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.

Signing the NDA means that candidates are not allowed to discuss the specifics of the assessment with others at any point during or after the Assessment. While you may share general observations about the process, you may not share specific testing material or questions as the material is restricted property of the US government and disclosure within or outside of the Assessment Center is prohibited. A breach of the Non-Disclosure Agreement may result in the termination of a candidacy.

You will not be allowed to use ANY electronic devices, including cell phones or smart watches, while in the Assessment Center; they must be stored in the secure room while you are in the Center. You will be allowed to use electronics when you are outside of the Assessment Center (for example, when you are on your lunch break). You will be allowed to take non-smart watches into your testing area, but stopwatches or smart watches are not allowed; the assessors will time you when required.

You can read printed materials while on breaks that you spend in the Assessment Center, so feel free to bring printed books, magazines, notes, etc. As a candidate, you may not use your own writing materials, nor can you take much with you into the rooms for assessment exercises. We will provide the resources you need to take the assessment.

Any items that you bring with you must fit in a container no larger than a backpack. All items must be able to pass through an x-ray machine. There is no place to store luggage or items that cannot be x-rayed. There is a secure room in which candidates can store a small bag and hang up coats.

You can take the following items into your assessment exercises: medication, lip balm, glasses, breath mints/hard candy, tissue, earplugs. The Program Assistant may ask to see these items before you are permitted to have them in the testing areas.

If you have a documented disability and require the use of a medical device (glucose monitor, orthopedic cushion, etc.) during your assessment, you must request to do so in advance. Please see the section below on how to request a reasonable accommodation.

Candidates may bring food and drinks to the assessment center, but they may only eat during breaks.  We will provide access to water throughout the day.  There is refrigerator space available for candidates who wish to bring their lunch, and there are several restaurants and cafes near the assessment center where candidates can eat during their lunch break. The lunch break is typically 45 minutes long.  Food and drink are not allowed in the Case Management (Written) Exercise room. 

For information about the FSOA dates and deadlines, please visit the Steps to Becoming a Foreign Service Officer page, and choose Step 5: Take the Foreign Service Officer Assessment.