If you are on a federal career path aimed at the Senior Executive Service — or developing the leaders who are — the OPM Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) are the specific, evaluated criteria that shape SES selection. As of 2025, both the criteria and the way they are assessed have changed substantially.
Effective October 1, 2025, OPM replaced the long-standing five ECQs with a new set, gave each ECQ a defined group of competencies, and discontinued the 10-page narrative essay applicants spent years learning to write (OPM CHCOC memo, “Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service,” May 29, 2025). If your succession plans, training investments, or candidate-development programs were built around the old framework, they need updating.
What Are the Executive Core Qualifications?
The ECQs are the leadership criteria OPM uses to assess candidates for the career Senior Executive Service, and are widely used below the SES as a development model. As of October 1, 2025, the five ECQs are: (1) Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding; (2) Driving Efficiency; (3) Merit and Competence; (4) Leading People; and (5) Achieving Results. This replaced the previous set (Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, Building Coalitions); only Leading People carried over. Each new ECQ has three defined competencies — 15 in total.
How candidates demonstrate the ECQs also changed. The 10-page narrative essays (often coached as “CCAR,” though that was never OPM’s wording) are discontinued. Initial application is now resume-only, capped at two pages, and both ECQ and Technical Qualification (TQ) narratives are prohibited; qualifications are assessed through resume review, validated executive assessments, and structured interviews. The Qualifications Review Board still certifies SES appointees by statute (5 U.S.C. § 3393(c)); what changed is the evidence it reviews — moving to a structured-interview method for FY2026.
ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding
Knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government; Rule of Law; Civic-Mindedness. A new qualification with no equivalent in the old framework; evidenced via resume and structured interview.
ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency
Strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technology upgrades. Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility; Managing Resources; Leveraging Technology.
ECQ 3: Merit and Competence
Knowledge, ability, and technical competence to reliably produce exceptional-quality work. Competencies: Technical Skill; Problem Solving; Agility and Resilience.
ECQ 4: Leading People
Lead and inspire a group toward the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture — including leading through change and holding people accountable. Competencies: Accountability; Developing Others; Executive Judgement. (The one ECQ carried over from the prior framework — but the accountability emphasis is sharper.)
ECQ 5: Achieving Results
Achieve individual and organizational results and align them to goals from superiors. Competencies: Operational Mindset; Innovation; Strategic Thinking.
ECQ Development in Practice: What Agencies Should Build
With the narrative gone and assessment moving to the resume, validated assessments, and structured interviews, agencies should build: two-page executive resume capability; structured-interview readiness; validated executive-assessment readiness; SES Candidate Development Programs (CDPs) updated to the 2025 ECQs; developmental assignments that build real evidence against the new competencies; and mock structured-interview exercises (replacing mock review boards and narrative drafting).
How Gotham Government Services Supports ECQ Development
Gotham Government Services helps agencies and SES-track leaders develop against the 2025 ECQ framework and prepare for how OPM now assesses it: SES CDP design aligned to the new five ECQs and 15 competencies; ECQ-aligned executive coaching and 360 feedback; two-page executive resume optimization and structured-interview preparation (in place of narrative-essay coaching); mock structured-interview exercises and assessment-readiness support; action-learning cohorts and supervisor/manager development pipelines. Programs are built for the federal environment, including Section 508 accessibility for digital learning content. Learn more about our leadership development services and our instructional design services.
Common Questions About the ECQs
Do the ECQs apply outside the SES? The formal standard applies to SES merit staffing, but the framework is broadly relevant for GS-14/15 development. Now that the narrative is gone, what should candidates prepare? A tight two-page, ECQ-aligned resume; readiness for validated executive assessments; and concise, example-based responses for a structured interview. How early should leaders start? Earlier than most — the 2025 changes reduce paperwork but raise the premium on demonstrable competence across 15 competencies.
Contact GGS
Contact GGS to discuss ECQ-aligned leadership development for your agency or your high-potential leaders. Get in touch.
This article reflects OPM guidance current as of June 2026, including the May 29, 2025 OPM memo and the Executive Core Qualifications effective October 1, 2025. SES hiring policy is in active transition; confirm requirements in the specific vacancy announcement.