The hiring process for U.S. Secret Service Special Agent is very competitive and can take 6 to 9 months to complete. One of the first hurdles in the recruitment process is the Special Agent Entrance Exam (SAEE).
The Special Agent Entrance Exam (SAEE) is a competency-based assessment intended to measure various key knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (e.g., written communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, etc.) that have been identified as required upon entry into the Secret Service, Special Agent position.
The SAEE contains five timed sections: (1) Logic-Based Reasoning, (2) Experience Inventory (Part 1), (3) Language Use, (4) Experience Inventory (Part 2), and (5) Detail Observation.
Section 1: Logic-Based Reasoning - This section consists of 12 passages, each of which describes a set of facts. Each passage is followed by 1 to 4 test questions that are conclusions based on the set of facts presented in the passage. Applicants read the passage and then decide whether each conclusion is true, false, or there is insufficient information to decide. Section 1 contains 30 questions. Applicants will have 40 minutes to complete this section.
Section 2: Experience Inventory, Part 1 - This section contains statements that describe situations that applicants may or may not have personally encountered before. Applicants must choose the response option that best describes the frequency with which they have been involved in the situation. Section 2 contains 64 questions. Applicants will have 20 minutes to complete this section.
Section 3: Language Usage - This section contains 2 types of documents (i.e., memorandum, report). Errors have been purposefully inserted into these documents and applicants are asked to identify errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation, usage, and/or structure. Section 3 contains 25 questions. Applicants will have 40 minutes to complete this section.
Section 4: Experience Inventory, Part 2 - This section contains statements that describe different situations and opinions. Applicants must choose the response option that best reflects the extent to which their past supervisors and/or teachers would agree that the statement describes them. Section 4 contains 96 questions. Applicants will have 30 minutes to complete this section.
Section 5: Detail Observation - In this section, a series of photographs are presented. These photographs depict images that applicants may see on the job (e.g., a rope line or a city street during a surveillance operation). Next, a series of questions unrelated to the photographs are presented. Then, a series of questions about what appeared in the photographs are presented and must be answered without referring back to the photograph. This section contains three photographs and three sets of accompanying questions. This section takes approximately 40 minutes to complete.
What Does a Secret Service Special Agent Do? A Secret Service Special Agent is responsible for carrying out integrated missions of investigation and protection. Off the field, Secret Service agents are responsible for investigating violations of the law relating to financial crimes as well as cyber attacks on the national banking and telecommunication systems.
How Much Does a Secret Service Special Agent Make? The average US Secret Service Agent makes about $138.581.
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