How I Came to the Foreign Service – 3

The Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) is the first step in joining America’s diplomatic corps. I took the test in July of 2008, but I began preparing for it much earlier.

Here is a brief description of the test for those who don’t click the link:

The test will measure your knowledge, skills and abilities, including writing skills that are necessary to the work of a Foreign Service Officer [including]…

• Job knowledge – [covers] a broad range of topics including but not limited to the structure and workings of the U.S. government, U.S. and world history, U.S. culture, psychology, management theory, finance and economics, and world affairs. In addition, you will be given 30 minutes to write an essay on an assigned topic.
• English expression
• A biographic information section that asks you to describe your work style, your manner of interacting and communicating with others, and your approach to other cultures.

I’d heard various opinions on studying for the exam, ranging from “it’s impossible to study for,” to “at least a year of prep is recommended.” But the perspective I agree with most is “it’s the test you’ve been preparing for your whole life.” Some of my studying helped on the test, but mostly I benefited from years of loving to learn.

Still, I did prepare quite a bit:
A little over a year before the test (and before I even planned on taking it) I started listening to NPR on the way to and from work everyday (~2 hours daily). This one habit, more than anything else, did the most for me.

I also subscribed to Newsweek and Foreign Affairs magazine, and read them cover to cover. I read several online news sources everyday. I purchased and surveyed economics and management textbooks (thank God for Half Price Books). I read several books off the suggested reading list. One, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, taught me a lot about myself.

I memorized the geographic position of every country in the world using this site (Africa was the hardest). I brushed up on U.S. history, researched government structure, and memorized portions of the Constitution. I practiced writing essays quickly and had my wife proof my writing and logic. Having just completed an English degree, I wasn’t very worried about this section of the test.

On test day, I watched Hot Fuzz to relax. Honestly, the test wasn’t that bad. The biographical section took me by surprise, but the government’s NDA prevents me from saying more. I felt pretty good when I finished, and sat back to wait two months for my results.