BootsnAll Travel Community

For our American BnA'ers, I though I would mention that the registration period to take the test to join the Department of State's Foreign Service Office is now open.

FSO's are the men and women who run the embassies and consulants around the world, from the visa adjudicators to the Ambassadors. Since 9/11 there has been a strong push to hire more diplomats.

It certainly wouldn't be a job for everyone, but if you're open to the idea of working overseas for the bulk of your career (and not just in Paris, but also in Kabul) then you should consider taking the test. The written exam is free to take and offered all around the world. The test is April 23 and is very difficult, but you have time to study. Work very hard on learning your U.S. history, world history, current events and the Constitution.

The written exam is just the first step of a long process. I took the written exam last April. As I passed it, I'm on to the oral exam in D.C. in February. If I pass that I have an intense background and medical check which can take up to another year. I'm registering to take the written test again in case I don't pass the oral exam (only about 10% do.)

You can find all the information you need here.

Bumping it up because not only is my Foreign Service Oral Exam approaching (I'm the end of February in San Francisco), but I'm masochist enough to sign up for another round of the written exam.

Worst part? 7 hours of writing by hand and in pencil.

Good luck, Snufkin. I signed up for the written again as well. My oral is coming up in just about three weeks.

By the way, if you don't know, there is a group on Yahoo Groups that has a lot of great information. Just don't get too sucked into it. Some people there are a bit too obsessed.

How do you prepare? What subjects do you have to study for?

Good luck to you too skobb! I'm already working as a librarian, so I figure prepping for my cone (Political Officer) will benefit me with my work regardless of the outcome. I should be paying attention to my resume, public speaking and management/negotiation skills anyways. Plus I'm flying down the day before to go have drinks at Trader Vic's with friends who live in the Bay Area. Yay!

And isn't the security clearance paperwork a pain in the ass? I'm embarassed to see in writing how many speeding tickets I've had in the past 10 years. Or realize that I can't remember some of my previous addresses or the names of people I used to work/live with!

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Originally posted by skobb:
By the way, if you don't know, there is a group on Yahoo Groups that has a lot of great information. Just don't get too sucked into it. Some people there are a bit too obsessed.

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Dood, those people are crazy! I posted a question about how many RPCVs (Peace Corps alumni) were on the list and several people freaked out because they didn't know what the acronym stood for. Like they wanted to know if that was some other angle they were supposed to be pursuing in order to get a perfect score. It's especially nuts because the three people I've met who are FSOs are definitely not *that* intensely wound!

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How do you prepare? What subjects do you have to study for?

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As far as the initial written exam goes, it isn't something you can really cram for. However, if you go to the website they provide a list of suggested reading. Of course, there are about 90 heavy duty books on the list.

I would focus the most on American history, world politics and the workings of the U.S. government. Read the Constitution. Get some high school textbooks to look through. Try to keep up to date with current events through a good newspaper or website.

Even if I never get in, I consider it valuable that the process encouraged me to learn a little more about history and politics.

BUMP. How'd you do skobb? Did you survive?

My exam is next Monday - yipes! I'm still writing my Statement of Intent. I have a feeling it's all going to be down to the wire.

Thanks for asking Snufkin. I survived.

It was overall a very good experience. A lot of talented people and no personalities that I found hard to work with.

There were 11 of us at the assessment and 2 of us passed. I was fortunate enough to be one of them, but my score (5.3) isn't realistically high enough to be called for an actual job. I do start the background security and medical checks now. I'm still planning on taking the written in April and starting the process over again. I think I know where my weaknesses were the first time and believe I can improv on my score next time.

There is the tiniest chance that I can get a boost to my score through a language test. I'm going to give it a shot since they can't lower my score, but my language skills are weak (at best), but I do have a few months to practice.

Best of luck to you. I can't wait to hear how it goes. Just go in confident and try to not stress out too much.

How'd it go Snufkin? Still alive?

Thanks and congratulations to you! My test was all day yesterday and while I survived, I did not pass. I think only *one* person in the group got a passing score and it was the same as you, not high enough to have a realistic chance of getting called up without some language skills. I was really impressed with the smarts and credentials my co-test takers (nice group of people) possessed and to have almost none of them pass, wow. Just goes to show how picky they can afford to be. I didn't even expect to make it past the written test, so it's at least cool that I got to go through most of the process and see how they actually select people.

I'll probably take the Written Test again. And people who did my Exit Interview recommended that I look into the Foreign Service Specialist positions, which I've decided to do as well.

The specialist positions are a good opportunity if you have the skills they're looking for. I don't think I do.

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't pass. I hope you making back a second time. I think the orals would be easier the second time when you know what to expect. For whatever reason, I've heard that SF has been having a very low pass rate. Brutal judges there, I guess.

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Originally posted by skobb:
The specialist positions are a good opportunity if you have the skills they're looking for. I don't think I do.

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't pass. I hope you making back a second time. I think the orals would be easier the second time when you know what to expect. For whatever reason, I've heard that SF has been having a very low pass rate. Brutal judges there, I guess.

Thanks skobb! At first I was thinking that I'd at least have a break from stressing about the Orals. Except now I have 6 weeks to finish the Specialist application and psych myself up again for the written exam.

And yeah, I heard that the judges for the exam were going to be "deadpan," but they were beyond that pretty intimidating bunch. But I guess you have to be that brutal when there's 4400 people vying for 430 spots! At least I had cheap airfare and got to spend a nice weekend with friends - some of the people in my group had come from other states and even in one case, all the way from Thailand.

skobb what'd you think of this round? Am I imagining that the whole thing was a lot longer last year? They dropped out a whole section! I'm not sure if that means this year's test is easier or if that means they're going to score the answers even harder.

Such a sweet job...damn my age!

Snufkin - I assume you're talking about the written test on 4/23.

I just took it too, although it was my first time, so I have no idea what to think. I don't feel like I breezed through it, or failed miserably.

I thought the biographical section was a pain in the ass. I guess after taking the test a few times, you know what to expect and can prep your answers. But I felt rushed in that section.

The really hard part, though, is waiting until July for the results ...

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Originally posted by jv:
Snufkin - I assume you're talking about the written test on 4/23.

I just took it too, although it was my first time, so I have no idea what to think. I don't feel like I breezed through it, or failed miserably.

I thought the biographical section was a pain in the ass. I guess after taking the test a few times, you know what to expect and can prep your answers. But I felt rushed in that section.

The really hard part, though, is waiting until July for the results ...

Yep, this past Saturday! Last year's text was a lot longer due to an actual lunch break and two written essays. This time around, I think they changed it around in order to not give an advantage to those of us who weren't taking it again.

Agreed with you about the bio section - they make the lines you have to write on so small. After 15 minutes of writing, my hand started to cramp up! For me, the worst part was that some of the questions were so general or broad, it was hard in the short period of time to remember a specific example of it.

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Last year's text was a lot longer due to an actual lunch break and two written essays.

How nauseating. Sounds like a positive change, and since it's probably cheaper they might continue it. I was thrilled when our group got out at about 1:15 p.m.

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For me, the worst part was that some of the questions were so general or broad, it was hard in the short period of time to remember a specific example of it.

Agree totally. I wish I could post some examples of the inane, asinine stuff they asked. But I don't want to get myself disqualified!

The other thing that bugged me was the fact that they sometimes asked what was essentially the same question two or three times. Oh well ... all in all it wasn't too bad. It was maybe the first standardized test I've ever taken where I didn't feel like my life somehow depended on passing!

I read on another message board that there seemed to be fewer test takers this year. Any truth to that in your view? I was in the LA area, and there were maybe 80 people at my site. But then again, there must be 10 sites or so in LA.

I'm glad to see others still pluggin at it.

I retook the test as well. Although I'm currently finishing up security clearance, I don't think my last oral score is high enough to get my a spot.

I felt much more confident about the written this time. Of course, last time I was sure I failed and I passed so I don't know how to take my feelings.

I'm glad to hear that you say they dropped an essay question. I really thought they did, but I wasn't sure. They changed the general knowledge test a bit as well so that you had certain questions based upon the cone you selected. I don't think that made it any easier or harder though.

The biographical section is probably both the easiest and most annoying. Although I was a good test taker and filled in the blanks where required, I'm pretty convinced they don't even check that. I think it is just a way to curb people from blindly answering super positive about everything.

I think I rocked the English section.

Hopefully, I passed and can get a fall assessment scheduled. The good thing is that if I get a good score this time, I'll already have most of the security done so I can breeze through that. I switched to Public Diplomacy for this shot.

Good luck to both of you.

p.s. Oh...as far as numbers go. At my exam I heard the moderators say that they had half show up. We had about 60 present. I think half is pretty typical though. Last year about 19,000 took the test. 4,000 passed the written and I think around 300 or so passed the oral assessment. My assessors told me that to make me feel better about passing...but not really.

skobb,
fingers crossed for you! (good luck that is)...
i'm just wondering if anyone knows if there is a similar procedure for british/irish foreign service positions - or if anyone has experience of the system outside the US???
its thursday and i'm going through my weekly i-wanna-change-jobs/careers mood...

Thanks Kiki,

I don't know the specifics, but I am certain there must be a similar program for British and Irish citizens. After all, they also have consulates around the world and they must be staffed. Try this link to get you started.