Education · 1 of 5
The path
No license and no school of its own. A strict hiring process, then the academy.
- 1
High school
Grade 12
Keep your record clean. The background check is for a Top Secret clearance, and you must disclose any past drug use.
- 2
Bachelor's degree
4 years
Any subject. A GPA of 3.0 or better, or finishing in the top third of your class, qualifies you for the starting grade straight from university.
- 3
Apply when the posting opens
A week
Postings open on set dates and close early once 5,000 people apply. You must be 21 to 36 when you apply.
- 4
Four rounds of testing, then the checks
Not published
A physical task test, a written test, a review of your résumé, and a panel interview. Then a polygraph, a medical exam, a drug test and the background investigation.
- 5
Basic Agent Training
14 weeks
A residential course at the agency's training academy in Quantico, Virginia. Then you are sent to an office anywhere in the country.