(a) OPM may issue one or more excepted service certificates for a hiring instance under the procedures of this part.

(b) An agency using an OPM-generated excepted service certificate may not reassess applicants for purposes of rating or ranking.

(c) OPM may establish a policy for the timeframe within which an agency using a certificate may make a selection, and any extensions to this timeframe.

(d) Agencies must satisfy all applicable requirements pertaining to applicants eligible for priority consideration in accordance with §§ 302.103, 302.303, 302.304, and 302.401.

(e) An agency may apply the three-consideration rule under § 332.405 of this subchapter to an excepted service certificate on which applicants were assigned numerical scores under § 302.302(b)(1) and must notify OPM when doing so. The three-consideration rule does not apply to an excepted service certificate on which applicants were placed in quality categories under § 302.302(b)(2). OPM will notify all participating agencies when an applicant has been removed from further consideration under the three-consideration rule. A participating agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant who received three bona fide considerations from another agency in accordance with § 332.405 and identified as such by OPM.

(f) An agency which passes over a preference eligible must notify OPM when the pass-over is sustained. OPM will notify all participating agencies when a pass-over request has been sustained, and the veteran is removed from further consideration. An agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant notified that he or she was being passed over by another agency in accordance with § 302.401(b), the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, and identified as such by OPM.