Foreign Service Specialist Selection Process
Updated: April 2024
What You Need to Know About the Foreign Service Specialist Selection Process
A completed application package contains all of the material listed announcement. An application can be terminated whenever the materials do not support the basic eligibility requirements for employment in the Foreign Service.
Applications must be submitted through the online application system via USAJOBS. Please visit the Apply Now section of the careers site views a list of open – and closed – vacancies, and to subscribe to receive email updates.
Candidates forwarded by the qualifications process are invited to participate in a Specialist Assessment. All candidates except for those applying to Diplomatic Security positions will be assessed virtually, from the location of their choice. Candidates are responsible for ensuring their computer systems meet the requirements to conduct the virtual assessment, including reliable internet access, a webcam, microphone, and speakers. Diplomatic Security candidates will be assessed in person, either in Washington, D.C. or at other domestic U.S. locations.
Candidates are evaluated solely against the dimensions by trained assessors. Candidates participating in the Specialist Assessment will be asked to read and virtually sign the following forms pertaining to the conditions for taking the Specialist Assessment and conditions of employment in the Foreign Service. If you are not willing to abide by these conditions, you should not schedule a Specialist Assessment.
- Three Conditions of Foreign Service Employment (pdf) (except for DS Special Agent)
- Four Conditions of Foreign Service Employment (pdf) (only for DS Special Agent)
- Medical Clearance for Eligible Family Members (pdf)
- Non-Disclosure Form (pdf)
All Foreign Service Specialist Assessments share common elements and are judged according to the same dimensions, but there are some differences in the exam according to specialty. These differences are greatest between Diplomatic Security and non-Diplomatic Security positions. While we list below some of the elements found in all assessments, candidates should consult the Information Guide (pdf) linked above to see the specific details regarding the assessment for their specialty.
FSSA
The Foreign Service Specialist Assessment (FSSA) is conducted over two days and includes three parts: the Case Management Exercise, an Online Skills Test (if applicable), and Structured Interview. Please note that Consular Fellow, CA-AEFM, Diplomatic Technology Officer (DTO), and Office Management Specialist (OMS) candidates will have already completed their specialty’s online skills test with their application. The Case Management Exercise and Online Skills test (if applicable) are administered on the first day, and the Structured Interview is conducted on the second day.
Case Management Exercise
Candidates will be presented a hypothetical problem set in a workplace environment related to the candidate’s area of specialization. Candidates will be required to write a one- to two-page memo outlining how to solve the problem presented. Candidates will have 45 minutes for the exercise.
Online Skills Test
Candidates may be given a computer-based, multiple-choice exam that presents a series of technical and/or situational judgment questions. It is intended to measure job-related knowledge and how the candidate might apply that knowledge on the job. The exam is designed to present more questions than can generally be answered in the time allowed, so candidates should not expect to answer every question.
Structured Interview
The interview will be conducted by two assessors, including a Foreign Service Assessor and a Subject Matter Expert in the specialty. The candidate will be asked about motivation for joining the Foreign Service and background experiences that might be relevant to their work as a Foreign Service Specialist. The assessors will ask questions in the candidate’s field and provide hypothetical workplace problems to resolve. Candidates are expected to use common sense and good judgment and to make assumptions they believe are appropriate in responding to the hypothetical situations. Knowledge of how an embassy operates or familiarity with U.S. government rules and regulations is not necessary to answer these questions.
All candidates must meet the minimum medical qualification standard and receive a security clearance in order to be hired and serve abroad.
Minimum Medical Qualification Standard
The Department of State Bureau of Medical Services makes determinations regarding candidates that meet the minimum medical qualification standard and helps candidates navigate the required medical evaluation process.
Security Clearance
Candidates who pass the Officer Assessment must apply for the security clearance required for appointment to the Foreign Service. A comprehensive background investigation, conducted by the U.S. Department of State in cooperation with other federal, state, and local agencies, will provide the information necessary to determine a candidate’s suitability for appointment to the Foreign Service and for a Top-Secret security clearance. The process considers such factors as: failure to repay a U.S. Government-guaranteed loan or meet tax obligations; failure to register for the Selective Service; past problems with credit or bankruptcy; unsatisfactory employment records; a criminal record or other violations of the law; drug or alcohol abuse; and less than honorable discharge from the armed forces.
Candidates who hold dual citizenship (pdf), have had extensive travel, education, residence, and /or employment overseas, or who have foreign contacts, a foreign-born spouse, immediate family members, or relatives who are not citizens of the United States, should be aware that the clearance process will take longer to complete. The background investigation includes interviews with current and previous contacts, supervisors, and coworkers. Candidates who do not receive a security clearance are ineligible for an appointment. Potential candidates who have any serious issues that may prevent them from receiving a clearance should give some thought to the likelihood of their being found ineligible before starting this process.
Upon completion of the background investigation, a Suitability Review Panel will examine a candidate’s file (minus any privileged medical information) to determine suitability for employment with the Foreign Service.
The attainment of U.S. foreign policy objectives depends substantially on the confidence of the public (both American and foreign) in the individuals selected to serve in the Foreign Service. The Department of State, therefore, requires the highest standards of conduct by employees of the Foreign Service, including an especially high degree of integrity, reliability, and prudence. Given the representational nature of employment in the Service, employees must observe proper standards at all times. The purpose of the suitability review is to determine, from the candidate’s total record, whether the candidate is indeed suitable to represent the United States. The Suitability Review Panel has the authority to terminate a candidacy.
In evaluating suitability, the Suitability Review Panel takes into consideration the following factors:
- Misconduct in prior employment, including marginal performance or inability to interact effectively with others
- Criminal, dishonest, or disgraceful conduct
- Misrepresentation, including deception or fraud, in the application process
- Repeated or habitual use to excess of intoxicating beverages affecting the ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the employee’s position
- Trafficking in or abuse of narcotics or controlled substances
- Reasonable doubt as to loyalty to the U.S. Government
- Conduct which clearly shows poor judgment and or lack of discretion which may reasonably affect an individual or the agency’s ability to carry out its responsibilities or mission
- Financial irresponsibility, including a history of not meeting financial obligations or an inability to satisfy debts
Some other things to consider
For detailed information concerning reasonable accommodation requests for qualified candidates with disabilities, please see the FAQ page on reasonable accommodation requests.
Active Military and Veterans
Qualifying, active military duty candidates may request unrestricted additional time to schedule the Officer Assessment after passing the Qualifications Evaluation Panel review. Candidates must notify BEX when they are discharged from the military and reschedule an Officer Assessment within six months of the discharge date.
Foreign Service Specialist candidates who can document creditable veterans’ service by submitting form DD-214 or other certification will be eligible to receive additional points on the Hiring Register. Candidates will receive 0.175 veteran preference points for a five-point standing and 0.35 for a 10-point standing as defined in 5 USC § 2108. (On July 15, 2018, Diplomatic Security Specialist Officer Assessment scoring switched to a 7-point scoring scale. Officer Assessment scores from prior to that date have been converted accordingly and relevant candidates were awarded veterans’ preference points based on the 7-point scale, as described above.) In all cases, any points are awarded once a candidate has passed the Officer Assessment. Instructions on how to claim these points are provided at that time.
Qualifying, preference-eligible veterans, including Diplomatic Security Special Agents, may be appointed from the rank-ordered Hiring Register at any time before they turn 65. If appointed between the ages of 60 to 65, a qualifying, preference-eligible veteran may serve five years prior to being mandatorily retired.
While Specialist candidates are not required to know a foreign language, proficiency in a language will enhance competitiveness on the hiring register by providing a slight increase in points.
Specialist candidates, who have passed the Officer Assessment and whose candidacies began after November 2, 2012, may earn .17, .25 or .38 pre-employment bump-up points on the hiring register. (On July 15, 2018, Diplomatic Security Specialist Officer Assessment scoring switched to a 7-point scoring scale. Officer Assessment scores from prior to that date have been converted accordingly and relevant candidates were awarded language bonus points based on the 7-point scale, as described above.)
To qualify for the .17 bump-up points, Specialist candidates, who have recently passed the Officer Assessment, may take a telephone test administered by FSI in any one language listed here. Candidates who demonstrate proficiency in the eight current priority recruitment languages of Arabic; Chinese (Mandarin); Hindi; Persian (Dari); Persian (Farsi); Pashto; Urdu; and Korean may also be eligible for additional bump-up points. Candidates who receive a speaking score of 2 or higher during telephone tests on any of these eight priority languages are eligible to receive .17 bump-up points. All other listed languages require a minimum speaking score of level 3 during the telephone test in order to qualify for the .17 bump-up.
To qualify for additional points in the eight priority languages, candidates who pass the telephone test will then need to take an in-person, two-hour speaking and reading test conducted by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington, Virginia. Any outside costs associated with the in-person test (travel, lodging in Washington, etc.) are at the candidate’s expense. Candidates who test in more than one language will receive bonus points in only one.
Those who achieve a minimum score of 3 speaking and 2 reading (S3/R2) will be eligible to receive a total of .38 bump-up points. Candidates who receive a rating of at least 2 speaking and 1 reading (S2/R1) but less than 3 speaking and 2 reading (S3/R2) will be eligible to receive a total of .25 bump-up points.
To receive bump-up points of .25 and .38, Specialist candidates whose candidacies began after November 2, 2012 must agree in writing to serve one tour of their first two overseas assignments in a Language Designated Position or in a country where the recruitment language is a primary language.
For information to help you assess your own speaking level, visit http://www.govtilr.org and click on “Speaking” under the skill level descriptions for a general description of the expected proficiency. The speaking self-assessment tool, available on the same site, will also help you estimate your language proficiency.
For Specialist candidates whose candidacies began prior to November 2, 2012
Specialist candidates whose candidacies began prior to November 2, 2012, who have passed the Officer Assessment, can receive .17 bump-up points on the register for any one language listed here if they meet the specific speaking-level threshold required in the tested language during a telephone-administered language test conducted by the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington (FSI), Virginia. In order to receive the .17 bump-up points, a speaking level of 3 or higher during the telephone test is required for the following languages: Danish, Dutch, French, German, Haitian Creole, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish. All other listed languages require a minimum level 2 speaking proficiency in order to receive bump-up points.
Those Specialist candidates whose candidacies began prior to November 2, 2012 who can demonstrate a speaking proficiency of level 2 or higher in the following recruitment languages – Azerbaijani, Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Kazakh, Korean, Kyrgyz, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Singhalese, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish, Turkmen, Urdu, and Uzbek may earn a total of .40 points. Those with a speaking score of at least 2 in Arabic can earn a total of .50 points.
Pre-employment language tests for Specialist candidates under this category are conducted by telephone only, not in person. Upon entry on duty with the Department, those claiming competence in a given language must take a formal speaking and reading examination in person at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington, Va. in order to be judged competent in that language. Specialist candidates whose candidacies began prior to November 2, 2012 with a passing score in any of the identified languages are entitled to receive bump-up points without incurring an obligation to use that language in the future.
Anyone applying to be in the Foreign Service must be willing to accept the following three commitments of Foreign Service work: flexibility in assignments, public support of U.S. Government policies and availability.
Suitability Review Panels consider candidate involvement with controlled substances, including marijuana, in connection with suitability determinations for Foreign Service positions. Drug involvement raises questions about an individual’s reliability, judgment, and trustworthiness or ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations, thus indicating his or her employment might not promote the efficiency or protect the integrity of the service. Each candidate’s conduct will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Read more >>
