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Preference Points, a Required Interview, and a Pass-Over Review

Five or ten points on the final grade for state employment registers, an in-person interview for any veteran who meets the basic qualifications, and — at a 30% or higher rating — a rule that the agency cannot pass you over without showing cause to the Director.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

Five or ten points on the final grade for state employment registers, an in-person interview for any veteran who meets the basic qualifications, and — at a 30% or higher rating — a rule that the agency cannot pass you over without showing cause to the Director.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the armed forces.
  • You are applying in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Attach proof of status with the application. Five points go onto the final grade for a veteran or an unremarried surviving spouse; ten points for a veteran who submits certification of a service-connected disability from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Defense Department dated within six months of the application.
  2. 2Ask for the interview in terms. Subsection D is separate from the points: any veteran who meets the basic qualifications for a position shall be interviewed in person, so that transferable skills from military service can be demonstrated.
  3. 3At a rating paid at 30% or more, the names go to the top of the register in numerical order, and the agency may not pass you over without showing cause — the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services reviews the reason in every instance, the post cannot be permanently filled until those findings issue, and if acceptable cause is not found the agency is required to hire.
  4. 4A spouse route exists as well: five points for the spouse of a veteran who is unemployable because of a service-connected disability, on certification dated within six months of the application.
Form
State employment application, with proof of veteran status attached
File with
The hiring state agency
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingThe pass-over review is the part worth knowing. For a veteran in receipt of benefits payable at 30% or more, "shall not be denied employment and passed over ... without showing cause" is backed by a named reviewer and a freeze on permanently filling the post. Acceptable cause is defined narrowly — a reasonable expectation that the applicant could not perform at the required level.
Worth knowingA war veteran awarded the Purple Heart, or with a service-incurred disability rated by the VA or a branch of the armed forces, who has lived in the state for at least a year before the examination, is authorized to open any closed register held by the Merit System of Personnel Administration.
CorrectionThe points and the interview are commonly reported as one benefit. They are not. Subsection D applies "in addition to" the points, so a veteran who does not place high enough on a register still has a claim to the interview if the basic qualifications are met.
Worth knowingSpecial disabled veterans considered under 72 O.S. §§401 to 404 fall outside subsection A, but may elect to be considered under this section instead.

Sources

Why only one source type: The administering agency publishes the Personnel Act itself, and §840-4.14 was read in full from that PDF. The statute host at oscn.net refused the connection.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.