting your experience to ensure maximum KSA ranking.

What Do We Recommend?
We recommend that you read your Federal Vacancy announcement carefully and determine if indeed KSAs are required. If so, we recommend that we write both your KSAs and Federal Resume. By doing this, you will submit a complete package that represents you at your best, with the Federal Resume including all pertinent information in the KSAs. However, if you think your Federal Resume is already a polished document, we are happy just to write your KSAs.

KSAs can make a difference between being qualified or notqualified
The average amount of time spent on each set of KSAs is3 hours.

A primary purpose of KSAs is to measure those qualities thatwill set one candidate apart from the others. In federal personnel guidance, KSAs are defined as the factorsthat identify the better candidates from a group of persons basically qualifiedfor a position. KSAs are critical to the Federal government’s applicationprocess.

KSA examples should be specific, not general. KSA's customer's applications extend from Commercial high volume products into Military- and Space- related programs. How well anapplicant can show that he or she matches the positions defined KSAsdetermines whether that person will be seriously considered for the job.

Some job applicants,especially those looking for their first federal position, are not sure whetherthe KSA requirements apply to them or where a response is optional. Your KSAs will demonstrate your ability to perform thisjob. To assist you in preparing KSA's that will make you competitive in the job application process, we have provided some useful tools to help you prepare your KSA's.

Federal resumes and KSAs must be very specific and the only way the resume writers can get this information is direct from you, so be prepared. The phrase "KSAs" refers to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities needed to carry out the functions of a particular job. Once you have assembled all evidence of your experience, education, and awards, you want to start matching these against the jobs identified KSA's.

A KSA Supplemental Application consists of questions, in addition to all of the required application information, which indicate in more detail your skills and qualifications for a specific job opening.