Serving as a Special Agent is a very demanding job with strict entry requirements. Please review closely all requirements to ensure that you qualify before you apply.
To become an FBI Special Agent, you must be a U.S. citizen or a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands. You must be at least 23 years of age, but younger than 37 upon your appointment as a Special Agent. You must possess a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education. You must also possess a valid driver’s license and be completely available for assignment anywhere in the FBI’s jurisdiction.
FBI SPECIAL AGENT ENTRY PROGRAMS
All applicants for the Special Agent position must first qualify for one of five Special Agent Entry Programs:
Accounting/Finance
Computer Science/Information Technology
Language
Law
Diversified
Accounting/Finance
To qualify under the Accounting/Finance Entry Program, candidates must:
Have been certified as a CPA; or
Possess a four-year Business degree with a major in Accounting or a related Business degree that included or was supplemented by 24 hours of accounting courses and an additional six semester hours of business law or other elective business courses. Also must possess two years of progressively responsible accounting work in a professional accounting firm or comparable public setting, such as a state comptroller or the General Accounting Office. The last year of experience must be as a manager, team leader, or other similar position which would provide experience in a variety of areas and allow for exposure to and experience working with higher level executives (i.e., partners and directors).
Computer Science/Information Technology
To qualify under the Computer Science/Information Technology Entry Program, you must have a computer or information technology related degree, a degree in Electrical Engineering, a Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification, or a Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) certification. Applicants that qualify by virtue of a CCNP or a CCIE certification must also have a BS or BA degree in any discipline.
Language
To qualify under the Language Program, you must have a BS or BA degree in any discipline and be proficient in a language that meets the needs of the FBI. Current qualifying languages include Arabic, Chinese (all dialects), Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Pashtu, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Candidates must pass both the listening and reading portions of the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) and demonstrate a proficiency of three or higher on the Speaking Proficiency Test (SPT) in a critical foreign language.
Law
To qualify under the Law Entry Program, candidates must have a JD degree from an accredited law school.
Diversified
To qualify under the Diversified Program, you must have a BS or BA degree in any discipline, plus three years of full-time work experience, or an advanced degree accompanied by two years of full-time work experience.
After qualifying for one of the five Entry Programs, you will be prioritized in the hiring process based upon certain Critical Skills for which the FBI is recruiting
Physical Fitness Test
To ensure that FBI Special Agents are fully prepared to meet their responsibilities as leaders in the law enforcement community, applicants must pass a standardized Physical Fitness Test. The test consists of four mandatory events that are administered in the following order:
Maximum number of sit-ups in one minute
Timed 300-meter sprint
Maximum number of push-ups (untimed)
Timed one and one-half mile (1.5 mile) run
The Physical Fitness Test is administered to a Special Agent applicant at his/her processing FBI Field Office. Special Agent applicants must pass the Physical Fitness Test in order to be eligible for admission into a New Agent Training class. There is a strictly defined scoring scale and protocol for each event. In order to pass the Physical Fitness Test, Special Agent applicants must achieve a minimum cumulative score of twelve points with at least one point in each of the four events. Special Agent applicants who pass the Physical Fitness Test are considered sufficiently fit to safely and successfully complete the physical training and defensive tactics portion of New Agent's Training at the FBI Academy.
New Agent Trainees admitted to the FBI Academy must re-pass the Physical Fitness Test in their first week at the Academy. The test, scoring scale, and protocol are exactly the same, except a fifth event is added - standard pull-ups. The score on pull-ups is not used for pass/fail purposes, but is used by the FBI Training Division for fitness awards, including the 50-point award. Please note: some Field Offices may administer the pull-ups test during the Field Office Physical Fitness Test.
Before attempting any of these events, please review the FBI’s Physical Training Guidelines in order to maximize performance and avoid injuries.
Vision Requirements
Special Agent candidates need to have at least 20/20 vision in one eye and not worse than 20/40 vision in the other eye. If an individual has a satisfactory history of soft contact lens wear for more than one year and is able to meet correction to 20/20 in one eye and no worse than 20/40 in the other eye, safety concerns are considered mitigated and applicant processing may continue. If an applicant has had laser eye corrective surgery, a six-month waiting period is required prior to beginning New Agents’ Training at the FBI Academy. The applicant must also provide evidence of complete healing by an ophthalmology clinical evaluation. Policy for color vision allows continuation of applicant processing if those who fail initial color vision screening are able to successfully complete the Farnsworth D-15 color vision test.
Hearing Requirements
Special Agent applicants must take an audiometer test and meet specified hearing standards. Please note that no applicant will be considered who exceeds any of the following:
a) average hearing loss of 25 decibels (ANSI) at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hertz
b) single reading of 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hertz
c) single reading of 35 decibels at 500 Hertz
d) single reading of 45 decibels at 4000 Hertz
Medical Review
An applicant’s medical history will be reviewed thoroughly and a determination will be made whether any medical issue (or condition) could potentially affect the applicant’s ability to perform the basic functions of the Special Agent position. This medical review ensures that each candidate’s situation is reviewed on an individual basis. If you have undergone a particular surgical procedure (e.g., radial keratotomy) and/or have some preexisting medical condition (e.g., hypertension), this will require careful review during the physical examination process. Issues/conditions that surface during the Medical Reviews may delay the final processing for employment. Although an applicant’s doctor provides information about the applicant’s medical condition, it is the FBI’s Chief Medical Officer who decides if the applicant is physically able to perform the duties of the job. This decision is based on the review of the applicant’s doctor’s findings and the FBI’s knowledge of the requirements of the job. The FBI is committed to treating all applicants fairly and equitably in all aspects of our hiring/selection process.
ALL FBI JOB CANDIDATES UNDERGO A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
The mission of the FBI is vital to the safety and security of our nation and its citizens. Often, our work is very sensitive in nature. Therefore, all FBI positions require at least a Top Secret Security Clearance. How do you obtain such a clearance? Once you have received and accepted a conditional offer of employment, the FBI will initiate an intensive background investigation that you must pass before you can join the FBI. The investigation includes a polygraph examination; a test for illegal drugs; credit and records checks; and extensive interviews with former and current colleagues, neighbors, friends, professors, etc. There are also certain employment requirements that all candidates must meet in order to be eligible for consideration for employment with the FBI. Before applying for any FBI position, please make sure that the FBI Employment Disqualifiers do not apply to you.
Answered By: sarhibar - 8/4/2006 |