What is the OPEC in a CNSC merit competition?

OPEC stands for Oferta Publica de Empleos de Carrera, the consolidated list of every vacancy that a given CNSC process will fill, published entity by entity and job by job before inscriptions open. Every job on the OPEC carries a unique code, the numero de empleo, and that number is what you actually search for and register against inside SIMO. Before an aspirant does anything else, choosing the right OPEC entry is the single decision that determines which vacancy they are competing for.

What information does an OPEC entry actually contain?

The denominacion of the empleo, its nivel jerarquico (asistencial, tecnico, profesional or asesor), the entidad and dependencia it belongs to, the location where the job is based, the salary grade, and the requisitos minimos of formal education and experience the aspirant must already meet to be eligible. It also states whether the vacancy sits in the modalidad ascenso, reserved for current career employees seeking promotion, or the modalidad abierto, open to the general public.

Why does the OPEC get published before an acuerdo is final?

Because the CNSC opens an OPEC preliminar to public observation before locking it in. Citizens can submit observaciones on a specific article, numeral or data point in the published OPEC and anexo tecnico during a fixed window, typically seven calendar days. This is how errors in requisitos, salary grades or job counts get corrected before thousands of aspirants inscribe against a flawed listing. The Concurso Docente’s 2026 OPEC preliminar went through exactly this observation period in August 2026.

How do I use the OPEC to choose an empleo?

Filter by the entidad and location you actually want to work in, check the nivel and the requisitos minimos against your own credentials honestly, and note the OPEC number before you open SIMO. An aspirant can only inscribe to one empleo per process, so picking the wrong OPEC number, or one whose requirements you do not actually meet, is not something you can fix after the inscription window closes. Read the OPEC entry against the manual especifico de funciones the entity publishes for that job, not just the summary line, since the manual carries the full detail of what the job requires.

Does the OPEC change after inscriptions open?

Generally no, not in the requisitos or the vacancy count for jobs already open to inscription; the observation period exists precisely so changes happen before that point. Some processes do publish a final OPEC that reflects adjustments made during the citizen-observation stage, which is why comparing the OPEC preliminar and the OPEC definitiva is worth the extra few minutes if both are available.

FAQ

Is the OPEC the same as the acuerdo de convocatoria? No. The acuerdo de convocatoria is the legal rules document for the whole process. The OPEC is the specific inventory of vacancies inside that process, referenced by the acuerdo but published and consulted separately in SIMO.

Where do I find the OPEC for a specific process? On the CNSC portal for that convocatoria, and inside SIMO once inscriptions open. Our exam pages for CNSC Territorial 12 and the Concurso Docente link to the relevant CNSC pages for each process.

Can I inscribe to more than one OPEC number in the same process? No. Each aspirant selects one empleo per process, which is why comparing OPEC entries carefully before opening SIMO matters more than it might seem.

What happens if I do not meet the requisitos of the OPEC entry I chose? You are eliminated at the verificacion de requisitos stage, before the tests are even applied, which is why checking the requisitos minimos honestly matters as much as checking the job title and location.

Is the OPEC the same across modalidad ascenso and modalidad abierto? No. Vacancies are split between the two modalidades, with ascenso reserved for aspirants already in career jobs at the participating entities. Our comparison of modalidad ascenso against modalidad abierto explains who qualifies for each.