Foreign Service Exam

I've been lazy with the blogging lately. Sorry kids. I'm sure you're not that disappointed though!

The big news for this past week was taking the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). I took it in downtown Phoenix at Phoenix College. It was a 45 minute train ride from Tempe; a bit long, but not that difficult. There were only a half-dozen or so people taking the exam, which was shocking. Granted, the FSOT is given over a 2 week period I believe, but still, that's not the crowd I was expecting. It was nothing like the LSAT where they practically shut down the entire community college for the duration of the exam.

Before I continue, I have to let you know I can't tell you about any of the questions on the exam, as this would be a violation of the non-disclosure policy you agree to at the beginning of the test. But I will talk in the most general terms, specifically about information posted on the State Department website itself.

To begin with, you have to fill out the application form at least a month in advance of the exam. You have to choose which cone you wish to work in if given the job: Consular, Economic, Management, Political, or Public Diplomacy. I bet you can guess which cone I chose?

After this, you sign up for a date to take the exam and go to the testing center. I loved this testing center. Like I mentioned, it's a bit out of the way, but there was no line and the process was super quick. So you sit down and take the exam. The exam is as follows:

1) Job Knowledge Section: More or less, it's reminiscent of Trivial Pursuit except a lot more fun. I really enjoyed this portion of the exam because I love all the stuff they question you on (pretty much everything related to foreign affairs and American culture basically). I prepared for this section by reading the newspaper, BBC News, and looking at an atlas occasionally. I felt great after that section.

2) English Section: Do you remember the SAT English section? Well, if you did OK on that the English section will be a breeze. However, if you're like me and do math well at the expense of English, you might have problems. I speak English, but when it comes down to it, I'm not always confident in my use of grammar. I felt OK after this section, but not great. We'll see I guess...

3) Biographical Section: Imagine having a multiple choice exam on your resume. Well that's pretty much what it is. It's not your resume specifically, but you are expected to answer about your life and experiences within the context of your questions. I looked over my resume prior to going in (meaning maybe 4 hours before the exam) and I think it went alright. It seems to be a fairly subjective section though. Don't lie on it, be honest, you'll be fine.

And my favorite part: the essay!

4) Essay: I actually did enjoy the essay portion. I'm not an excellent writer, just give me a computer, a prompt, and half an hour and I'll come up with something persuasive. I wish I could elaborate on the essay topic (I can't.) but I can say it was awesome. You have to argue a position on the topic given to you, reason logically, and write concisely. I was under a bit of a time constraint toward the end, but all in all it went very well.

If you want some good information about the FSOT, go to the following website (or you know, the State Department site, whatever): The Hegemonist.

So what happens from here? I should get my results late October/early November. I'll get an email saying if I pass or not, and I can request a breakdown of my score from ACT. I don't want to seem overly confident, but I do feel like I did well overall. I promise I'll post once I get my score!

In other Foreign Service-related news, I decided I'm going to apply for a summer internship with the State Department. I'm eligible as long as I continue my education the following Autumn (read: law school) so I figure I'll chance failure. Why not? The worst they can say is "no!"

Edit: here's an FSOT update!