Preparing to take the Foreign Service exam
Preparing to take the Foreign Service exam
(Moren than 10,000 applicants for only 150 to 200 spots in US)
On the other hand, with only 25 places available per year in Argentina, it should be expected more than 1,000 people taking the exam)
Emily Dixon
The Daily
Next month, several UW students from a variety of educational and career backgrounds will take a test to qualify for a service vital to the international interests of the U.S.
These students will spend Saturday, November 4 cramming their brains to answer questions that will decide their future as officers in the Foreign Service.
For some, their highest level of education is high school, while others have completed graduate school. The most common group, though, is made up of graduate students.
The Foreign Service is a very competitive field, said Betsy Bridwell, the director of Career Services for the Jackson School of International Studies, the department that procures many of the Foreign Service applicants.
Roughly 10,000 people take the written portion of the test every year, and only between 150 to 200 are selected to be in the Foreign Service Officers class.
"Every time it (the exam) is given, people start with a clean slate. It's typical to take it two or three times," Bridwell said.
As the UW is one of the top schools in numbers of students taking the exam and in numbers of students who pass the exam, proctors enjoy coming here, Bridwell said.
Joining the Foreign Service can mean being sent anywhere in the world to serve the diplomatic needs of the U.S. They are the frontline personnel of all U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions, according to the State Department's web site.
Professor Emeritus Brewster Denny, who founded the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, served as a U.S. representative to the United Nations in 1968 while a member of the Foreign Service.
The focus of the Foreign Service is changing, he said.
"Young people who are interested in the world are not interested in the diplomatic service but in issues such as poverty. With the Cold War over, the Foreign Service is the principle source for our knowledge about the rest of the world," Denny said.
To take the exam, one must be a U.S. citizen and be at least 20 years old. However, one must be 21 to be appointed to a position as an FSO.
According to a document provided by the State Department to students preparing for the exam, 25 percent of the score is based on "job-related knowledge." "English expression and usage" makes up 42 percent of the score while the "biographical information questionnaire" comprises the remaining 33 percent.
Examinees must have knowledge about how the U.S. government works and its domestic and foreign policies, in addition to other government-related topics.
"I've heard people refer to it as a trivia test - it has a little of everything," Bridwell said.
In addition, examinees must be prepared to be tested on grammar and writing skills in the English expression portion of the test.
"It's not something you can cram for at the last minute. They put out this material to give you an idea about what kinds of books you can read to prepare for it," Bridwell said.
Denny feels that test preparations services, such as one formerly offered by Kaplan, can be helpful. Kaplan's services have been discontinued, but Denny says that studying any sample test questions that can be found on the Internet would be helpful.
"I always recommend students going to take the Foreign Service exam to become regular readers of The New York Times and The Economist," Denny said.
The biographical questionnaire asks examinees about their past experiences and their accomplishments in their areas such as school and work. Test graders recognize that not all students have the same opportunities available to them.
"(The biographical section) does count for something. They are looking for people who are used to living in other cultures, adaptability and living abroad," Bridwell said.
Test-takers that pass the written exam are then required to take a verbal exam. The verbal exam, which is "quite rigorous" according to Bridwell, is offered at three places in the nation, including Washington D.C.
Those who pass the exam are ranked by their score and then placed on a roster, Bridwell said. Past military and Peace Corps experience adds points to examinees' scores. Each year an FSO class is formed by the top 150 to 200 people on the roster.
In a recent FSO class, the average age was 28.5 and 25 percent were married. Almost 75 percent had Masters degrees.
Training to be an FSO includes education in a foreign language and in the fundamentals of diplomacy. After training, FSOs are assigned a country. Often times, the place chosen by the State Department is based on the officer's previous knowledge of the country's language.
Officers that enter the field with a knowledge of another language or with a graduate degree are usually offered a higher rate of pay. Those who speak languages that are rare such as Arabic, Russian, and the Asian languages are highly valued.
An entry-level FSO can expect to earn between $29,000 and $49,000 per year, according to the State Department's Web site.
For someone who speaks a less prevalent language, it is most likely they will end up working in the country where the language is spoken, Bridwell said.
Many people who go through the class become diplomats, spending their lives working in several different countries.
"They don't want you to be in any one place for long because they want you to be a representative of the United States and not get too assimilated," Bridwell said.
After several years, the State Department brings officers back to work in Washington D.C. for a few years to readjust to the American culture.
"I can't say how important it is that young people see how important the Foreign Service is and that they see it as an exciting career," Denny said.
Preparing to take the Foreign Service exam
(Moren than 10,000 applicants for only 150 to 200 spots in US)
On the other hand, with only 25 places available per year in Argentina, it should be expected more than 1,000 people taking the exam)
Emily Dixon
The Daily
Next month, several UW students from a variety of educational and career backgrounds will take a test to qualify for a service vital to the international interests of the U.S.
These students will spend Saturday, November 4 cramming their brains to answer questions that will decide their future as officers in the Foreign Service.
For some, their highest level of education is high school, while others have completed graduate school. The most common group, though, is made up of graduate students.
The Foreign Service is a very competitive field, said Betsy Bridwell, the director of Career Services for the Jackson School of International Studies, the department that procures many of the Foreign Service applicants.
Roughly 10,000 people take the written portion of the test every year, and only between 150 to 200 are selected to be in the Foreign Service Officers class.
"Every time it (the exam) is given, people start with a clean slate. It's typical to take it two or three times," Bridwell said.
As the UW is one of the top schools in numbers of students taking the exam and in numbers of students who pass the exam, proctors enjoy coming here, Bridwell said.
Joining the Foreign Service can mean being sent anywhere in the world to serve the diplomatic needs of the U.S. They are the frontline personnel of all U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions, according to the State Department's web site.
Professor Emeritus Brewster Denny, who founded the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, served as a U.S. representative to the United Nations in 1968 while a member of the Foreign Service.
The focus of the Foreign Service is changing, he said.
"Young people who are interested in the world are not interested in the diplomatic service but in issues such as poverty. With the Cold War over, the Foreign Service is the principle source for our knowledge about the rest of the world," Denny said.
To take the exam, one must be a U.S. citizen and be at least 20 years old. However, one must be 21 to be appointed to a position as an FSO.
According to a document provided by the State Department to students preparing for the exam, 25 percent of the score is based on "job-related knowledge." "English expression and usage" makes up 42 percent of the score while the "biographical information questionnaire" comprises the remaining 33 percent.
Examinees must have knowledge about how the U.S. government works and its domestic and foreign policies, in addition to other government-related topics.
"I've heard people refer to it as a trivia test - it has a little of everything," Bridwell said.
In addition, examinees must be prepared to be tested on grammar and writing skills in the English expression portion of the test.
"It's not something you can cram for at the last minute. They put out this material to give you an idea about what kinds of books you can read to prepare for it," Bridwell said.
Denny feels that test preparations services, such as one formerly offered by Kaplan, can be helpful. Kaplan's services have been discontinued, but Denny says that studying any sample test questions that can be found on the Internet would be helpful.
"I always recommend students going to take the Foreign Service exam to become regular readers of The New York Times and The Economist," Denny said.
The biographical questionnaire asks examinees about their past experiences and their accomplishments in their areas such as school and work. Test graders recognize that not all students have the same opportunities available to them.
"(The biographical section) does count for something. They are looking for people who are used to living in other cultures, adaptability and living abroad," Bridwell said.
Test-takers that pass the written exam are then required to take a verbal exam. The verbal exam, which is "quite rigorous" according to Bridwell, is offered at three places in the nation, including Washington D.C.
Those who pass the exam are ranked by their score and then placed on a roster, Bridwell said. Past military and Peace Corps experience adds points to examinees' scores. Each year an FSO class is formed by the top 150 to 200 people on the roster.
In a recent FSO class, the average age was 28.5 and 25 percent were married. Almost 75 percent had Masters degrees.
Training to be an FSO includes education in a foreign language and in the fundamentals of diplomacy. After training, FSOs are assigned a country. Often times, the place chosen by the State Department is based on the officer's previous knowledge of the country's language.
Officers that enter the field with a knowledge of another language or with a graduate degree are usually offered a higher rate of pay. Those who speak languages that are rare such as Arabic, Russian, and the Asian languages are highly valued.
An entry-level FSO can expect to earn between $29,000 and $49,000 per year, according to the State Department's Web site.
For someone who speaks a less prevalent language, it is most likely they will end up working in the country where the language is spoken, Bridwell said.
Many people who go through the class become diplomats, spending their lives working in several different countries.
"They don't want you to be in any one place for long because they want you to be a representative of the United States and not get too assimilated," Bridwell said.
After several years, the State Department brings officers back to work in Washington D.C. for a few years to readjust to the American culture.
"I can't say how important it is that young people see how important the Foreign Service is and that they see it as an exciting career," Denny said.
Preparing to take the Foreign Service exam
posted by Pablo Presas at 3:06 p.m.
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