I passed the June 2016 Foreign Service Test!
…Finally!
For those who have read this blog from the beginning, you will know this was my third attempt at taking it, and finally, third time is the charm. The previous two times I barely missed passing, with the first missing by 0.91 and the second missing by 0.07. That second one was a hard pill to swallow.
This time, I am over the minimum by nearly 13 points. It’s not the biggest of margins, but I will take it!
The breakdown follows:
| Biographic Questionnaire: | 54.83 |
| English Expression: | 55.73 |
| Job Knowledge: | 56.35 |
| Multiple Choice Total: | 166.91 |
| Essay Score: | 6 |
As you can see, I hit the minimum passing essay score at 6. I honestly thought my essay was well written and argued, and would have a higher score, but I will take it!
Without a doubt, my simulator helped! Practicing to write an essay with a maximum of 2800 characters served the purpose of understanding length. I knew how much room I had to write and how important each character was.
If you are about to take the test, I highly suggest using it, as it is the only FSOT essay simulator out there!
So I passed the test, and now I am a Foreign Service Officer right?
WRONG
The next step is to write six essays, called the Personal Narratives, in three weeks. Each essay can only be 1300 characters in length; that’s not a lot! For those who prefer a word count, that’s about 230 words.
And that my friends, is what I have been doing for the last three weeks- working on my Personal Narratives. I’ll write another post on the process I took.
But I want to leave you with this note.
If you want to become a diplomat, and you have not been able to pass the test yet. Please don’t give up! Keep at it!
Good luck to you!
Join the pFS Newsletter!
Receive 5 lessons to help you prep, study, and practice for the FSOT.
Plus! By signing-up you are also joining hundreds of other FSO applicants in a communal pursuit to join the Foreign Service.
By “Biographic Questionnaire” are you, per chance, referring to the “Situational Judgement” section of the FSOT? I just took my first FSOT (and failed). The odd part is that in my practice FSOT, I did exceptionally well in the Situational Judgement part, but when it came to the live test, not so well. I wanted to know if you have any suggestions for studying up on this part, but it seems like you were not tested on this section. Could this be because of different cones? Thanks!
Hi JC, the Situational Judgement section replaced the Bio section in late 2017. For advice on the SJ, check out my most recent post: https://pathtoforeignservice.com/how-to-pass-the-fsot-situational-judgment-section/
Congrats!
I’m in my security checks now.
Thanks! And congrats on successfully passing the orals! Do you mind sharing what your day was like? An email is best. Thanks!
Congratulations!! Very deserved and I’ve been checking the blog regularly, keeping my fingers crossed, hoping to see this post!
I took the FSOT in February and passed with similar (but slightly lower) scores. I also got a 6 for my essay which was surprising because I thought I had produced a well-written essay. Unfortunately, I did not make it through the QEP review which is very frustrating because no explanation was given as to what I could improve on.
I’m keeping my head up though and reapplying to take the exam again in February 2017. Your blog has helped me with the process and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your QEP review. Congratulations again and I look forward to congratulating you on getting an interview in a few months.
Thank you!!! And that is frustrating that they don’t tell you on what aspect (application, fsot, and/or PNs) you could have improved on. It’s good to know though. And I love the enthusiasm! Hopefully I will get a positive review come the end of September. If not, it’s back to taking the test June 2017!