WASHINGTON, Feb 19 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation plans to simplify how existing administrative personnel move into special agent positions by eliminating two long-standing evaluation steps, multiple people familiar with the proposals told Reuters.
Under the expected changes, FBI support staff who are already on the payroll and who successfully complete a written examination delivered through an online portal would be eligible to proceed directly to the agency's training program at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The adjustments would do away with a panel interview and a separate writing assessment that applicants historically have been required to complete, according to Jeff Crocker, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, and another person briefed on the revisions. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because the matter is sensitive.
Crocker and the other source warned that eliminating these two steps would reduce the depth of vetting for internal applicants. They said the panel interviews provide a venue to evaluate candidates' life experience, public speaking capabilities and critical thinking. In the current system, candidates are questioned by a panel of three agents who have been trained to screen applicants, Crocker said, noting he performed such vetting during more than two decades with the FBI.
Those familiar with the proposed changes said the updates have not been broadly communicated inside the bureau. An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, acknowledged that the application process for onboard employees is being modified but denied that the agency is lowering standards.
"What we are doing is streamlining the process to remove duplicative, bureaucratic steps to the application system for onboard employees," Williamson said in a statement. He added that existing personnel seeking to become special agents will still require a recommendation from an FBI division leader and must complete the "rigorous training program at Quantico."
The planned changes would apply only to current FBI administrative staff who want to transition into special agent roles. They would not affect applicants from outside the bureau. Recruiting from within is a common route for expanding the special agent corps; the FBI also traditionally draws candidates from the U.S. military, state and local law enforcement, and other demanding professions.
The FBI has long maintained strict entrance standards for special agents, given the broad array of federal investigations they handle. Director Kash Patel, who has moved to refocus bureau priorities toward elements of President Donald Trump's agenda, has described agents as "cops" and placed increased emphasis on countering violent crime and supporting the administration's immigration enforcement efforts. That framing has unsettled some former FBI officials and agents who see the bureau's investigative responsibilities - including national security and complex financial probes - as distinct from ordinary policing.
Internally, Patel has set a target of hiring 700 new special agents this year, out of a workforce that typically numbers about 10,000 agents. One source familiar with the process said the panel interview stage has historically screened out a meaningful portion of applicants.
Crocker criticized the scaled-back route for current employees, saying the truncated process would be insufficient. "The consequences of allowing such individuals lacking the impressive and necessary resumes to become FBI agents simply by passing a web-based test will be both seismic and generationally harmful to the republic," he said.
The bureau did not provide additional public details about the timeline for implementing the modifications or whether any further procedural safeguards will be added to offset the reduced interviews and writing assessments. The two people who described the planned changes emphasized that the move is intended to address staffing shortages that the bureau is facing under the current administration.
As the FBI proceeds with revising the internal application flow, supporters within the bureau argue the changes remove redundant bureaucracy and speed the path for qualified staff to receive formal agent training. Critics counter that narrowing the vetting pipeline could omit important evaluations of judgment, communication skills and professional background that the interview and writing assessments were designed to capture.
Summary
The FBI is expected to eliminate a panel interview and a writing assessment for current support staff who apply to become special agents, allowing those who pass an online written exam to go directly to the FBI Academy in Quantico. The bureau says the process is being streamlined, while retired agents and other critics warn the change will lower vetting standards.
Key points
- The change removes two vetting steps - a three-agent panel interview and a writing assessment - for existing FBI administrative staff applying to be special agents.
- Officials say the revision streamlines hiring and retains requirements such as a division leader recommendation and completion of training at Quantico.
- The move responds to staffing needs and a target to hire 700 new special agents this year; it has provoked concern among some former and current bureau personnel about weakening screening standards.
Risks and uncertainties
- Reduced screening may omit assessments of candidates' public speaking and critical thinking - risks flagged by former vetting officers - which could affect investigative capability. (Impacted sectors: law enforcement, national security.)
- Because the changes have not been widely announced internally, there is uncertainty around implementation details and whether additional safeguards will be added. (Impacted sectors: government hiring, civil service administration.)
- Criticism from former agents about lowered standards could affect bureau morale and public confidence in federal investigations. (Impacted sectors: legal services, public trust in law enforcement.)