Federal Classification Principles Course
- IDCLAS7915
- Weekdays only
- 4 Days
- Open to beginners
Learn to classify and analyze General Schedule (GS) positions by mastering federal classification principles, procedures, and evaluation systems.
Our courses provide HR practitioners with both the background knowledge and technical details needed to ensure that actions taken are legal and contribute to the accomplishment of agency mission and objectives.
Learn to classify and analyze General Schedule (GS) positions by mastering federal classification principles, procedures, and evaluation systems.
Learn the basic, crosscutting principles you need to classify and analyze federal positions for compensation purposes, and apply these concepts by classifying GS, FWS, and alternative system positions. Improve your analytical skills to ask good questions about position duties and organizational design, write Factor Evaluation System (FES) position descriptions, and analyze position management alternatives. Students benefit from instructor assistance and feedback on assignments as well as facilitated blogging and discussions.
Master the skills to classify federal positions, write evaluation statements, and apply classification standards for General Schedule (GS) positions.
Gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities classifiers need to do their work successfully. The focus of this course is on helping participants develop competence in applying various classification standards. It also provides participants with exposure to other topics important to federal classification programs, such as writing position descriptions and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Refresh classification fundamentals and tackle more advanced issues through guided practice and sample exercises.
Learn to create accurate and comprehensive federal position descriptions that align with organizational goals and HR requirements.
Learn to use position management tools and techniques to optimize organizational performance and address common workforce challenges.
Enhance your classification expertise by tackling complex federal position evaluations and mastering desk audit techniques.
Master the principles of federal position classification, including interpreting standards, preparing descriptions, and managing classifications effectively.
Enhance your expertise in federal position classification by tackling complex cases and applying advanced techniques.
Apply FWS pay-setting rules to real-world scenarios involving appointments, promotions, within-grade increases, and wage schedule updates.
Learn the standards and procedures used under the Federal Wage System to classify and grade blue-collar positions using OPM guidance.
Gain the knowledge to correctly apply Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provisions, including overtime, travel, and compliance responsibilities.
Learn how to apply FLSA rules and guidance to determine federal employee exemption status and compliance with wage-and-hour regulations.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Start your federal HR career by building core technical skills in staffing, classification, labor relations, EEO, and HR data practices aligned with OPM competencies.
Become a trusted HR advisor to agency leadership. Strengthen advisory and analytical skills aligned with federal HR management competencies.
Elevate your strategic HR capabilities and serve as a high-value advisor to agency leadership by aligning workforce initiatives with mission objectives.
Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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Our alumni consistently commend the expertise of our instructors and the real-world relevance of our programs. Their feedback highlights how Graduate School USA training has advanced their skills, supported their agencies’ missions, and fostered long-term professional growth.
Instructor was very knowledgeable and had a great way of explaining.
Vanessa T.
One of the best classes I have taken.
Marchel Davis
I would rate my overall experience as excellent. The content and the instructor overall was amazing. I look forward to having more classes that Mr. Richard teaches.
Amanda Martinez
Very positive experience and took away a lot of great information.
Robin S.
Trina Petty was outstanding and provided very knowledgeable information. I would highly recommend this course for those needing knowledge in position management.
Esteban M.
Classification is NOT my favorite HR subject, but Arlene made it enjoyable.
Latrice C.
Instructors energy and knowledge were exceptional.
James Jones
I enjoyed this class. The layout was easy to understand. The instructor was awesome and extremely knowledgeable and interacting and lively.
Cayla C.
The instructor was very informative. She kept the class interesting and fun.
Tara S.
This was an excellent course. I learned a lot.
Milica M.
Our Federal Position Classification & Management Training are rated 4.7 stars by 643 students
Instructor was very knowledgeable in HR and provided relevant examples to explain the area of focus.
The instructor was consistently kind and respectful, creating a welcoming learning environment.
Overall a great experience for someone that is in the PaCE program as a Staffer, that is interested in Classification.
It was a good course and exercises were helpful.
Class length was appropriate, content was covered fully, and instructor was one of the best I have ever had in my trainings.
Sineta was knowledgeable and did a good job of covering all the material.
I loved Beth's approach on classification and enjoyed her expansion of its topic each day. It has helped me to feel more stronger in my role, and my thought process in classification. It can be tiring, with the information overload, but Beth made it refreshing and fun. Overall, it was a good foundation to jumpstart for when I do classify positions.
Great instruction with lots of real-world experience. In-person instruction is a lost art. Sets a good foundation of which to build on for future career success. Very happy this instruction is in-person for shared experiences and good dialogue. Very fortunate to be a part of this experience.
I enjoyed taking the course and learning the material. Our instructor had a lot of helpful and useful information. She was very knowledgeable and kind.
Enjoyed my overall experience taking this course and would recommend to co-workers. Very knowledgeable instructor and informative course on the classification material.
I enjoyed the course and plan on recommending the course to my fellow employees with the organization.
Excellent experience, well coordinated course/instruction.
Instructor was clear and concise going over the content. The instructor was also very helpful when any questions came up. They were able to give examples from their own experience that applied to the content which made it easier to understand.
Instructor was personable and kept on task.
It was a good class. I learned a lot from this class and cannot wait to take it back into the workplace.
It was nice since our class was small and it felt each student could more comfortably address and ask their question.
Trina Petty is a phenomenal instructor! I was a part of a small session, but Trina made sure that no one was left behind. Her goal was to ensure that everyone had a grasp of writing position descriptions and also utilizing the plethora of resources available to us. This course was fun and interactive and I would love to be a part of any other course where Trina is the instructor. Thank you for everything!
This class is extremely helpful for HR professionals. It helps understand the complex intricacies of position classification.
A good place to start if you need more information on Position Management. I now understand why there are Master degrees in Organizational Theory.
Enthusiastic instructor who made learning fun. Trina knew the topic well. The participant guide and course materials will greatly assist me as I apply this knowledge.
I have been attending classes at Graduate School USA since 2012, and I look forward to attending a training class every year there! I am proud that I completed Graduate School's Human Resources Certification Program Levels 1, 2, and 3 over the years. Looking forward to attending my next Graduate School USA class soon.
It was a long, intense class, and the instructor was knowledgeable. We learned a lot together!
The overall experience was beneficial, and we can use the information learned on the job. Trina was very personable and helpful. She provided real life examples and engaged in conversation with the class.
Awesome class and instructor! The content was concise and covered the essential topics needed. Trina is a very effective instructor who is able to fully engage the class, making the learning experience both easy and enjoyable.
It was the right course at the right time for the team. Many of the team members thought they knew classification but found out from taking this class, they did not fully know the classification function of HR. It was very eye-opening for the team.
Showing 25 of 127 reviews
Attend courses in-person in Washington, DC or live online. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
Unlike other providers, these are not mass open-enrollment classes. At Society of Defense Financial Management, you’ll learn in small groups (typically 8-15 students) and receive personalized attention.
Get face-to-face interaction with an instructor and other students when you learn at our DC campus. Courses are hands-on with a computer and software provided.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
All times are listed in Eastern Time unless otherwise specified.
| Course, dates, and times | Price and duration | Description | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | |||
|
September 24–25
Thursday to Friday
9–4:30pm
|
$1,049
2 Days
|
Learn to use position management tools and techniques to optimize organizational performance and address common workforce challenges. |
|
|
September 28–30
Monday to Wednesday
9–4:30pm
|
$1,399
3 Days
|
Enhance your expertise in federal position classification by tackling complex cases and applying advanced techniques. |
|
| October 2026 | |||
|
October 5–6
Monday to Tuesday
9–4:30pm
|
$1,049
2 Days
|
Master the principles of federal position classification, including interpreting standards, preparing descriptions, and managing classifications effectively. |
|
|
October 7–9
Wednesday to Friday
9–4:30pm
|
$1,399
3 Days
|
Enhance your classification expertise by tackling complex federal position evaluations and mastering desk audit techniques. |
|
|
October 13–16
Tuesday to Friday
9–4:30pm
|
$1,699
4 Days
|
Learn to classify and analyze General Schedule (GS) positions by mastering federal classification principles, procedures, and evaluation systems. |
|
Showing 5 of 66 courses