If you are preparing for the Senior Executive Service, the guidance you may have studied even a year ago no longer applies. In 2025, the Office of Personnel Management restructured both the Executive Core Qualifications and the way candidates apply. Understanding the current framework is now the difference between a competitive package and one built for a process that no longer exists.
The five Executive Core Qualifications have changed
Effective October 1, 2025, OPM replaced the long-standing ECQs — Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions — with a new set: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding; Driving Efficiency; Merit and Competence; Leading People; and Achieving Results (OPM, “Executive Core Qualifications”). Only Leading People carries forward. The other four are new in name and in emphasis.
Each ECQ is now defined by three competencies
Rather than the previous structure of numerous underlying competencies, the current ECQs each rest on three. For example, Achieving Results is built on Operational Mindset, Innovation, and Strategic Thinking; Merit and Competence on Technical Skill, Problem Solving, and Agility and Resilience. Candidates should know these competencies cold, because they shape how performance is assessed.
The 10-page ECQ narrative is gone
This is the most consequential change for applicants. OPM directed agencies to “immediately discontinue the use of 10-page narrative essays in the hiring process” and to “adopt a resume-only initial application method, with resumes capped at 2 pages.” The familiar Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) narrative format is no longer part of the application. Beginning in FY 2026, OPM is moving to a structured interview assessment, based on the new ECQs, for all Qualifications Review Board submissions.
Technical Qualifications still matter, but the narrative is also retired
Many SES positions carry job-specific Technical Qualifications. The 2025 guidance prohibits both ECQ and TQ narratives; agencies now assess required qualifications “through assessments, interviews, and resume reviews.” Your technical depth must come through on a two-page resume and stand up in an interview.
The QRB still certifies every executive
By statute, OPM convenes Qualifications Review Boards to certify that SES hires meet the highest standard (5 U.S.C. § 3393(c)). What has changed is the evidence the QRB reviews — structured interview results aligned to the new ECQs rather than narrative essays.
How to build a competitive package now
The skill set has shifted from essay-writing to disciplined resume construction and interview readiness. Make every line of your two-page resume earn its place: lead with quantified results, name the scope of resources and people you managed, and show outcomes that map to the five current ECQs. Rehearse concrete, first-person examples — what you faced, what you did, what resulted — for the structured interview. Avoid recycling the same example across competencies, and have an experienced reader pressure-test your resume against the current ECQ definitions before you submit.
The bottom line
Candidates who prepared against the old five ECQs and the 10-page CCAR narrative are preparing for a process that no longer exists. Anchor your application to OPM’s current ECQs, build to the two-page resume cap, and prepare to demonstrate your qualifications in a structured interview.
How GGS helps. Gotham Government Services helps federal executives and agencies navigate the 2025 SES process — from two-page executive resume optimization to structured-interview readiness and ECQ-aligned development. Contact GGS to talk through your SES preparation or your agency’s executive pipeline.
This article reflects OPM guidance current as of June 2026. SES hiring policy is in active transition; confirm requirements in the specific vacancy announcement before applying.
Sources
- OPM, “Executive Core Qualifications” (updated Oct 1, 2025)
- OPM, “Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service” (memo, May 29, 2025)
- OPM Memo to Agencies — Update of ECQs (Jan 15, 2025), chcoc.gov
- OPM, SES Selection Process / QRB Guidance
- 5 U.S.C. § 3393(c) (QRB certification)