SF-86 preparation guide
How to fill out the SF-86 in eApp: a preparation guide
The SF-86 is the Questionnaire for National Security Positions. The most useful preparation is not memorizing a universal rule; it is gathering complete history, reading each question's own timeframe, and following the instructions from the organization that initiated your case.
Reviewed July 13, 2026. Form and workflow references come from OPM, DCSA, and the official NBIS eApp help; job counts update from approved direct-employer listings.
Before you start
A sponsoring agency or cleared organization initiates the investigation and gives you access to the authorized questionnaire system. The public SF-86 PDF is useful for understanding the questions, but downloading it does not start a clearance and Cleared Colorado cannot accept or submit the form. Follow the deadline and instructions from the office that sent your invitation.
Learn how a clearance case is initiated →What to gather before opening eApp
DCSA estimates average completion at 150 minutes including information gathering, and notes that it can take several hours. Build a private working record first so you are not reconstructing years of dates and contacts inside the form.
Identity and citizenship
Where you lived, studied, and worked
Relationships and references
Foreign connections and travel
Financial and court records
Other question-specific history
Do not apply one timeframe to the whole form
DCSA's guide says many history sections look back 10 years, while other questions use seven years or ask whether something has ever happened. The form also contains age-based instructions and section-specific definitions. Read the instruction attached to each question; a “10-year SF-86” shortcut can cause both over-reporting and omissions.
Use exact dates when you know them. The official form says an approximate or estimated date may be identified when an exact date cannot be reported. Do not invent precision. If you cannot determine how eApp expects an uncertain or unavailable answer, ask the security manager, Facility Security Officer, recruiter, or HR office that initiated the case.
Preview the official OPM SF-86 (PDF) ↗A practical eApp completion sequence
Read the sponsor's instructions
Confirm the system, deadline, point of contact, and any organization-specific instructions before entering sensitive information.
Work section by section
Use eApp's own navigation and help. Complete every required section and review the exact timeframe and definitions before answering.
Close history gaps
Check residence, education, employment, unemployment, and military timelines for unexplained gaps. Overlapping activities can be valid; missing periods need attention.
Review every yes-or-no follow-up
A yes answer often opens additional dates, places, people, amounts, circumstances, or disposition fields. Answer what the form actually asks and give complete context.
Run the final review
Resolve incomplete-section indicators, reread answers for consistency, then review the releases and certification before signing and submitting.
Retain the authorized copy
DCSA recommends saving a completed copy. Store it only in a secure location and use it to keep later updates consistent and current.
Completeness matters more than trying to look perfect
OPM instructs applicants to answer completely and truthfully. The form says information can be confirmed, compared with earlier questionnaires, and discussed in an interview. A past event is not evaluated by this preparation page, and the correct response is not to conceal an answer you believe may be unfavorable.
If a question raises a legal, medical, or case-specific concern, use the form's wording and the authorized contact for your case; seek qualified professional advice when appropriate. This guide does not decide whether an event is reportable, predict eligibility, or replace appeal or correction instructions.
Read how whole-person adjudication differs from form preparation →Protect the completed form
The SF-86 contains Social Security numbers, birth data, addresses, family details, travel, finances, and other highly sensitive information. Submit it only through the authorized process identified by your sponsor. Do not email a completed form, eApp screenshot, identity document, or clearance-system record to Cleared Colorado, a job board, or an unverified recruiter. Cleared Colorado does not collect clearance proof or personnel-vetting records.
What happens after submission
The sponsoring organization may review the questionnaire and return it for corrections before the investigation proceeds. Investigators can contact you or other sources and may ask you to clarify or update information. Keep your authorized point of contact current and respond promptly; use the sponsor or security office—not a public job site—to check case status or ask how to correct a submitted answer.
See the separate investigation and adjudication timeline →Current Colorado jobs that allow obtainable clearance timing
Cleared Colorado currently has 518 direct-employer listings across 14 employers whose source language explicitly allows the required clearance to be obtainable. That wording does not guarantee sponsorship, employment, interim eligibility, or a favorable final decision.
$79,365 - $134,921
$79,365 - $134,921
$79,365 - $134,921
$177,000 - $265,600
Watch for an employer-stated obtainable opening
Create an accountless alert for Colorado jobs that explicitly allow obtainable clearance timing. Cleared Colorado sends applications to the employer and never asks for your SF-86 or clearance documents.