The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping Course (Self-Paced)
IDSTAF7035SP

Self-paced online training with expert support

This one-day course teaches federal HR specialists how to establish, maintain, transfer, and safeguard Official Personnel Folders (OPF) and Employee Medical Folders (EMF) in accordance with OPM's Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, including Update 14.

$649 6 clock hours Live Support Start anytime

This course includes

  • 6 hours of project-based training from experts
  • Answers from real instructors
  • Proprietary workbook included
  • Retake for free within 1 year
  • Verified digital certificate of completion
  • Learn at an accredited institution

This course is self-paced. For live online or in-person instruction, take The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping.

Accurate personnel recordkeeping protects both the agency and the employee — and federal regulations leave little room for error. This course provides a comprehensive, practical walkthrough of the Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, with special emphasis on OPM's Update 14 (January 2026). You will learn the regulatory framework under 5 CFR Part 293, the Privacy Act, and NARA records management requirements. The course covers how to create and organize Official Personnel Folders (OPF), including the filing rules for Sections 3-A through 3-I, and how to establish and classify Employee Medical Folders (EMF) under the new long-term and short-term retention categories. You will also practice the four-step process for transferring records between agencies and to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), respond to Privacy Act and FOIA requests, and identify the ten most common recordkeeping errors through hands-on exercises and realistic scenarios.

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Group Training

Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.

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