All candidates who take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and submit Personal Narratives are considered by the QEPs. The QEPs look at the “total candidate” to rank order all the candidates in a given career track. The number of candidates invited to the Foreign Service Officer Assessment depends on the Department of State’s anticipated hiring needs and budget.
Assuming no serious security or medical issues arise, candidates who take the Foreign Service Officer Test can expect that the minimum time from the test date to placement on the register will be about eighteen months, but it can be months longer. Timing for Foreign Service Specialist positions is similar but varies by category. Offers to those on the hiring register will depend on budget and hiring authority for the Foreign Service Generalist and Specialist positions.
The Department of State hires based on the needs of the Foreign Service and the available budget. It is not possible to predict the proportion of successful, hired candidates based on career track.
The Department of State’s Careers website has comprehensive information about each career track. Candidates seeking additional information may wish to contact the Diplomat in Residence responsible for their geographic area (full information on the Diplomats in Residence Program, including contact details, is available on the Careers website).
For information about the FSOT and FSOA dates and deadlines, please visit the Test Information and Selection Process page, and choose Step 2: Apply for the Foreign Service Officer Test, and Step 5: Take the Foreign Service Assessment.
The FSOT is administered by PearsonVue. You can find answers to your questions about the FSOT at PearsonVue’s website or at their Frequently Asked Questions page.
As noted in the FSOA invitation letter, candidates are guaranteed an appointment only within the dates associated with their Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) cohort. While the invitation is valid for 12 months, if a candidate does not schedule the Foreign Service Officer Assessment for one of the dates offered as part of their FSOT cohort, we cannot guarantee an alternative assessment date. Candidates may contact reschedule@state.gov to have their name placed on a waiting list, and if an assessment date becomes available, the candidate will be contacted. Please note that candidates on the waiting list are offered rescheduling on a first come, first served basis.
We strongly encourage candidates to think carefully before scheduling a date for the FSOA, since changes are only permitted in genuine emergencies, such as a serious illness or military deployment. If after scheduling you cannot keep your scheduled assessment date due to illness or emergency, please contact reschedule@state.gov. We will work with you to find an alternate date, if available.
If you are ill on the day of your assessment and you are already at the assessment center waiting for the assessment to begin, let a Program Assistant know immediately. We will work with you to find an alternate date, if available. Once you begin the first exercise of your assessment, you will not be able to reschedule your assessment.
No. Each candidate must make their own appointment. Assessing on the same day and location as a friend or relative is strongly discouraged. Candidates must inform Program Assistants on the day of the assessment if they know or have studied with another candidate assessing that day.
The Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to qualified candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance.
FOREIGN SERVICE SPECIALISTS:
Consular Fellows Program (CFPT) – before scheduling your exam, visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx and select “Foreign Service Specialist Appointment Selection (FSSAS)” as your exam program.
Diplomatic Technology Officer (DTOT) – before scheduling your exam, visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx and select “Foreign Service Specialist Appointment Selection (FSSAS)” as your exam program.
Office Management Specialist (OMST) – before scheduling your exam, visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx and select “Foreign Service Specialist Appointment Selection (FSSAS)” as your exam program.
All other Specialist exams – at least six weeks before your scheduled assessment, email the Office of Accessibility and Accommodation at OAA@state.gov and provide them with your contact information, a brief description of your disability, and the accommodation requested. That office will contact you within five business days and will work with the Assessment Center to ensure the accommodation, if it is deemed reasonable, is in place for your assessment. Please ensure your email to OAA@state.gov has a subject line that reads “Reasonable Accommodation Request for FSSAS – Your name.” If you do not receive an approved accommodation at least five business days before your assessment date, you will be required to reschedule.
FOREIGN SERVICE GENERALISTS:
Foreign Service Officer (FSOT) – before scheduling your exam, visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx and select “Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT)” as your exam program.
Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA) –
Case Management Exercise – before scheduling your exam, visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx and select “Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA)” as your exam program.
Previously approved accommodations for the FSOT will remain in place for the Case Management Exercise. Call Pearson VUE Accommodations at 1-800-486-0450 to transfer your accommodation and schedule an exam date.
Structured Interview and Group Exercise- at least six weeks before your scheduled assessment, email the Office of Accessibility and Accommodation at OAA@state.gov and provide them with your contact information, a brief description of your disability, and the accommodation requested. That office will contact you within five business days and will work with the Assessment Center to ensure the accommodation if it is deemed reasonable, is in place for your assessment. Please ensure your email to OAA@state.gov has a subject line that reads “Reasonable Accommodation Request for FSOA – Your name.” If you do not receive an approved accommodation at least five business days before your assessment date, you will be required to reschedule.
All candidates requiring accommodation for the Structured Interview and Group Exercise must make a new request, including those with previously approved accommodations from the FSOT or Case Management Exercise.
All candidates are provided breaks, including for lunch, during the Structured Interview and Group Exercise. If a candidate seeks other breaks as part of a reasonable accommodation, including time for lactation, the candidate must follow the instructions above to request a reasonable accommodation at least six weeks before the assessment date via email to OAA@state.gov.