How to use the written pass headcount ratio calculator
Competitive hiring announcements often state both the number of openings and how many candidates will be carried forward from the written exam, written as a multiple such as 1.3 or 1.5 times the openings. Enter the openings and that ratio, and this page works out how many people clear the written stage and how many more that is than the number of jobs.
The calculation starts with openings multiplied by the pass ratio. Because the result is usually fractional and headcount has to be whole people, you pick how it is handled. Rounding down is the default because a pass ratio is normally a ceiling (7 openings x 1.5 = 10.5 advances 10), and an optional small-opening rule, off by default, advances openings + 2 when there are 3 or fewer openings, for selection rules that guarantee a minimum pool. Turn it on only if your rules say so. Rounding to nearest and rounding up are available too. The unrounded figure is shown as well, so you can see exactly when a small change in the ratio adds one more person. Enter the number of test takers and you also get the share of them who advance.
Pass ratios differ by agency, grade level and hiring cycle, so none are built in; only the values you type are used. The page does not work out a qualifying score, a predicted rank or an overall competition ratio. It stops at the advancing headcount.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pass ratio such as 1.5 is usually a ceiling (the written stage advances up to that many times the openings), so a fractional result is rounded down by default: 7 openings x 1.5 = 10.5 becomes 10. Some selection rules also guarantee a minimum pool when there are very few openings, advancing openings + 2 when there are 3 or fewer; that rule is optional and off by default. Rounding to nearest and rounding up are also available.
The advancing headcount equals the number of openings and the extra candidates read as 0, which describes a process that does not cut anyone further at the interview stage.
No. This page only converts openings and a pass ratio into a headcount. It does not work out a cutoff score, a rank or a competition ratio.