The New FSOT and FSO Application Process

Some big news came from the State Department on Friday, September 5, 2025. Moving forward, a new Foreign Service Officer (FSO) assessment process is underway, and it begins with a new Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). Let’s dive into what was shared, answer some FAQs that have popped up so far, and share what still needs to be determined. 

As new information becomes available, I will update this post accordingly. 

What was the FSOT before October 2025?

Before we can review the new FSOT, let’s complete a quick overview of what the FSOT was before the October 2025 change.

The FSOT was made up of the following sections:

• Job Knowledge: multiple-choice questions on various topics (e.g., U.S. government, economics, history, math, and more)
• English Expression: multiple-choice questions on grammar, English comprehension, and more
• Situational Judgement: multiple-choice questions asking you to choose the best and worst approach in a given situation
• An essay: you are provided with three questions, you choose one, and you write an argumentative essay

With its most recent iteration, the FSOT was not a pass/fail exam. Everyone who took the test would proceed to the Qualifications Evaluation Panel (QEP). At the QEP, your score on the test, your essay, your personal narratives, and your application are reviewed as part of a total candidate approach to determine your candidate score and to determine whether or not you move forward to the Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA). 

What does the new FSOT look like now?

Now that we have reviewed what the FSOT has been, let’s review the structure of the new FSOT:

• Job Knowledge: multiple-choice questions that will only cover U.S. government, history, and society; world history and geography; economics; and math and statistics
• English Usage and Comprehension: multiple-choice questions on grammar, English comprehension, and more
• Logical Reasoning: multiple-choice questions that assess making inferences, justifying conclusions, finding logical flaws, and identifying assumptions

The Situational Judgment and Essay are removed from the test. The Job Knowledge and English Usage and Comprehension questions will “more closely align with job requirements” (review: how to study for the FSOT). Finally, the FSOT will continue not to have a passing score. Instead, the State Department will “select candidates to move on to the next stage based on the highest scores and needs of the Foreign Service”. 

Sources: press release about the change and instructions on the State Department FSOT practice test.

What is the FSOT logical reasoning section?

Whereas the other two sections are largely the same, the logical section is entirely new. Fortunately, the State Department released a practice test to give candidates an idea of the type of questions to expect. Since the practice test is complete (i.e., all three sections), I highly recommend (a) taking the practice test, and (b) ensuring you have adequate time to treat it as if it were the real test – you cannot take only one section.

So, State shares that the Logical Reasoning section “assesses making inferences, justifying conclusions, finding logical flaws, and identifying assumptions”. In short, this new section is designed to test your ability to think critically and systematically. Each of the four components taps into a specific dimension of reasoning:

1. Making Inferences

• What it means: Drawing conclusions from given facts, statements, or data—even when those conclusions aren’t explicitly stated.
• Example skill tested: If a passage says, “All Foreign Service Officers must pass an exam. Maria is a Foreign Service Officer,” you should be able to infer, “Maria passed the exam.”

2. Justifying Conclusions

• What it means: Supporting or defending a conclusion using valid evidence, rules, or logical steps.
• Example skill tested: You might be presented with a claim such as “Economic sanctions often influence foreign policy outcomes,” and asked which facts best support (or undermine) that claim.

3. Finding Logical Flaws

• What it means: Identifying reasoning errors, such as contradictions, circular reasoning, false causation, or irrelevant evidence.
• Example skill tested: Spotting that an argument like “Diplomats travel frequently, so frequent travelers must be diplomats” is flawed (reversing cause and effect).

4. Identifying Assumptions

• What it means: Recognizing unstated ideas or premises that an argument relies on.
• Example skill tested: If an argument says, “The embassy should reduce staff because fewer visa applications are being filed,” the underlying assumption is that the embassy’s staffing should be tied directly to visa demand.

This section assesses whether you can analyze arguments, detect gaps or errors in reasoning, and evaluate the strength of conclusions. Through this new section, State is attempting to determine whether you can parse complex information, identify what is reliable, and make decisions under uncertainty.

October 2025 FSOT Dates

With the announcement of the new FSOT, Pearson was able to announce that the October 2025 FSOT will take place.

Testing Window Dates	October 18 – 25, 2025
Registration Opens	September 5, 2025
Registration Closes	October 16, 2025

Upon reviewing the Pearson page, a notable item is that they have removed the dates for the February and June 2026 testing dates. Why? I do not know.

For those interested in joining the Service, please note that registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are limited seats available at both testing sites and online, which means the sooner you register, the higher the likelihood of finding a date and time that works for you. There will also likely be higher interest in this testing cycle, as the February and June 2025 testing windows were cancelled, and all candidates going through clearance and are on the Register must retest in October (more details below).

The FSO Application Process as a whole

We’ve just touched on the FSOT so far, but the FSO application process also received a revamp. The most notable change is that the Personal Narratives are no longer a part of the process, which means candidates no longer have to write essays as part of the application or the test.

As such, the new process looks like this:

• Complete the Eligibility Verification form and NDA: Do you meet the minimum requirements, and do you agree not to disclose the contents of the test?
• The application: same as before. It is basically your resume, some background information, and your chosen career track
• The FSOT
• The FSOA
• Clearances 
• Register

With the removal of the narratives, the process is still the same. There is a question mark regarding the QEP, which would have taken place after the FSOT. Given that the State Department will “select candidates to move on to the next stage based on the highest scores and needs of the Foreign Service”, I think there will be some analysis step. There is a LOT of wiggle room in the language of “needs of the Foreign Service”, and I’ll be interested to see if all candidates above a specific score receive an invite. 

As for the FSOA, it looks to be untouched. The language in Pearson states:

If you are notified that you have passed the FSOT, you will be invited to continue to the Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA). The FSOA consists of two portions: 1) the Case Management Exercise (CME), which is administered by Pearson VUE, and 2) the Structured Interview/Group Exercise, which are administered by the Board of Examiners at the Department of State. In this next step, you will schedule your appointment to participate in the CME. Following the CME, you will schedule the rest of your FSOA (Structured Interview/Group Exercise).

Once again, it appears that the FSOA will continue to be administered virtually, and the structure remains unchanged. However, as with the FSOT, we may see changes in the near future.

FSO candidates on the Register and in the clearance process

Along with the changes to the FSOT and the FSOA, State also released the following news to all FSO candidates on the Register and in the clearance process:

As noted above, if you are interested in testing in October, I recommend registering as soon as possible, as there is potential for a high number of candidates this cycle. 

First impressions

The most immediate impression is that State is shifting away from holistic review and back toward heavy reliance on a multiple-choice exam filter before the FSOA. The holistic approach, which factored in essays, personal narratives, and broader applicant qualities, was introduced in part to expand diversity in the candidate pool. That raises a fundamental question: how will this change impact the types of candidates who make it to the FSOA?

It’s also worth asking whether the new FSOT structure could disadvantage certain groups of candidates. A narrower focus on job knowledge, English comprehension, and logical reasoning may reward strong test-takers but filter out individuals whose strengths lie in communication, judgment, and lived experience.

The Situational Judgment section was originally introduced as an improvement over the older biographical portion of the test. It was designed to measure judgment in similar scenarios that diplomats experience, rather than quantifying personal history. That said, it had its problems: the “best” and “worst” choices weren’t always clear, and candidates often questioned whether the scoring truly captured diplomatic judgment. Now that it has been removed, we’ll need to see how the new Logical Reasoning section plays out.

From a preparation standpoint, the new FSOT structure provides a clearer mechanism for studying and preparing, as the knowledge domains are explicit, and reasoning skills are testable. But there’s a tension here: if success comes down to preparing for a multiple-choice exam, then does this filter for the “right” candidate, or does the new system instead reward test-taking skill rather than professional aptitude?

The removal of Personal Narratives is even more consequential. Previously, the narratives formed the backbone of the QEP. They provided the Board of Examiners (BEX) with a means to evaluate candidates against the Foreign Service precepts and dimensions, adding qualitative depth beyond test scores. But the process was far from perfect. The QEP was often described as a black hole with speculation/frustration over high subjectivity and inconsistency. It was not uncommon for a candidate to pass one year and fail the next with nearly identical scores and essays.

Still, the narratives did provide space for candidates to highlight experiences and perspectives that don’t come through in a multiple-choice exam. Their elimination leaves us with a process built almost entirely around test performance and a résumé-style application. That shift may solve one inconsistency, but it risks losing a dimension of candidate evaluation that, in theory, reflected the complexity of the job.

Looking ahead, are there plans to change the FSOA as well? State and Pearson’s current language suggests “no.” However, given the FSOT overhaul, it’s fair to wonder whether the assessment stage might also be adjusted in the near future.

One of the biggest surprises is the requirement that candidates undergoing the clearance process or already on the Register must retake the test. Why? And perhaps more importantly: will their previous scores or progress in the process count for anything? For fellowship participants (Pickering, Rangel, Payne), the change raises special concerns. How will their pathways into the Service be affected?

For candidates already in clearances or on the Register, who are individuals the Department previously judged to “have the right talent”, to now be told they must retake the FSOT feels disruptive (or even invalidating). If the justification is to ensure that these candidates reflect the “right talent,” then we’re left with the question: what exactly does State now consider the “right talent”?

Another gray area is the QEP. Has it been eliminated, or has it been quietly renamed and folded into a new internal review stage? And finally, the vague phrasing that candidates will be advanced “based on the highest scores and the needs of the Foreign Service” demands clarification. What does that mean in measurable terms? A percentile cutoff? A quota system tied to career tracks? Some other mechanism?

Conclusion

The FSOT and application process have undergone a significant overhaul. Scoring high on the FSOT is now the central gatekeeper. The personal narratives, Situational Judgement, and the FSOT essay have been removed entirely. On paper, the changes streamline the process, but they do raise several questions: Who will advance under this new model? What exactly does “the needs of the Service” mean? And how will retesting requirements for those already cleared or on the Register reshape the candidate pool?

The October 2025 FSOT will serve as the first test case for this new system. As seats are limited and demand for this testing cycle is expected to be high, I recommend signing up as soon as possible. However, ensure you spend quality time on your application; don’t just throw something together in a rush.