Qualifications Evaluation Panel
After passing the written exam for the Foreign Service Officer Test, an applicant needs to face the QEP, or Qualifications Evaluation Panel, before proceeding to the FSOT oral examination (the final part of the FSOT). In this part of the FSOT, an individual has to undergo the ominously-named Super Critical Needs Language test and the Personal Narratives Test, the results of which are sent to the QEP to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the Foreign Service.
The Super Critical Needs Languages comprise these tongues: Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Hindi, Mandarin, and Urdu. It will not be a mark against you if you do not succeed at this point, so even if you only possess basic language skills, it is recommended that you try out. Knowledge of any of these languages can allow you to take a telephone test around a month after the written exam. Your chances for passing the QEP will improve if you have a ‘limited working level’ grasp of any of the languages.
Applicants are also required to write essays for the Personal Narratives portion. The questions are typically built to show the candidate’s relevant experiences, expertise, knowledge, and talents, which could aid him or her in a potential position in the Foreign Service. The Personal Narratives will not only highlight what a candidate has achieved, but how it was achieved and what was learned from that experience. The essays should also include concrete examples of how these experiences provided the applicant with skills that would serve him or her well in a job with the Foreign Service.
After the written FSOT exam, an applicant is given three weeks to complete the essays, which should be no longer than 200 words per, and should include a reference person who can verify the incidences you mentioned in the essays. Some specific topics for Personal Narratives include the core competencies needed for job promotion in the Foreign Service – communication skills, foreign language skills, intellect, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, managerial skills, and substantive knowledge. These core competencies are precepts that indicate possible success in the Foreign Service.
All of an applicant’s documents, including the original application forms, examination scores, and Personal Narratives essays are given to a Qualification Evaluation Panel, a group of three examiners who are seniors in the Foreign Service. These individuals will scrutinize your application, exam scores, and essays, as well as other documents, to identify if you are a viable candidate for the next step of the FSOT: the oral examination. The process now includes the consideration of experiences in one’s resume, adding to the examination scores. If an applicant passes the written test, but fails the QEP, he or she is told the reason why. Remember that the information presented to the QEP does not include the applicant’s gender or race. Leading applicants will then be invited to attend the Oral Assessment, usually conducted in Washington and a number of other selected cities in the States. An individual is sent confirmation as to passing or failing the QEP around three months after undergoing the FSOT.
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