Veterans Preference Points: 5 vs 10 Points Explained (2026)

Introduction

Veterans preference has existed since the Civil War. The idea is simple: those who served their country should receive priority consideration for federal employment. The execution is more complicated than most veterans realize, and misunderstanding the rules costs qualified candidates opportunities every day.

I worked the hiring side of the desk on positions in my federal chain. I watched veterans miss out on preference they legitimately qualified for. They did not understand the documentation requirements. I also saw veterans assume preference guaranteed them jobs, then get frustrated when they were not selected despite having preference. Both misunderstandings come from the same source: nobody explained how the system actually works.

This guide covers who qualifies for veterans preference, how the point system functions, what documentation you need, and crucially - when preference actually helps and when it does not apply at all.

Who Qualifies for Veterans Preference

Not every veteran qualifies for preference in federal hiring. The eligibility rules are specific, and assuming you qualify without checking can lead to problems with your application.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Honorable or General Discharge: You must have been discharged "under honorable conditions." This includes Honorable discharges and General (Under Honorable Conditions) discharges. Other-than-honorable, bad conduct, and dishonorable discharges do not qualify for veterans preference.

Active Duty Service During Qualifying Periods: Your active duty has to line up with a qualifying campaign or a qualifying period. The campaign route covers a war, campaign, or expedition with an authorized campaign badge or medal. The period route covers four windows. The first is any active duty between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955. The second is more than 180 consecutive days of active duty, other than for training. Any part of that service has to fall after January 31, 1955 and before October 15, 1976. The third is any active duty during the Gulf War window. That window ran from August 2, 1990 to January 2, 1992. Where you served and how long do not matter for that one. The fourth is more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training. Any part of that service has to fall between September 11, 2001 and August 31, 2010. That end date is the declared last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So if all of your service falls after August 31, 2010, length alone is not enough. You need a campaign or expedition medal, or a service-connected disability, instead. One more gate sits on the campaign route and the Gulf War window. If you first enlisted after September 7, 1980, there is a minimum service gate. You have to serve 24 continuous months, or the full period you were called to active duty. The same gate applies if you began active duty on or after October 14, 1982. That is only if you had not already completed 24 months of continuous active duty. The gate does not apply to 10-point preference eligibles separated for a line-of-duty disability. It also does not apply to separations under 10 USC 1171 or 1173, including hardship.

Military Retirees at O-4 or Above: Retiring at the rank of major, lieutenant commander, or higher blocks preference in appointment. Two exceptions. A disabled veteran is preference eligible regardless of rank. The bar also skips Reservists who will not draw military retired pay until age 60. Retiring below that rank keeps your preference intact.

Guard and Reserve Eligibility

National Guard and Reserve members qualify for veterans preference if they were called to active duty (not just for training purposes) and served during one of the qualifying periods. Weekend drill and annual training do not count unless you were mobilized for active duty service.

Retirement from the Guard or Reserve alone does not confer veterans preference. The qualifying factor is active duty service during covered periods.

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The Point System Explained

Veterans preference works through a point system that adds points to your passing examination score. Understanding the categories helps you claim the right preference level.

5-Point Preference (TP)

Five-point preference applies to veterans who:

• Served on active duty during a qualifying war, campaign, or expedition, or in a qualifying period above
• Received an honorable or general discharge
• Do not have a service-connected disability

The "TP" code designates 5-point preference eligibles with no service-connected disability.

10-Point Preference Categories

Ten-point preference comes in several subcategories:

CP (Compensable Disability, 10-29%): Veterans with service-connected disability rated 10-29% by the VA.

CPS (Compensable Disability, 30%+): Veterans with service-connected disability rated 30% or more. CPS preference includes additional protections beyond the 10 points.

XP (Disability, Less Than 10%): Veterans with a service-connected disability rated below 10%, which is non-compensable. That is what separates XP from CP. XP also covers Purple Heart recipients, and veterans getting a non-service-connected disability pension from the VA. XP still carries the full 10 points.

Derived Preference

Certain family members of veterans can claim "derived preference" based on the veteran's service:

• Spouses of disabled veterans who cannot use their preference due to service-connected disability
• Widows and widowers who have not remarried, when the veteran served in a war, campaign, or expedition. Service between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955 also counts
• Parents of a veteran who died on active duty during a war, campaign, or expedition. The death has to be under honorable conditions. A death between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955 also counts. Parents of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition also qualify. The parent has to be unmarried, legally separated, or living with a totally and permanently disabled spouse

Derived preference is granted as XP preference, worth 10 points. That holds even when the veteran's own preference would only have been worth 5. Two limits. It exists only when the veteran cannot use preference themselves. The second limit reaches widows, widowers, and parents of a deceased veteran. For them the veteran's service has to be war, campaign, or expedition service. Service between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955 also counts. Service that qualified only under one of the 180-day rules does not pass to them. Spouses are not limited that way. Neither are parents of a living veteran who is permanently and totally disabled. OPM counts that veteran's service performed at any time.

Required Documentation

Claiming veterans preference requires specific documentation. Missing or incorrect documents can delay or invalidate your preference claim.

Document Details

DD-214: Most announcements ask for Member Copy 4, which shows character of service and campaign medals. OPM's standard is broader. The DD-214 or other official documents from your branch are acceptable proof. If you have multiple DD-214s from different service periods, include all that show qualifying service.

SF-15: Required for all 10-point preference claims. Available on OPM.gov. The form guides you through identifying your correct preference category.

VA Disability Letter: Must be dated 1991 or later and show your service-connected disability rating. You can download it from VA.gov under Records, then Download VA benefit letters.

When Veterans Preference Applies (And When It Does Not)

Veterans preference does not apply to all federal jobs. Understanding where it helps prevents frustration and wasted effort.

Where Preference Helps Most

Competitive Service Announcements Open to the Public: This is where veterans preference provides the strongest advantage. These announcements use numerical scores, and your preference points are added to your passing score.

Reduction-in-Force (RIF) Situations: Veterans preference provides significant protection during layoffs. Preference-eligible veterans are retained over non-veterans with similar tenure and performance.

Where Preference Does Not Apply

Merit Promotion Announcements: Internal federal job postings limited to current federal employees do not use veterans preference. Competition is among current employees based on their federal qualifications.

Senior Executive Service: SES positions are exempt from veterans preference requirements.

How to Claim Veterans Preference on USAJOBS

Claiming preference correctly on USAJOBS requires both selecting the right options in your profile and uploading proper documentation.

Profile Setup

In your USAJOBS profile, go to the Experience section and select Edit next to Military service. USAJOBS then asks you questions about your service and any service-connected disability. Be accurate. Claiming a higher preference category than you qualify for can disqualify your application.

Document Upload

Upload your DD-214 (most announcements ask for Member Copy 4) to your USAJOBS account. If claiming 10-point preference, also upload your completed SF-15 and VA disability letter. These documents must be attached to each application - they do not automatically transfer between applications.

Special Hiring Authorities

Beyond preference points, several hiring authorities provide additional paths into federal employment for veterans.

Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA)

VRA allows agencies to appoint eligible veterans without competition for positions up to GS-11. After two years of substantially continuous satisfactory service, a VRA appointment converts to career or career-conditional employment. Most people land at career-conditional, since career tenure takes three years of creditable service. One catch. Agencies can also use VRA for temporary and term positions, and those do not convert.

30% or More Disabled Veteran

Veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability can be appointed non-competitively, at any grade level. The agency usually starts you on a temporary appointment of more than 60 days. A term appointment is the other option. The agency can then convert that appointment to a permanent one if it chooses. That decision sits with management, so treat the first appointment as a foot in the door.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)

VEOA lets you compete for merit promotion announcements when an agency recruits from outside its own workforce. You do not have to be a current federal employee. You qualify if you are preference eligible. You also qualify after 3 or more years of continuous active service. That service has to end in a separation under honorable conditions. OPM counts veterans released shortly before finishing a 3-year tour as eligible. VEOA does not open announcements that are truly limited to internal candidates. It applies only to permanent competitive-service positions. It gives you the chance to compete, not points.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Waiting on Member Copy 4: Most announcements ask for Member Copy 4 because it shows character of service and campaign medals together. OPM accepts other official documents from your branch that show the same information. Submit what you have instead of skipping the claim. Then request Member Copy 4 from the National Archives for next time.

Wrong VA Letter: The SF-15 standard is a VA statement dated 1991 or later showing your rating. A letter older than a year still works under that standard. Pull a fresh one if the announcement asks for it.

Claiming Wrong Category: Claiming 10-point preference when you only qualify for 5 points can invalidate your application. When in doubt, claim the lower category you definitely qualify for.

Missing SF-15: All 10-point claims require SF-15, including Purple Heart recipients. Submitting disability documentation without the SF-15 is incomplete.

Conclusion

Veterans preference is a real advantage in federal hiring when you understand how to use it correctly. Gather your documentation, understand which positions use preference, and ensure your federal resume proves you meet the qualifications.

Preference points help qualified veterans compete more effectively. But the foundation remains the same: you need to meet the specialized experience requirements and document your qualifications clearly. Preference amplifies a strong application - it cannot salvage a weak one.

Related: How VA disability affects federal employment and best federal agencies for veterans in 2026.

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