Working hours for Transportation Security Officer

I have a red/green color blindness, will that fail my phyical......?

richardpaul in Rouses Point, New York said: I have a red/green color blindness, will that fail my phyical......?

Its wasnt really the colors it was more just trying to make out shapes

From what I heard Ontario isn't hiring until October.....

waiting for my time in Moreno Valley, California said: From what I heard Ontario isn't hiring until October.....

Did you hear that Ontario was not even doing Assesments until October? How reliable do you feel this info is?

As far as Assessments I don't know when they are conducting them, but I have the number to Ontario's Assessment Center and the HR specialist told me they weren't hiring until October, I'm trying to get in too.

waiting for my time in Moreno Valley, California said: As far as Assessments I don't know when they are conducting them, but I have the number to Ontario's Assessment Center and the HR specialist told me they weren't hiring until October, I'm trying to get in too.

How did you get the phone# ? I would like to call, since I am trying to schedule a trip back East to visit my Dad and have been avoiding purchasing the tickets.

I used to work at LAX so I got the number from them just keep waiting they probably wont call anybody yet for assessments because they told me to call back next month because they aren't hiring yet.

I passed my medical and was informed saturday and i called the help desk informing me my e86 forms went through on friday. Im applying at boston and im also a female. Any boston applicants out there? and anyone knows how long i should wait till classes?!

shalivabrown@yahoo.com in Montgomery, Alabama said: I applied for TSO a little under a year ago. I passed all the required tests and everything. I havent heard back for them yet. Soon the application will be no good cause they only keep them on file for one year.

Call the TSA Helpdesk and ask for TIER 2 -- DO NOT WAIT!!!Also check your dashboard to see your status. With the volume of candidates TSA has the best answer is to contact them. I can't remember the # off the top of my head its 877-xxx-7990 and emails you recieved should have that phone number the TSA site most likely does as well/.

jlm in Randallstown, Maryland said: I failed the CBT.........I know it was the second portion my eyes are just too bad

Are you interested in anything else TSA has available? If you have 3 yrs of general work experience or a bachelors degree w/transcripts submitted or an associates and 1 yr work exp you qualify for this position. The next posting is in the October time frame. Set up a search agent in USA Jobs, its your best source unless you want a headquarters position then check the job boards out there as well. The CBT test is extremely hard so don't feel too badly and there are always other positions out there. Apply to anything even if you feel you are not qualified enough. Most likely you are wrong. And ALWAYS rate yourself 4's or 5's are better if you can, if you rate too low or be modest you will not meet the cut off score and you will not proceed further. The second most important thing is to make sure all documents are sub,mitted thats another way you can be disqualified. Good Luck! never underestimate your skills aND KNOWLEDGE.

Ron in Perrysburg, Ohio said: I have been invited to the airport assessment since June 25th, 2010.
Have not received any calls or emails yet. I have already filled out my E86 forms and had them filed electronically. I know there is nothing negative on my background history, just wondering how much longer I will need to wait on a response or call regarding a actual invitation???

Call the HRACCESS HELPDESK now. The number should be on any email sent to you. Ask for Tier 2, do not wait to see if they call, you call them to escalate the process. Trust me, I know.

Jasmine73 in Ashburn, Virginia said: Call the TSA Helpdesk and ask for TIER 2 -- DO NOT WAIT!!!Also check your dashboard to see your status. With the volume of candidates TSA has the best answer is to contact them. I can't remember the # off the top of my head its 877-xxx-7990 and emails you recieved should have that phone number the TSA site most likely does as well/.

If you are referring to the CBT I thought those results were good for 2 years. Atleast that's what the help desk told me earlier this year because I was scared my test scores wouldn't be good anymore either.

ria72 in Alexandria, Virginia said: I passed everything and have been invited to the airport assessment (july 5th,2010) yet I haven't heard from anyone at the airport yet (applied for position @ Reagan National)..once I received email about filling out e-86forms online I did so..please help..does it usually take this long?

I too have applied to Reagan and Dulles as well and would like to be able to compare notes with you and others for these two airports.

To answer your question; OPM forwards your Certified e-86 to TSA/HR where it is proofed for errors and omissions and then HELD (not processed) until you are called by the airport; pass the AA interview and submit the signature forms at the same time. "Invited to AA" on your Dashboard only means that your data has been transmitted to the hiring team at your selected airport. At this point, it is out of TSA/HR's hands and up to the airport to decide WHEN and IF, to include you in a group that they will interview. Only AFTER the airport hiring team submits your signiture forms to TSA/HR will your Dashboard reflect "e-86 Completed". I'm afraid that from here on in, the process is "a tad" on the subjective side with no set timing or guarantee of EVER being called to an AA.

I applied May 10th and just received a verification email saying I qualified for the position. I've not been invited to take the CBT yet though. Does anyone know if Ft. Lauderdale is scheduling tests soon and their future position needs? Since it has taken 3 months just to get to this point, I'm hoping things will start moving quicker....Also, I have a short sale closing coming up and was wondering if that might hurt my chances of passing the credit check. Other than my delinquent mortgage, my credit history is excellent. Losing my job and being unemployed for over a year has really taken a toll on me.

Meg in Pompano Beach, Florida said: I applied May 10th and just received a verification email saying I qualified for the position. I've not been invited to take the CBT yet though. Does anyone know if Ft. Lauderdale is scheduling tests soon and their future position needs? Since it has taken 3 months just to get to this point, I'm hoping things will start moving quicker....Also, I have a short sale closing coming up and was wondering if that might hurt my chances of passing the credit check. Other than my delinquent mortgage, my credit history is excellent. Losing my job and being unemployed for over a year has really taken a toll on me.

Meg; you should check your Candidate Dashboard daily to see if you can schedule the CBT. If you can, apply to Palm Beach AP as well. I would also suggest your phoning the TSA Recruitment Center at 877-TSA-7990 to ask about Ft. Lauderdale, etc. Regarding your credit history; one recent and explainable "negative" should not knock you out of the ballgame. On a positive note; the fact that you are (female?) makes you a highly desirable applicant from the TSA's perspective.

seems its differt every where ..i applied for nashville back in feb
i have took and passed all test..
i have went to nashville and passed my airport test and interview
i sent in my e86 the last week of june,,they say they have so many it will take awhile.

JOKER I know the feeling. I applied to both VA and NY airports. I took and passed the test for VA and have going thru what seems to be a nitemare! I have been asked to resubmit my 2811 & 2812 forms at least ten times now. I still haven't been called and I took the test last year!
As far as the NY loc. I haven't been called at all for the test yet and I applied since JANuary. I'vre called them about 50 times and they keep saying it takes some time and please be patient. I'm beginning to feel like i'm twisting in the wind here!

at the nashville airport they are saying all jobs are part time ..is this how it is everywhere..i also heard u can work 2 shifts and get all the overtime u want in the spring and summer months.

Rookie in Brooklyn, New York said: TSA PER SEC send me a letter via FedEx overnight. Thank for your interest .....etc

Based on my consumer report TSA took adverse action.

In that report it shows 16k bad debt.
I have a same name as someone else. Trans Union idiots placed someone else NAME AND SOCIAL SECURITY in my report. I can see the name and social security in my consumer report that belongs to someone else. Trans Union have no record of my credit report on my name and social security number and because they could not find my report they placed someone else SS and the name.

Therefore, TSA took adverse action. :(

I have to write a letter to explain them entire consumer report is not mine. I have a credit card but I never used it.

Anyone had the same problem ?

I had problems w/ my credit that i hadto dispute. it was taken care of and i'm waiting my airport assessment. just b specific and they'll do the rest...

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Meg; you should check your Candidate Dashboard daily to see if you can schedule the CBT. If you can, apply to Palm Beach AP as well. I would also suggest your phoning the TSA Recruitment Center at 877-TSA-7990 to ask about Ft. Lauderdale, etc. Regarding your credit history; one recent and explainable "negative" should not knock you out of the ballgame. On a positive note; the fact that you are (female?) makes you a highly desirable applicant from the TSA's perspective.

Thank you Aaron for the words of encouragement and your recommendation to check out WPB. How do you check out your "dashboard"? Is this through USAJobs?

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Meg; you should check your Candidate Dashboard daily to see if you can schedule the CBT. If you can, apply to Palm Beach AP as well. I would also suggest your phoning the TSA Recruitment Center at 877-TSA-7990 to ask about Ft. Lauderdale, etc. Regarding your credit history; one recent and explainable "negative" should not knock you out of the ballgame. On a positive note; the fact that you are (female?) makes you a highly desirable applicant from the TSA's perspective.

Aaron....I did contact HR attempting to be proactive and they said that I haven't been invited to take the CBT yet. They told me they had a tremendous response since Florida is at 12% unemployment. They were very vague and suggested that the airport may not have scheduled CBT's yet or possibly there may not be any open seating for taking the test. She said that they are taking applicants in order of date application was made. Any guidance would be appreciated.

jlm in Randallstown, Maryland said: I failed the CBT.........I know it was the second portion my eyes are just too bad

Is there a problem if I wear glasses?

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: JOKER I know the feeling. I applied to both VA and NY airports. I took and passed the test for VA and have going thru what seems to be a nitemare! I have been asked to resubmit my 2811 & 2812 forms at least ten times now. I still haven't been called and I took the test last year!
As far as the NY loc. I haven't been called at all for the test yet and I applied since JANuary. I'vre called them about 50 times and they keep saying it takes some time and please be patient. I'm beginning to feel like i'm twisting in the wind here!

Do you have to take the CBT at every airport you apply to?

Meg in Pompano Beach, Florida said: Thank you Aaron for the words of encouragement and your recommendation to check out WPB. How do you check out your "dashboard"? Is this through USAJobs?

Meg, try this URL to log in and set up your own Candidate Dashboard: tsajobs.tsa.dhs.gov/candidatedashboard/
Glasses are permitted for the CBT and for the job as long as your corrected vision is within reasonable tolerances. Try to apply to as many airports as you can reasonably commute to; Lauderdale, WPB and Miami-Dade. The beauty of that tactic is that the one CBT and everything you do after that moves your progress bar along on the Dashboard for all three airports, thereby tripling your chances.

smacy in Bay City, Michigan said: I took the test a few days ago. I felt the 1st section was easy but the xray part was challenging toward the end. I did not pass either. I was so disappointed. I wish I could find out my % score. If I take the test again in 6 months I wish I could practice before I take it, I'm sure I can't though. I know one thing, I will take that break offered in between tests.

all u have to do is pay attention to the objects they show you before hand. Then look for the objects to be hidden or smaller, and even if you dnt REALLY SEE an object,e.i. not sure, say you see it..better safe than sorry

That's what I was told when I spoke to a HR Rep. She said that she only handles VA and NY is totally seperate from VA. Which makes 0 sense to me but.... she said that when you apply for different airports you have to send in forms for each indivdual airport you apply for. Again makes 0 sense to me since all of the paperwork originally goes to the same place.
P.S.--That also made me miss out on a couple of job opp in NY also.

Hey AARON Iused that linked u provide for meg and it shows me exactly where am at in the hiring process thanks a lot. I'm just waiting on my cred chk which I know..... Which should come bck clean bcuz u never know!!!!
but anyways thnks for the good info again.

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Meg, try this URL to log in and set up your own Candidate Dashboard: tsajobs.tsa.dhs.gov/candidatedashboard/
Glasses are permitted for the CBT and for the job as long as your corrected vision is within reasonable tolerances. Try to apply to as many airports as you can reasonably commute to; Lauderdale, WPB and Miami-Dade. The beauty of that tactic is that the one CBT and everything you do after that moves your progress bar along on the Dashboard for all three airports, thereby tripling your chances.

Aaron, I tried the link and I have a feeling because I've not been invited to take the CBT yet,I am not in the system. It didn't send me the invitation email. But I will definitely keep the url since I'm sure it is just a matter of time....right?

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: Hey AARON Iused that linked u provide for meg and it shows me exactly where am at in the hiring process thanks a lot. I'm just waiting on my cred chk which I know..... Which should come bck clean bcuz u never know!!!!
but anyways thnks for the good info again.

You're welcome. FYI, you DO have to apply to each individual airport one at a time by sending your USAJobs resume to each posted opening, but that's it. After that, all of the airports you've applied to will appear on your Candidate Dashboard and just one passing CBT, Credit Check and NCIC is needed and is applied to ALL of your airport apps.

Meg in Pompano Beach, Florida said: Aaron, I tried the link and I have a feeling because I've not been invited to take the CBT yet,I am not in the system. It didn't send me the invitation email. But I will definitely keep the url since I'm sure it is just a matter of time....right?

You could be right Meg, but I would try each of the links again and each day. The fact that you received a verification email saying that you qualified for the position should have put you into their system, especially since that notice is the first item that gets checked off on your Dashboard. As "a funny", if you read back a few postings, TheTRUTHx1000 JUST found out that he had a Candidate Dashboard waiting for him to access all along.

Hi,
Anyone who is already in TSA, could you tell me what to expect and my chances of getting hired? I just got out of Active Duty Air Force and I worked in the aerial port, meaning i read an x-ray scanner for 3 years and followed TSA regulations for 3 years. I am going into the Air Force Reserves right now doing the same exact thing. TSA qualifications, military background, good credit score, no criminal record and I am a female. Oh and I still have my security clearance. I just applied and like all other posters, the process is going lightning fast. But i cannot afford to wait as long as some of these people have, like over 6 months! Im just wondering if my chances are good and if i should look for other jobs in the mean time? Thanks

bodvive in New Bern, North Carolina said: Hi,
Anyone who is already in TSA, could you tell me what to expect and my chances of getting hired? I just got out of Active Duty Air Force and I worked in the aerial port, meaning i read an x-ray scanner for 3 years and followed TSA regulations for 3 years. I am going into the Air Force Reserves right now doing the same exact thing. TSA qualifications, military background, good credit score, no criminal record and I am a female. Oh and I still have my security clearance. I just applied and like all other posters, the process is going lightning fast. But i cannot afford to wait as long as some of these people have, like over 6 months! Im just wondering if my chances are good and if i should look for other jobs in the mean time? Thanks

BODVIVE; other than a few malcontents claiming to be former TSO's, the majority of those on this forum are wanna-bees. The "process is going lightning fast" because TSA/HR initially controls it. The slowdown begins once they turn your name over to the airport(s) that you've applied to. Then your chances and the timing depend upon which airport it is and their specific needs. Your creds are excellent, in fact almost too good to aspire to be a part-time TSO. You could look into their TSE or FAM programs. Post 9-11, your security-clearance alone is worth a fortune to many companies doing business with the Federal Government and DOD and to Federal agencies. There are entire job banks that require a clearance just to log on and search jobs or post a resume! To answer your question, you should definitely look for other jobs in the meantime, certainly before that valuable security-clearance gets stale.

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Meg, try this URL to log in and set up your own Candidate Dashboard: tsajobs.tsa.dhs.gov/candidatedashboard/
Glasses are permitted for the CBT and for the job as long as your corrected vision is within reasonable tolerances. Try to apply to as many airports as you can reasonably commute to; Lauderdale, WPB and Miami-Dade. The beauty of that tactic is that the one CBT and everything you do after that moves your progress bar along on the Dashboard for all three airports, thereby tripling your chances.

Great news. I received an email inviting me to take the CBT. I contacted HR and they had to register me on the dashboard. I have a feeling Mozilla Firefox may be the problem. I went to Explorer and completed my first log in. I am scheduled to take the7 CBT Weds...Can anyone give me advice on the XRay portion since it sounds as if this is the part everyone gets hung up on. Is the test timed? Do they give you enough time? Thank you...

Meg in Pompano Beach, Florida said: Great news. I received an email inviting me to take the CBT. I contacted HR and they had to register me on the dashboard. I have a feeling Mozilla Firefox may be the problem. I went to Explorer and completed my first log in. I am scheduled to take the7 CBT Weds...Can anyone give me advice on the XRay portion since it sounds as if this is the part everyone gets hung up on. Is the test timed? Do they give you enough time? Thank you...

Meg; may I suggest that you look at page 3 of this forum for the second posting from "Rookie of Brooklyn" (posted 1 month ago). It provides a direct link to sample images that appear on the 2nd part of the CBT. Yes, the test is timed, but you get credit for the number of CORRECT answers, so move along as fast as you reasonably can and don't worry about wrong answers or finishing. However, if you get to the point of answering all of them, the images do get progressively more difficult. Best advice anyone can give you is to TAKE the offered break between the two segments! Those that don't . . . fail.

Hi Aaron...Thanks for directing me to that site and the info about answering as many questions as possible. I definitely will take a break. Wish me luck....Mary

Meg in Pompano Beach, Florida said: Hi Aaron...Thanks for directing me to that site and the info about answering as many questions as possible. I definitely will take a break. Wish me luck....Mary

Judging by your writing skills and command of the English language, you'll do quite well on the first half of the test. Then take that break . . . have a smoke . . . go to the bathroom . . . clear the cobwebs . . . loose that feeling of time pressure and go back in refreshed and ready to tackle the x-ray portion. Wishing you the best of luck Mary! Keep us all posted on your success.

Hello Aaron,
I don't know if you will be able to help me but I have to ask a question about the TSO hiring process, more specifically the credit check. I took a look on the candidate dashboard site and they have been doing a credit check since 2009. Sept. 2, 2009 to be exact. I have called them several times now and all I keep getting from the HR is it can take a while just be patient. My question is how long does the credit check take?

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: Hello Aaron,
I don't know if you will be able to help me but I have to ask a question about the TSO hiring process, more specifically the credit check. I took a look on the candidate dashboard site and they have been doing a credit check since 2009. Sept. 2, 2009 to be exact. I have called them several times now and all I keep getting from the HR is it can take a while just be patient. My question is how long does the credit check take?

Hi TheTRUTHx1000. Something is VERY wrong! Here's how it is supposed to work: When you receive an email notifying you that you've passed the CBT, it should also extend you a "Contingent Offer of Employment" and a link to your Candidate Dashboard. Upon logging in to the Candidate Dashboard, you MUST accept the "Offer". Next, you would be instructed to print, fill out, sign, scan and upload the 2811 & 2812 forms. The 2811 triggers a credit check and the 2812 triggers an NCIC (National Criminal Investigation Check). While it took TSA/HR two(2) days to indicate that mine were completed okay (green check mark), in reality, they take from 10-60 MINUTES to run and get the results back. Once they check that item green on your Dashboard, the upper right should show "invited to airport assessment" which is a step that is really "in-progress" and left to the airport to actually schedule. I hope this helps you with sorting things out.

Hello Aaron,
That's what I've been thinking. I did the application, the CBT, and the contingent offer. I have check marks on all of them. However when it gets to the credit check, there is a star on it. I asked HR; what does the star mean? There response was " it means that your credit check is still ongoing." I told them no credit on the planet takes that long. There only response is I don't know why it's taking that long but be patient. I feel like i'm stuck in limbo here. I was wondering is there anyone else I can speak to besides HR to get some sort of insight regarding my status?

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Hi TheTRUTHx1000. Something is VERY wrong! Here's how it is supposed to work: When you receive an email notifying you that you've passed the CBT, it should also extend you a "Contingent Offer of Employment" and a link to your Candidate Dashboard. Upon logging in to the Candidate Dashboard, you MUST accept the "Offer". Next, you would be instructed to print, fill out, sign, scan and upload the 2811 & 2812 forms. The 2811 triggers a credit check and the 2812 triggers an NCIC (National Criminal Investigation Check). While it took TSA/HR two(2) days to indicate that mine were completed okay (green check mark), in reality, they take from 10-60 MINUTES to run and get the results back. Once they check that item green on your Dashboard, the upper right should show "invited to airport assessment" which is a step that is really "in-progress" and left to the airport to actually schedule. I hope this helps you with sorting things out.

hi i notice that u said that the 2812 represents the criminal background check ...so im asking if u have a check then do that mean you've been cleared from it...like they found nothing... just asking because i have a misdemeanor charge

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: Hello Aaron,
That's what I've been thinking. I did the application, the CBT, and the contingent offer. I have check marks on all of them. However when it gets to the credit check, there is a star on it. I asked HR; what does the star mean? There response was " it means that your credit check is still ongoing." I told them no credit on the planet takes that long. There only response is I don't know why it's taking that long but be patient. I feel like i'm stuck in limbo here. I was wondering is there anyone else I can speak to besides HR to get some sort of insight regarding my status?

To get a green check mark over "Contingent Offer", you would have had to have accepted the "Offer" AND submitted the 2811 & 2812 to HR. Are you telling me that you HAVE a green check mark over "Contingent Offer"? If so, what date it that item showing as completed?

tasha in Bronx, New York said: hi i notice that u said that the 2812 represents the criminal background check ...so im asking if u have a check then do that mean you've been cleared from it...like they found nothing... just asking because i have a misdemeanor charge

Tasha; yes . . . and no. The NCIC is run to check for arrest records nationally (in all states). Maybe it showed up . . . and maybe it didn't. In either case, be happy that it didn't knock you out of the running. Yes, you are in the clear for now, BUT you will still have to come clean on the full details of your "misdemeanor charge" when you complete the online e-86 Form (SF-86).

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: Tasha; yes . . . and no. The NCIC is run to check for arrest records nationally (in all states). Maybe it showed up . . . and maybe it didn't. In either case, be happy that it didn't knock you out of the running. Yes, you are in the clear for now, BUT you will still have to come clean on the full details of your "misdemeanor charge" when you complete the online e-86 Form (SF-86).

WELL I did tell the WHOLE truth about the matter plus i have all kinds of good recommendations letters so i just wanted to know..i tell you im so nervous, scared,frighten and happy, excited for this position....but thanks for the feed back Aaron

The date under the contingent offer which has a green check over it is 9/29/2009.

tasha in Bronx, New York said: WELL I did tell the WHOLE truth about the matter plus i have all kinds of good recommendations letters so i just wanted to know..i tell you im so nervous, scared,frighten and happy, excited for this position....but thanks for the feed back Aaron

You're welcome Tasha. Don't worry about it. If you make it to the AA (Airport Assessment) and pass the interview portion, they will then return your e-86 to the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) to commence the 1-6 month investigation. If the misdemeanor charge is an issue or requires further explanation, the Lead Investigator will get in touch with you and give you a chance to state your case. Do I understand you correctly that you've already completed and certified the e-86?

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: The date under the contingent offer which has a green check over it is 9/29/2009.

Absurd! My advice would be to call them and request to speak to a supervisor. If non is available at the time, request a call back from one. Simultaneously, send them an email stating your entire situation.

I'm going to do it first thing in the morning. Thanks again Aaron.
To top it off they have called me back or emailed at least 20 times. I'm not exaggerating, around twenty times stating that they don't have my 2811 & 2812 forms and I need to send them in. I must have sent in those foprms alone at least twenty times, which is making this whole process that much more frustating.

TheTRUTHx1000 in New York, New York said: I'm going to do it first thing in the morning. Thanks again Aaron.
To top it off they have called me back or emailed at least 20 times. I'm not exaggerating, around twenty times stating that they don't have my 2811 & 2812 forms and I need to send them in. I must have sent in those foprms alone at least twenty times, which is making this whole process that much more frustating.

Get a name to send them to and a way to confirm receipt by and with that particular person. Best of luck.

Aaron in Alexandria, Virginia said: You're welcome Tasha. Don't worry about it. If you make it to the AA (Airport Assessment) and pass the interview portion, they will then return your e-86 to the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) to commence the 1-6 month investigation. If the misdemeanor charge is an issue or requires further explanation, the Lead Investigator will get in touch with you and give you a chance to state your case. Do I understand you correctly that you've already completed and certified the e-86?

Good Morning Aaron,
well im in the process of completing the e86, by this wkend it shall be submitted. then hopefully ill get an call for my AA

Okay well I have been through cbt, credit check E86 forms, and I have been sitting at invited to Airport Assessment since the end of June 2010. Can it take this long possibly???