Passing the Oral Exam
The Oral Assessment portion of the Foreign Service Officer Test occurs after the candidate has passed the written exam and Qualification Evaluation Panel. The oral exam is only given to applicants the QEP has judged as leading candidates, who are then invited to register for the Oral Assessment. This exam occurs in Washington and a small number of major cities in the States. Approximately 10-12 weeks after applicants have taken the FSOT, they will be notified by e-mail as to the results of the QEP process.
The Oral Assessment occurs in one day, and the procedures will identify if a candidate is viable for a post in the Foreign Service, by way of “13 Dimensions” essential to work in the Foreign Service. The oral exam comprises exercises in case-management writing, a structured interview process, and a group exercise.
The Oral assessment selects the best applicants from groups of leading candidates chosen by the Qualification Evaluation Panel, who will then become entry-level Foreign Service Officers after passing the final portion of the FSOT. The exercises in the Oral Assessment can be described as being:
- built around analysis of the tasks required for work in the Foreign Service,
- evidence of the abilities, personal qualities, and skills necessary to good performance as a member of the Foreign Service,
- a stand-alone examination, wherein an applicant does not pit his or her abilities against other candidates, but against the standards of the Foreign Service.
All of these exercises will determine your capability to exhibit whatever is needed to become a highly efficient Foreign Service Officer.
Again, only the top candidates from the previous two examination portions of the FSOT are permitted to take the Oral Assessment, The examination also identifies applicants who can think on their feet, while evaluating the suitability of each for specific careers and tasks in the Foreign Service.
The group exercise tests the abilities of the candidates to respond to job-related tasks within the confines of a group, while showing their own personal capabilities. It also gauges the candidate’s analytical skills, communication skills, and their ability to work under stress and pressure. The group exercise may feature creating proposals and funding for a fictional country, and create memos to resolve an issue based on several documents.
The structured personal interview seeks to find out the applicant’s solutions to a variety of possible job-related concerns. He or she is also asked about relevant experiences he or she can apply to the job, to determine his or her actions, which will then be measured by behavioral criteria. The applicant is also queried about why he or she wishes to join the Foreign Service, and why he or she is suitable for an entry-level Foreign Service job.
The board for the Oral Assessment portion of the Foreign Service Officer test examines the candidate’s potential based on their demonstration of numerous verbal, intellectual, and interpersonal skills, as well as judgment displayed in response to job-related tasks and working in a group environment.
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