Departments
Who pays for a VA class?
The program pays. The veteran pays nothing. $50 a person is the work-fit and the ZIP job list. $95 a person adds one practice exam.
VA · departments and job seekers
The program pays. The veteran takes it free.
$50 a person is the work-fit and the ZIP job list. $95 adds one practice exam. Search on this page returns VA questions only. Department questions and job-seeker questions are tagged apart. Veteran labor figures below are federal statistics. They are not a placement rate for Real World Careers.
Veteran unemployment
Annual figures: BLS Employment Situation of Veterans, 2025, released 28 April 2026. BLS states that 2025 annual estimates are 11-month averages that exclude October, because October 2025 data were not collected during the federal shutdown. Monthly figures: BLS Employment Situation Table A-5, August 2026, released 4 September 2026, not seasonally adjusted. Do not treat one August month as the year.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Veterans, 2024 annual | 3.0% |
| Veterans, 2025 annual | 3.5% |
| Nonveterans, 2025 annual | 4.2% |
| Gulf War-era II, 2025 annual | 3.6% |
| Veterans, August 2026, not adjusted | 3.4% |
| Gulf War-era II, August 2026, not adjusted | 3.5% |
In August 2026, not seasonally adjusted, the veteran population 18 and over was 16,884,000. The veteran labor force was 8,247,000. Participation was 48.8 percent. Unemployed veterans numbered 283,000. Men were at 3.6 percent. Women were at 2.4 percent on a much smaller base, 28,000 unemployed. The 2025 annual rate for female veterans was 4.6 percent, and for male veterans 3.3 percent. In August 2025, 50 percent of Gulf War-era II veterans had a service-connected disability, compared with 34 percent of all veterans. That disability share is from the annual release, not from Real World Careers.
August 2026 veteran unemployment by age
Not seasonally adjusted. Percent of the veteran labor force. The 18-to-24 band is a small base, about 8,000 unemployed.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 3.0% |
| 65 and over | 2.1% |
VR&E in fiscal year 2025
Source: VA Annual Benefits Report for fiscal year 2025, Veteran Readiness and Employment chapter, and the fiscal year 2025 accomplishments statement on SAM.gov assistance listing 64.116. These are VA program counts. Real World Careers does not place the veteran and does not own these outcomes.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applicants | 199,606 |
| Participants | 154,989 |
| Veterans rehabilitated | 13,027 |
| Employment rehabilitations | 10,527 |
| Education rehabilitations | 2,232 |
| Independent living | 268 |
Employment, education, and independent living rehabilitations sum to the 13,027 veterans rehabilitated. Of rehabilitated veterans in management occupations, the report lists 2,892 people and an average annual wage at rehabilitation of $76,830.64. That is VA's figure for that category. It is not a wage Real World Careers guarantees. The counselor still places the veteran.
Departments
What the office does with this
VR&E, TAP, DOL VETS when the VA path sends the veteran, SkillBridge, and a VSO use the $95 rate: work-fit, ZIP list, and one practice exam. VHA learning, including ILEAD, uses $50 unless that office asks for the exam. ILEAD trains people who already work at VHA. Its placement count on this product is zero. The veteran does not pay.
Job seekers
What the person does with this
If a program bought the seat, you sit free. If no program is behind you, Career Fit is $199 and it does not include a practice exam. You still apply on USAJOBS or the employer's posting. Preference is not ours to sell.
92 questions in this section
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VA questions for departments and job seekers are only on the VA page. Open the VA section.
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Departments
What is the $45 difference on a VA seat?
The practice exam. $50 does not include one. $95 does. The exam is one from a short list, opened once, and it is not the real test.
Departments
Which VA desks use the $95 rate?
VR&E, TAP, M&FRC, SkillBridge, a VSO, and DOL VETS when the VA path sends the veteran there. They are preparing a person for a real test or a transition. The counselor, the DVOP, the host, or the VSO still does the placement work.
Departments
Which VA desk uses the $50 rate?
VHA learning, including the Institute for Learning, Education and Development, for people who already work at VA. $95 only if that office asks for the practice exam. That office trains current staff. Its placement count on this product is zero.
Departments
What does a VR&E counselor get?
The $95 seat: fifty work items, one page for the office, a ZIP job list for the veteran, and one practice exam. The counselor still places the veteran. We do not take the name, rank, MOS, or roster.
Departments
How many veterans did VR&E rehabilitate into employment in fiscal year 2025?
10,527 employment rehabilitations. VA's Annual Benefits Report for fiscal year 2025 also counts 13,027 veterans rehabilitated in total, including 2,232 education rehabilitations and 268 independent living rehabilitations. Those are VA's counts, not ours.
Departments
How many people did VR&E serve in fiscal year 2025?
The Annual Benefits Report lists 199,606 applicants and 154,989 participants. SAM.gov assistance listing 64.116 describes the same employment-rehabilitation count of 10,527. We do not claim those outcomes as Real World Careers placements.
Departments
What wage did VA report for rehabilitated veterans in management?
The fiscal year 2025 VR&E chapter lists 2,892 rehabilitated veterans in management occupations and an average annual wage at rehabilitation of $76,830.64. That is VA's figure. It is not a wage we guarantee.
Departments
What do DVOP and LVER still do if we buy seats?
DVOP specialists still do the casework. LVER staff still do the employer outreach. They still place the veteran. The $95 seat is the work-fit, the ZIP list, and one practice exam.
Departments
What is TAP buying?
The $95 seat, alongside M&FRC, SkillBridge, and a VSO. The Real World Careers VA page describes TAP as support for about 200,000 service members a year. That is transition support, not a count of jobs filled.
Departments
Does SkillBridge mean the host already hired the veteran?
No. The host may hire. The seat does not make the hire. The veteran still files the application.
Departments
What does a VSO buy?
The $95 rate when the VSO is preparing the veteran. The VSO still navigates. We do not file the claim, the preference, or the application.
Departments
Does ILEAD place veterans into jobs?
No. ILEAD trains people who already work at VHA. The rate is $50 unless that office asks for the practice exam. The placement count for this office on this product is zero.
Job seekers
I am a veteran. Do I pay?
Not if a program bought the seat. The program pays $50 or $95 and you sit free. If no program is behind you, you buy Career Fit yourself at $199, and that price does not include a practice exam.
Job seekers
I am in VR&E. Who pays?
The VR&E program pays the $95 rate. You do not. Your counselor still places you. You still apply.
Job seekers
I am leaving active duty through TAP. Who pays?
TAP pays the $95 rate if that office bought the class. You sit free. TAP support is not a job offer.
Job seekers
I am in SkillBridge. What do I get?
If the office bought $95 seats, you get the work-fit, the ZIP list, and one practice exam. The host may hire. The seat is not the offer.
Job seekers
I already work at VHA. Which rate is mine?
VHA learning uses $50 unless your office asks for the practice exam. You are already in the job. This is not a placement.
Job seekers
I have no counselor and no program. What do I buy?
Career Fit at $199. Unlimited matches, two years of ZIP jobs, no practice exam. You apply on your own.
Departments
What practice exams can a $95 VA seat open?
One of: civil service, postal, TSA, CBP officer, corrections, CDL, or electrician. Not all 161 exams. The person opens it once.
Departments
Can a VA seat include a nursing board or EMT practice exam?
No. Nursing boards, CNA, EMT, pharmacy tech, laboratory, and respiratory stay off this seat until a named clinician accepts them in writing. Those catalogs are a separate US Testing Center purchase.
Job seekers
What does a miss on the practice exam show me?
The choice you picked, the correct choice, and the explanation. The exam prepares you for a real sitting. It is not the real exam, not a license, and not a promise you will pass.
Job seekers
Does 75 percent on the practice exam mean I passed the real test?
No. A 75 percent line means you are in range to book the real sitting. It is not the board's cut score.
Departments
Does this determine federal qualification?
No. Private company. Not OPM. Not USAJOBS. Results do not determine eligibility, grade, clearance, referral, or hire.
Job seekers
Will this give me veterans preference?
No. Preference, VRA, VEOA, and the 30 percent authority stay on USAJOBS. We do not sell preference.
Job seekers
Can I use this instead of USAJOBS?
No. You still file on USAJOBS or on the employer's posting. The ZIP list shows openings. It does not submit them.
Departments
Does the GI Bill buy these seats?
No. GI Bill does not buy this. Boots to Business stays the SBA door. The office buys the seat, or the person with no program buys Career Fit.
Job seekers
Can I pay for Career Fit with the GI Bill?
No. GI Bill does not buy this product. If a program will not buy a seat, Career Fit is a $199 card purchase.
Departments
Do you place the veteran?
No. We do not place the veteran. We do not issue the license or the civil-service score. The office keeps the decision.
Departments
Is Real World Careers FedRAMP authorized?
No. The security office decides whether anyone may sit. Do not treat the VA page as a statement that FedRAMP is not required.
Departments
How many people can one card buy?
1 to 500 people on one card. No minimum. A $10,000 card covers 200 people at $50 or 105 people at $95. Confirm the card limit. A larger class is the same rate on an invoice.
Departments
What does a class of 6 cost?
$300 at $50, or $570 at $95. There is no 290-person floor. A small class can buy either rate.
Departments
What does a class of 30 cost?
$1,500 at $50, or $2,850 at $95.
Departments
What does a class of 100 cost?
$5,000 at $50, or $9,500 at $95.
Departments
What does a class of 290 cost?
$14,500 at $50, or $27,550 at $95. That is 290 times the per-person rate. It is not a minimum order.
Departments
Do you take a roster, rank, or MOS?
No. No name, rank, MOS, or roster is sent to us. You match each code to your own list.
Departments
How long do you keep the office copy?
Each finished test is one page, emailed to the office and held on the wallet for 14 days. Then our copy is deleted. The person keeps the job list.
Job seekers
What file do I keep?
The job list. On a $95 seat you also open one practice exam. You do not have to share the career-path file. The office keeps one page on its side.
Job seekers
What file does my counselor see?
One page for the office, matched by a code the office already has. We do not receive your name. The counselor still makes the placement decision.
Departments
What is on the one page the office keeps?
The work-fit: six domains, a score from 0 to 110, and what that person can carry. The person gets the ZIP list. Names stay with the office.
Job seekers
How long is my sitting?
About 45 to 60 minutes. One sitting. Phone or computer. Ceiling 110. Not an IQ test.
Job seekers
Where do I apply after the ZIP list?
On the employer's posting or on USAJOBS. The list is ranked to the kind of work in the result, with a radius and a remote switch. It does not submit the application.
Departments
What are the company identifiers a VA contracting office will ask for?
Advanced Learning Academy LLC, 1950 E Greyhound Pass, Carmel, IN 46033, (317) 751-5444. SAM UEI Z272LH7MCDT2. CAGE 1A8H4. Not on GSA Schedule. Not FedRAMP authorized.
Departments
What was the annual unemployment rate for veterans in 2025?
3.5 percent, up from 3.0 percent in 2024. Nonveterans were at 4.2 percent in 2025. BLS Employment Situation of Veterans, released 28 April 2026. BLS says the 2025 annual estimates are 11-month averages that exclude October, because October 2025 was not collected during the federal shutdown.
Departments
What was the Gulf War-era II unemployment rate for 2025?
3.6 percent for the year, little changed. In August 2026, not seasonally adjusted, that group was at 3.5 percent. Do not brief the month as the year.
Job seekers
What was veteran unemployment in August 2026?
3.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted, for veterans 18 and over. That is 283,000 unemployed out of a labor force of 8,247,000. The population was 16,884,000. Participation was 48.8 percent. Source: BLS Table A-5, released 4 September 2026.
Job seekers
Why is the August veteran rate not seasonally adjusted?
BLS publishes the monthly veteran table, Table A-5, without seasonal adjustment. The annual veterans news release is the year. Comparing 3.4 percent in August to 3.5 percent for 2025 without that label mixes two methods.
Departments
How did male and female veterans compare in the August 2026 table?
Men were at 3.6 percent. Women were at 2.4 percent, on a small base of 28,000 unemployed. The 2025 annual rate was 3.3 percent for male veterans and 4.6 percent for female veterans. Use the year when you brief a gender gap. Use August only with the not-adjusted label.
Job seekers
Which veteran age band had the highest August unemployment rate?
Veterans 18 to 24 were at 6.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, on a small base of about 8,000 unemployed. Ages 25 to 34 were at 6.4 percent. Ages 35 to 44 were at 2.3 percent. Ages 45 to 54 were at 4.0 percent. Ages 55 to 64 were at 3.0 percent. Ages 65 and over were at 2.1 percent.
Departments
What share of Gulf War-era II veterans had a service-connected disability?
In August 2025, 50 percent, compared with 34 percent of all veterans. That is from the BLS annual veterans release of 28 April 2026. It is not a Real World Careers eligibility rule. The score does not change because a disability is on file. We do not take the file.
Job seekers
I have a service-connected disability. Does the score change?
No. The fifty items are the same work problems. We do not take a disability rating, a medical file, or a roster. Your counselor still owns the rehabilitation plan.
Departments
Can I brief the 10,527 as our placement rate?
No. That is VA's count of employment rehabilitations in fiscal year 2025. Real World Careers does not place veterans and does not own that number. Cite VA if you cite it.
Job seekers
Does a 3.4 percent veteran unemployment rate mean VA is hiring me?
No. It is one not-seasonally-adjusted month for all veterans in the country. Your application is still a posting. If a program bought your seat, sit it. If not, Career Fit is $199.
Departments
How do I use the veteran age chart in a TAP brief?
Say the month, say not seasonally adjusted, and say the young bands are small bases. Then go back to the person in front of you. The chart does not replace the work-fit.
Job seekers
I am 25 to 34 and the chart shows 6.4 percent. What do I do this week?
That rate is the August group, not your file. Take the seat your program bought, or buy Career Fit if you are on your own, then apply to the ZIP list. The chart does not submit an application.
Departments
What should a VR&E brief say about pay?
Use VA's own rehabilitation wages when you are talking about VA outcomes, with the fiscal year and the occupation. Use OEWS when you are talking about an occupation in the wider market. Do not merge them into one average.
Job seekers
Will the ZIP list know I am a veteran?
The list is ranked to the kind of work in the result, with a radius and a remote switch. Preference and special hiring authorities stay on USAJOBS. We do not attach a veteran label to a posting and call it preference.
Departments
Can DOL VETS buy seats when the veteran did not come through VA?
The $95 line on the VA page is for DOL VETS when the VA path sends the veteran there. A different office path is an office purchase at the same $50 or $95 rates, and the office still does the casework.
Job seekers
A VSO told me to take this. Does the VSO get my answers?
The office that bought the seat gets one page, by code, for 14 days. We do not get your name. You keep the job list. You choose whether to share anything else.
Departments
What happens if the card limit is $10,000 and the class is larger?
A $10,000 card covers 200 people at $50 or 105 at $95. The rest of the class is the same per-person rate on an invoice. Confirm the card limit before you run it.
Job seekers
Can I sit on my phone?
Yes. Phone or computer. About 45 to 60 minutes. One sitting.
Departments
Is the score an IQ score I can put in a personnel file?
No. Ceiling 110. No IQ label. Not a medical exam. You already keep names in your system. We do not want the personnel file.
Job seekers
What are the six things the sitting measures?
How you plan, count, remember, see patterns, judge people-problems, and sequence steps. The same six domains every other buyer sits. The report tells you what fits, what stretches, and what drains.
Departments
Where do I see a one-page VA sample before I buy?
The reports library has the VA sample linked from the VA office page. The sample is the file. It is not a placement and it is not a personnel record.
Job seekers
Who built the sitting?
Timothy E. Parker, Guinness World Records Puzzle Master, CEO of Advanced Learning Academy LLC. Thirty years. 180 million total solvers. The authority page is the record. The sitting is work problems, not a puzzle contest.
Departments
What is the next veteran number this desk will change?
The monthly veteran table moves with the Employment Situation. The next one is scheduled for 2 October 2026. The annual veterans series stays on the 28 April 2026 release until BLS posts the next year. VR&E counts stay on fiscal year 2025 until VA posts the next annual benefits report.
Job seekers
I was told retention numbers prove this gets veterans hired. Where are they?
They are not on this desk. Real World Careers does not cite a retention figure, and there is no public data file locked for one. Anyone who quotes one is not quoting this page.
Departments
Can search on the unemployment page answer a VR&E question?
No. VR&E, TAP, VHA, SkillBridge, and veteran job-seeker questions live here. A search for VA from the desk opens this section only. A search inside unemployment stays inside unemployment.
Job seekers
I searched VA and saw a question about state unemployment. Is that a mistake?
If the question is about veterans, August rates, or a program seat, it belongs here. A general state rate that is not about VA lives on the unemployment page. This search does not mix the two libraries.
Departments
What is M&FRC buying on this page?
The $95 rate, with TAP, SkillBridge, and a VSO. The office gets one page. The service member gets the ZIP list and one practice exam. The installation still runs the transition. We do not make the hire.
Job seekers
I finished the sitting. Where are my results?
On the results page after the last question. An organization retrieves its page by report ID. You keep the job list. You share a verify code only if you choose.
Departments
What is the remote switch on the veteran's job list?
The ZIP list can be widened by radius and switched to remote. It is still a list of openings to apply to. It is not a remote-job guarantee and it is not USAJOBS.
Job seekers
Does a high score on the six domains get me hired at VA?
No. The score is a work sample from 0 to 110. VHA, VR&E, and a hiring manager still decide. We do not stamp a hire.
Departments
Can two programs buy seats for the same veteran?
Buy the seat that matches the desk. A VR&E plan preparing someone for a test is the $95 rate. A VHA learning seat for someone who already has the job is $50 unless that office asks for the exam. Do not stack a second seat to create a placement we do not make.
Job seekers
What if my program bought $50 and I wanted the practice exam?
The practice exam is the $95 seat. Ask the office. They can buy that rate. You do not pay the difference yourself on a program seat. If you have no program, Career Fit at $199 still does not include the exam.
Departments
How do department questions and job-seeker questions stay apart in search?
Every question on this page is tagged. Choose Departments or Job seekers above the list. A search for VA from the Hiring Reports desk returns this page only, and the same split is on the buttons.
Job seekers
How do I get back to only my questions?
On the VA page, press Job seekers. The department questions hide. Press Departments and the job-seeker questions hide. The other five sections do not open.
Departments
How were fiscal year 2025 VR&E rehabilitations split by sex?
VA's report lists 3,485 female veterans, 26.8 percent, and 9,542 male veterans, 73.2 percent, of the 13,027 rehabilitated. That is VA's count. It is not a Real World Careers outcome.
Departments
How many rehabilitated veterans had a serious employment handicap?
7,788, which the report shows as 59.8 percent of the 13,027 rehabilitated. Another 5,239, or 40.2 percent, were recorded with an employment handicap. The same chapter says 62 percent of participating veterans have a serious employment handicap.
Departments
Who is named on the public page for VHA learning?
The VA office page names Dr. Jessica Salyers at the Institute for Learning, Education and Development for the $50 learning seat. That office trains current staff. It does not place veterans into jobs.
Departments
Is Net 30 available to a VA office?
The federal vendor facts on the site say Net 30 ACH is available. Card checkout is 1 to 500 people. A class above a card limit is the same per-person rate on an invoice.
Job seekers
Which single exam can a $95 seat open for civil service?
Civil service is one choice on the list, alongside postal, TSA, CBP officer, corrections, CDL, and electrician. You open one exam, once. It is practice, not the civil-service score.
Job seekers
Is the CDL practice exam a license?
No. It prepares you for a real sitting. It is not a commercial driver's license and not a promise you will pass.
Job seekers
Is the electrician practice exam a license?
No. It is practice for a real sitting. It does not issue the license.
Departments
What does the office do with the code after the sitting?
The office matches the code to its own list. We never received the name. The one page is emailed and held 14 days, then our copy is deleted.
Job seekers
Can I see a sample before a program buys my seat?
Yes. The VA office page links the one-page sample. Your result, after you sit, is your own. The sample is an example, not your file.
Departments
What do I tell a veteran who asks if this is a hire?
It is a work sample and a job list. The program paid. The veteran still applies. Preference stays on USAJOBS. We do not place and we do not stamp a hire.
Job seekers
What do I tell a friend who is not a veteran?
If no office is paying, Career Fit is $199. An office that hires them pays $50 or $95 a person. They do not use the veteran-free seat.
Departments
Where do department questions stop and job-seeker questions start?
They are the same VA library and they are tagged. A counselor's price, roster, and VR&E count is a department question. A separating service member asking who pays, where to apply, and what the score is not, is a job-seeker question.
Job seekers
I only want veteran questions about pay and the sitting. How do I filter?
Open Hiring Reports, open VA, press Job seekers, and search. California's unemployment rate will not appear. A VR&E counselor's class price will not appear either, until you press Departments or All.
Departments
What phone and address does a VA office use?
Advanced Learning Academy LLC, 1950 E Greyhound Pass, Carmel, IN 46033, (317) 751-5444. The veteran does not call that number to pay. The program pays.
Job seekers
The August veteran rate is 3.4 percent and the 2025 annual rate is 3.5 percent. Which do I quote?
Quote the one that matches your sentence. August is one month, not seasonally adjusted, released 4 September 2026. The 2025 annual figure was released 28 April 2026 and excludes October. Do not average them.