[mlac]

There is an exam for some positions [1], and others have many months of training (think 3 letter agencies) and extremely competitive application processes.

Other positions receive a ton of applicants because they are a "gravy train" (e.g. they have great benefits, great work-life balance, and a stable pension). So they are competitive. That said, it is very hard to get fired, but is is part of the draw that attracts a lot of applicants.

The competition has driven an increase in education in the public sector, with many people getting Master's and PhDs for positions that might not need them as a differentiator among the pool of applicants. So no, while there isn't some broad standard exam if you want to work for the US Gov't, it's not a free for all of knuckle draggers.

[1] https://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-service/officer/test-...