Written Portion of the FSOT
The Foreign Service Officer Test, or FSOT, is for individuals who want to enter a foreign service job as a consular, economic, management, political, or public diplomacy officer. The FSOT was formerly partitioned into two tests, the Foreign Service Oral Examination and Foreign Service Written Examination.
Many deem the FSOT the gateway to a job in Foreign Service, as all senior officers and entry-level officers got their posts through this examination. The written exam in the FSOT comprises four parts: a portion for English language expressions, an essay portion, a portion to test job-related knowledge, and a biographic questionnaire portion. The test is considered by many to be one of the most difficult, and some say that the failure rate for applicants who take the test for the first time is approximately eighty percent. So how does one increase his or her chances of passing the FSOT written exam? Here are a few tips:
- Read the daily newspaper. Publications such as The International Herald-Tribune, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post are highly recommended. A potential examinee needs to be aware of what is happening around the world.
- Remember your math computations. Basics, such as converting fractions to decimals, translating Celsius to Fahrenheit, and changing foreign currencies into U.S. dollars are needed.
- Know your geography. You have to be able to identify the countries on a world map, and have familiarity with what countries border another, and etcetera.
- Read up on economic theories and fundamental management theories. Old economics or business textbooks may come in handy. You will encounter questions relevant to these fields in the FSOT.
- Patronize news magazines. Recommended reading includes The Economist, Newsweek, and Time – publications that provide more in-depth information about news and issues than ordinary newspapers.
- Know the U.S. Constitution like the back of your hand, including all the amendments to it. Memorization is unnecessary; however, you should immediately be able to answer questions about significant changes in the Constitution, such as the abolition of slavery by the 13th Amendment, the institution of Prohibition by the 18th, and so on.
- Learn more about the Declaration of Independence.
- Polish your knowledge of English grammar and expressions. Recommended materials include Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style” and the Associated Press Stylebook for journalists. Learning to write in a precise manner is important to the job.
- Refresh your writing skills by writing essays in long-hand and on the computer. Browse through the Internet and newspapers for a currently popular topic, such as capital punishment. Choose a particular viewpoint, and write a short typed essay to build on your viewpoint and defend it, using concrete examples and back-up information from court cases, Amendments, the Constitution, and so on. Your position does not impact your grade – what does influence your score is the manner in which you defend your viewpoint with logic and relevant examples.
For the Biographic Information Questionnaire, there are no right or wrong answers. Simply write the truth, as you will be found out if you fake some answers.
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