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Veterans Hiring Preference with the Commonwealth

Five percent on a written examination, ten with a service-connected rating — and a preference in the selection process for the many jobs that have no examination at all.

Verified August 19, 2026

What this benefit is

Five percent on a written examination, ten with a service-connected rating — and a preference in the selection process for the many jobs that have no examination at all.

What it's worth: Five percent on a written examination, ten with a service-connected rating; otherwise a preference in selection

  • The percentage applies where the post is filled on a written examination. Where it is not, the benefit is a preference in the selection process rather than a number.

Who is entitled to it

  • You received an honourable discharge.
  • You served more than 180 consecutive days of full-time active duty.
  • You hold a service-connected disability rating — which qualifies you regardless of length of service.
  • The section reaches surviving spouses and children of a deceased veteran in their own right.
  • The preference applies to employment with the Commonwealth.

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. 1Claim it even when the job has no written examination. That is the half of this statute people skip, and it covers most Commonwealth posts.
  2. 2If you hold a service-connected rating, say so — it doubles the examination increase from five percent to ten, and adds consideration on the non-examination route.
  3. 3If you are a surviving spouse or a child under 27 of a deceased veteran, claim in your own right rather than assuming the preference died with the veteran.
File with
The hiring agency, with your application
Documents you will need
dd214 · va benefit summary letter
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
CorrectionThe preference is not confined to examination posts. §2.2-2903 gives a preference in the SELECTION PROCESS for positions not based on a written examination, which is most Commonwealth jobs. A veteran who reads only the five percent figure and sees no examination will wrongly conclude it does not apply.
Worth knowingA service-connected disability rating qualifies you as a veteran here regardless of how long you served. The 180-day test is an alternative route, not a floor that everyone must clear.
Worth knowingThe section also reaches surviving spouses of veterans killed in the line of duty, children under 27 of a deceased veteran, and National Guard members who completed initial active duty service. We model the spouse and child routes and not the Guard one, because we hold no Guard-service question.
Known gapOn the non-examination route the statute says a preference shall be given and additional consideration shall be given to a rated veteran, without quantifying either. We publish the entitlement and not a weighting, because none is published.

Sources

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