# FBI Agents

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 30, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262 "2012-03-30T12:41:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/1 "2012-03-30T12:41:41Z")

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In the FBI, what’s the difference between an Agent and a Special Agent?

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/2 "2012-03-30T12:50:53Z")

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The special agents majored in “life skills” and “sound and movement.”

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/3 "2012-03-30T13:04:42Z")

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They’re all “Special Agents”, actually.

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**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/4 "2012-03-30T13:15:42Z")

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Yeah, looking around the FBI site, I couldn’t find any reference to any regular Agent. Just “special” agents. That’s why I’m wondering. Did they get rid of the term “agent” in favor of the Special designation?

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/5 "2012-03-30T13:20:05Z")

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Recent:  
[What exactly is an FBI “special agent?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=605726)

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/6 "2012-03-30T13:23:11Z")

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They are all special in their own way.

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**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-agents/617262/7 "2012-03-30T13:28:55Z")

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Excellent.