# Veterans Preference Eligibility Explainer

Takes your service facts and tells you which veterans preference category you likely qualify for on a federal job application. Use it before you start a USAJOBS application so you understand your status and can claim it correctly.

## Prompt

## Context
You are helping [YOUR NAME], a veteran, determine their veterans preference eligibility for federal civilian employment under Title 5 of the United States Code. Their service facts are: branch of service: [BRANCH OF SERVICE]; dates of active duty service: [ACTIVE DUTY START AND END DATES]; character of discharge: [CHARACTER OF DISCHARGE, e.g., Honorable, General Under Honorable Conditions, Other Than Honorable]; any service-connected disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs: [VA DISABILITY RATING, or "none"]; whether the disability is 30 percent or more: [YES OR NO]; any campaign badges or expeditionary medals earned: [CAMPAIGN BADGES OR EXPEDITIONARY MEDALS, or "none"]; whether discharged due to a service-connected disability: [YES OR NO].

## Task
Using only the service facts in [YOUR NAME]'s input, explain:
1. Which veterans preference category applies: no preference, 5-point preference (TP), 10-point compensable preference (CP), 10-point compensable preference at 30 percent or more (CPS), 10-point disability preference (XP), or 10-point derived preference (XP for family members). Name the category and explain why it applies to these specific facts.
2. What that preference means in practice for competitive-service hiring: how it affects the applicant's score or category placement, and any priority consideration that comes with it.
3. Any eligibility question that cannot be resolved from the information provided, with a plain explanation of what additional information is needed.
4. One plain-language caution: what veterans preference does and does not guarantee.

## Standards
- Base every determination on [YOUR NAME]'s actual service facts. Do not assume a favorable discharge, a disability rating, or any fact not stated.
- Do not invent dates, ratings, badge names, or discharge characterizations not provided in the input.
- Do not state that veterans preference guarantees selection, a specific grade, or a job offer. It adds points or category placement; it does not guarantee anything.
- If the character of discharge is Other Than Honorable, Dishonorable, or Bad Conduct, note that preference is generally not available and direct the user to verify with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, as some exceptions apply.
- This is informational, not legal advice. For formal adjudication or disputes, direct the user to OPM or a Veterans Service Organization (VSO).
- Do not claim a specific GS grade, pay band, or salary the applicant qualifies for. That depends on the announcement, not on preference.
- If [ACTIVE DUTY START AND END DATES] or [CHARACTER OF DISCHARGE] is missing or ambiguous, ask before proceeding.

## Variables

- YOUR NAME
- BRANCH OF SERVICE
- ACTIVE DUTY START AND END DATES
- CHARACTER OF DISCHARGE
- VA DISABILITY RATING
- YES OR NO
- CAMPAIGN BADGES OR EXPEDITIONARY MEDALS
- YES OR NO

## Input checklist

- [ ] Pull out your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) before starting. The exact dates, character of discharge, and any medals are on it. Remove your Social Security number and personal data before pasting any DD-214 or service record, and never paste classified or operationally sensitive details.
- [ ] Have your VA rating letter or eBenefits summary ready if you have a service-connected disability rating.
- [ ] Record the exact character of discharge listed on your DD-214, Box 24. Wording matters for eligibility.
- [ ] Note whether your disability rating is 30 percent or more. That threshold changes the preference category.
- [ ] If you were discharged early due to a service-connected disability, note that separately. It affects eligibility even without a formal VA rating.

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Confirm the preference category named matches your actual discharge character. A General Under Honorable Conditions discharge qualifies for preference; an Other Than Honorable generally does not.
- [ ] Check that the AI used your exact VA disability rating, not a rounded or assumed figure. A rating of 29 percent is not the same as 30 percent.
- [ ] Verify the output does not claim preference guarantees selection or a specific job. If it does, that statement is wrong.
- [ ] If campaign badges or expeditionary medals were listed, confirm the output names them correctly and connects them to the right preference category.
- [ ] Confirm dates cited in the output match your DD-214, not invented dates.
- [ ] If you have any doubt about the category, cross-check against OPM's Veterans Preference Advisor tool at opm.gov before claiming preference on an application.

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

Service facts provided:
- Name: Marcus Hale
- Branch: Army
- Active duty: September 2008 to November 2016
- Character of discharge: Honorable
- VA disability rating: 40 percent service-connected
- 30 percent or more: Yes
- Campaign badges: Iraq Campaign Medal
- Discharged due to service-connected disability: No

Preference category: 10-point Compensable Preference at 30 Percent or More (CPS)

Why this applies: Marcus served on active duty and received an honorable discharge, which meets the basic service requirement. He has a service-connected VA disability rating of 40 percent, which is 30 percent or more. That places him in the CPS category, the highest preference tier for disabled veterans. The Iraq Campaign Medal does not change the category here because the disability rating already determines it, but it confirms active service during a qualifying campaign.

What CPS means in practice: In competitive-service hiring, Marcus gets 10 points added to a passing examination score. More importantly, CPS veterans are placed at the top of the certificate ahead of other preference eligibles and non-preference eligibles when agencies use a numerical ranking method. Under category rating, CPS veterans are listed ahead of other candidates in the highest quality category. Some agencies also have a mandatory referral requirement for CPS veterans.

Open questions: None. The service facts provided are sufficient to identify the category.

Plain-language caution: Veterans preference adds points or improves your placement on a hiring certificate. It does not guarantee an interview, a job offer, or selection. Agencies may still select any candidate from the certificate, and some positions are exempt from veterans preference rules entirely (Senior Executive Service, positions filled by excepted-service authorities, and others). Verify the preference rules that apply to each announcement before you apply.

## Customization notes

This prompt covers the most common active-duty service scenarios. If you served in the reserves or National Guard, the rules differ: preference generally requires activation under a federal order (Title 10), not state activation (Title 32). Run the prompt with your activation orders on hand if your service was reserve or Guard. For surviving spouses or parents claiming derived preference, the XP category applies but requires different documentation. The prompt will flag that if the input indicates it.

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From The Federal & GS Job Search Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/federal