Full Spectrum Litigator

The FBI application begins with a lengthy online application that asks about the applicant's qualifications and experience. A number of suitability-related questions are asked, as well as basic administrative questions (e.g., "are you willing to be assigned anywhere in the FBI's jurisdiction?"). Many people are disqualified at this stage because they fail to answer basic questions correctly (e.g., "are you willing to carry a firearm?").

The field office from which you are applying reviews the online application for preliminarily competitive qualifications, and then submits the results to headquarters for Phase I testing consideration. Headquarters decides whether to test you.

The Special Agent Selection System begins with the Phase I test, which is a multiple choice written examination consisting of logical reasoning, situational judgment, and suitability questions (aka "biodata inventory").

If your Phase I test results are competitive and your PFT self-test results are a "pass," your application is submitted to Headquarters for Phase II consideration. During this phase, you are competing with other applicants for the opportunity to be interviewed by the FBI.

If you are competitive, you are afforded the opportunity to interview with three FBI agents who have been specially trained in interviewing applicants. The interview is extensive. A written test is also administered, which tests various abilities of the applicant.

The Phase I test and Phase II results are combined to form a Percentile Ranking Grade, which is the total score of the applicant in the Special Agent Selection System. Those with competitive Percentile Ranking Grades are conditionally appointed to the office of Special Agent in the FBI. The appointment is conditioned upon successful completion of a background investigation and the Physical Fitness Test, among other requirements.

Once a person passes Phase II, a Personnel Security Interview and a polygraph examination are conducted. If the applicant passes, the applicant's completed file and application are transmitted to the Special Agent Clearance Unit for initiation of the substantive portion of the background investigation: contacts with references, known associates, places of residence, employers, and other sources of information.

Applicants are adjudicated suitable or not suitable, and are either given a security clearance or denied one. These decisions are made by the Special Agent Clearance Unit.

Applicants who are suitable and are given a security clearance are forwarded to the Human Resources Division, which makes final selections for the FBI Academy.

Applicants selected by the Human Resources Division are given "The Call" and orders to report to the FBI Academy, where they Enter On Duty and begin their careers as Special Agents in the FBI.

The Special Agent Clearance Unit is known to use dishonest methods to disqualify applicants. This includes falsifying information and shading facts in the most negative possible light. This allows SACU to exert more power over the application process and amplifies the power of those who work there.

Applicants who are adjudicated not suitable or who are denied a clearance may reapply unless the basis for the determination is a lack of candor or false statements in the application process. However, one should not count on ever getting in after a first attempt; there are far more new applicants than recycled applicants, and it's easier to take someone new on than reactivate someone who was disqualified the first time around. Frankly, anyone disqualified once from the FBI would be better served by applying to other government agencies immediately and recognizing that the FBI is no longer a viable option.

Getting into the FBI is more difficult than getting into Harvard. Many, many qualified, competitive candidates are disqualified for illegitimate and legitimate reasons. One should remember that, while there are a number of corrupt, dishonest, and/or flat-out sociopathic people in the FBI, there are also many selfless, dedicated men and women who are serving our country honorably.

The FBI online application is available at this address.

Here's the story on my application. I filed it in December 2008, intending to carry it through without further prompting, but perhaps not fully convinced. And then something amazing happened...

I had purchased Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team from a random amazon.com book seller for $1.88. It immediately got my complete attention, and I had nothing less than an epiphany while reading page 31, which describes the author's own epiphany that he wanted to serve. I couldn't believe what I was feeling as I read this page. It was like suddenly, I knew what my calling was! And then it got better. I had seen some writing in the inside cover of the book, but I didn't know what it was because the names "Whit" and "Pete" didn't mean anything to me. But in the book, I learned that the author's nickname is Whit. When I read the acknowledgements, I realized that Pete is Peter Berg, a friend of the author's. I put two and two together:

That's right, I received the copy of Cold Zero that Christopher Whitcomb personally dedicated to his friend Peter Berg, who is the first person thanked in the acknowledgements. Things like this just don't happen to me; I chalked it up to serendipity and didn't ask questions. I shared this story in the Phase II interview, and the flashing eyes of all three interviewers told me that they were too stunned at the sincerity of my beliefs to doubt my account; the warm smiles that followed told me that, at least at that time, I belonged in the FBI.