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Step 1
Written Exam: A broad based education is the best preparation for the Foreign Service Officer Test. The single most important additional step is to carefully read several major newspapers (e.g., New York Times, Washington Post, Wall St. Journal) and/or news magazines (Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Economist) cover to cover for a few months in the run up to the exam. Don’t skip the sections on arts and culture! When you come across issues or people that you are unfamiliar with (e.g., the conflict in Chechnya or the architect Frank Gehry, etc.) take some time to learn more. Often a quick reading of the relevant Wikipedia article will suffice to get you up to speed.
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Step 2
Oral Assessment: Information on the State Department website describes the elements of the oral assessment in detail. Read that material! In addition: when you enter the room, keep in mind that the group exercises are not competitive. Many candidates make the mistake of getting caught up in a competitive mode when the group exercise starts. Overly aggressive candidates who argue relentlessly to win do not score well. Articulate, clear reasoning and a willingness to compromise will win you high marks. In exercises where you must review a set of materials before doing a presentation or assigning action, first read quickly through all the material. Then, the most important step: prioritize. Decide which of the items are most important or need action most immediately. Proceed in this priority order as you present the material or mark it for action in the subsequent exercise.
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Step 3
Security and Medical Clearances: not much to say on these beyond fact that while filling out the forms is exceptionally time consuming, it is important to be thorough and complete. Also, be honest. Much better to admit the occasional marijuana use back in college than to be caught out hiding it when agents interview your former classmates.
