Becoming a Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State requires passing a comprehensive and difficult test covering areas such as communications, world history, US government, culture and society, geography, mathematics, statistics, and management. Preparation includes reading recommended books and taking recommended courses.
Job seekers interested in working as an External Service Officer (FSO) for the United States Department of State go through a long and tedious hiring process. The first step is to pass the external service test. Notoriously difficult, the test covers a wide variety of areas. Due to the comprehensive nature of the test, the amount of preparation required to pass is highly dependent on each person’s education, life experiences and capabilities. Before learning about the best way to prepare for the Outside Service Test, it is important that you know what areas are covered on the exam.
Although becoming an FOE has no specific educational requirements, you should have a broad working knowledge of communications, computers, world history, US government, culture and society, geography, mathematics, statistics, and management. Also, your English grammar and writing skills must be above average. To gain a broad understanding of US government, history, and geography, you should familiarize yourself with current events by reading publications such as Newsweek, Time, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and reading a major daily newspaper such as the New York Times.
The State Department has a recommended reading list, which can be found on its website. This list is not comprehensive, but should be used as a guide that provides examples of the types of books you should read in each of the areas covered. If you’re not sure where to start, consider choosing the subject you’re least familiar with to help you get up to speed. Some examples of books on the recommended reading list are Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin, and Immigration Stories, edited by David A. Martin and Peter H. Schuck.
In addition to being well read to prepare for the Foreign Service Test, you can obtain a study guide from the Department of State. They offer a downloadable and purchaseable paper study guide that contains sample questions and more specific information about the areas that will be tested. If you are a student or are interested in taking courses to help you gain additional knowledge to prepare for the Foreign Service Test, the Department of State also has a list of recommended courses on its website. In addition to English composition and economics, most of the recommended courses are political science courses such as US foreign policy, international relations, comparative politics, and US political systems.
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