FBI Phase II Written Exam: 2.5-Hour Test, 2 Reports & 3-Agent Panel

Last updated: November 2026

Quick Answer

FBI Phase II has two parts: a written assessment of about two and a half hours, where you read a fictional scenario and type two reports with no spell check, and a one-hour structured interview with three special agents. Each part allows two attempts. Rehearse the panel in OphyAI Interview Practice and type practice reports with spell check off.

Part	Format
Phase II (a) written	About 2.5 hours at a proctored test center, two typed reports, optional break midway
Phase II (b) interview	About 1 hour, three special agents, standardized scoring, one of nine regional sites
Retests	Written: 60-day wait. Interview: six-month wait. A second failure of either ends SASS processing

This page summarizes the FBI’s Testing Overview guide (revised July 2026). It contains no real test content; read the official guide before you test.

What the FBI Is Testing in This Round

The written assessment “tests your ability to analyze data and compose two well-written, comprehensive reports” using proper grammar, spelling and punctuation “without relying on a ‘spell check’ software feature.” The interview panel “uses standardized scoring criteria to measure the competencies that are important for the special agent position.”

FBIJobs listed six competencies when our hub checked in October 2026: Collaboration, Communication, Initiative, Organizing and Planning, Problem Solving/Judgment, and Professionalism/Integrity. The 2023 Special Agent FAQ adds flexibility and adaptability, interpersonal ability and leadership. Cover all of them.

What the writing scorers reward, judging by the FBI’s three graded samples: the decision in the first sentence, specific facts from the scenario, every option compared, trade-offs acknowledged, and a closing summary.

Red flags the FBI names: inventing facts (“Use only the facts provided”), misstating numbers, a decision hidden until the last line, judging one option against your opinion instead of the alternatives, digressing, and grammar faults such as fragments.

What to Expect

Meet and Greet first. After Phase I you attend a Meet and Greet session, virtual or in person, where a special agent explains FBI policy and answers questions. Wear business attire.

Phase II (a). A testing contractor runs it at local centers. Arrive 15 minutes early; latecomers cannot test. Bring a driver’s license, and no pens, paper or phones. The real scenario holds “a larger amount of information” than the practice one. Our hub’s October 2026 check of FBIJobs found a 14-day window to complete it after the invitation.

Phase II (b). Business attire. The panel “knows no information about you beyond your name,” takes notes, and asks no “trick” questions. Draw examples from your whole life. Travel is reimbursed. Missing the interview without an acceptable reason means permanent deactivation, and you sign a nondisclosure form covering all test content.

Example Questions and How to Answer Them

Prompt 1 is the FBI’s public practice scenario; prompts 2-4 are practice prompts we built from the competencies.

1. Written: the FBI beach vacation scenario. Two friends want a warm beach with volleyball for 7 days and 6 nights, under $2,000 each including $70 a day for meals, choosing among three towns. Approach: lead with your choice, then total fixed costs. By our arithmetic, Oceantown is about $1,065 per person before activities ($200 flight, half of six $125 nights, $490 meals), Seaside about $1,130 and Shorefront City about $1,120. The FBI says its best sample missed exactly this budget check.

2. Written practice: recommend one of three office sites from rent, commute and staffing facts. Approach: recommendation first, compare all three on the stated priority, flag missing information instead of inventing it, close in two sentences. Talk the argument through in Interview Practice in case format before you type.

3. Interview: “Tell me about a time a plan changed at the last minute.” (Flexibility) Approach: the plan, the change, your decision and the result, in the first person.

4. Interview: “Describe a time you led people who did not report to you.” (Leadership, Collaboration) Approach: volunteer, school or military examples work if work ones are thin. Rehearse it aloud in Interview Practice, where the transcript shows when you said “we” for “I.”

How to Prepare in 1 Week

Day	Focus
1	Read the Testing Overview’s Phase II pages and all three graded samples
2	Write the practice scenario in 30 minutes with spell check off; grade it against the FBI’s evaluations
3	Write two longer reports from fact sets you build; proofread aloud
4	List 10-12 stories covering every competency, from your whole life
5	Run a one-hour mock structured interview in OphyAI Interview Practice with follow-ups and per-answer feedback
6	Fix thin stories, run a second mock, confirm travel and ID
7	Rest and arrive early

Start practicing →

Common Mistakes

Practicing with spell check on. The test has none.

Adding outside facts. Anything not in the scenario counts against you.

Writing one long report. You owe two; split your time.

Hunting for “real” questions. Test content is covered by the nondisclosure form you sign, and the FBI’s Testing Overview is the authoritative description. Work from its sample scenario and graded answers instead.

Recent-only stories. The panel credits your best example from any period.

Related Guides

• FBI interview guide (full process)
• FBI PFT requirements
• CIA interview guide
• Booz Allen Hamilton security clearance process
• STAR method examples for behavioral interviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the FBI Phase 2 written exam?

The FBI’s Testing Overview says the Phase II (a) written assessment takes about two and a half hours, with an optional break midway. You type two reports from one fictional scenario at a proctored center run by the FBI’s testing contractor. Arrive 15 minutes early, because late applicants are not permitted to test.

Is there spell check on the FBI Phase II written assessment?

No. The FBI says software to check spelling and grammar will not be available, and your reports must show proper grammar, spelling and punctuation without it. Practice in a plain text editor with checking off, then proofread each section if time remains, as the FBI’s own tips suggest.

What happens if I fail Phase II?

After a failed written assessment you wait at least 60 days to try again; after a failed interview, at least six months. A second failure of either makes you ineligible for further special agent processing. Declining the interview after the written test without an acceptable explanation also means deactivation from SASS.

Who conducts the FBI Phase II interview?

A panel of three special agents runs the one-hour interview at one of nine regional testing sites near airports in major US cities. They know only your name, take notes while you speak and score you against standardized criteria for the special agent competencies, so give full context in every answer.

Sources and verification notes

Checked November 2026. The Testing Overview was read in full in FBIJobs’ document viewer. The FBIJobs process page returned 403 to our fetcher in November 2026; facts from it are the hub guide’s October 2026 check and are marked. Example 1 totals are this page’s arithmetic from the FBI’s scenario. No third-party prep sites were used.

• FBIJobs, Testing Overview guide (revised July 2026): written duration, two reports, no spell check, break, retest waits, attempts, three-agent panel, nine sites, Meet and Greet, testing rules, nondisclosure, sample scenario and graded responses. First-party, checked November 2026.
• FBIJobs, Special Agent FAQ (2023): the eight-competency list. First-party, checked November 2026.
• FBIJobs, special agent application and evaluation process: process order, the 14-day window and the six-competency list. First-party; from the hub’s October 2026 check.