How to Study for the Foreign Service Officer Exam (FSOT)

Passing the FSOT is the first step to a foreign service career.

If you want to become a foreign service officer, you should graduate from a four-year university with a diverse courseload, including history, English, math and geography. This background will be of immeasurable help when facing the first step to foreign service --- passing the Foreign Service Officer Test, FSOT. The game plan for FSOT study involves no shortcuts.

Instructions

1. Register for the FSOT online. Not everyone is invited to take the test, so make sure you register early (see Resources). Invitations to sit for the exam are sent usually a month before the test date; however, you should be preparing well in advance.

2. Be up-to-date on current affairs. This includes reading a newspaper every day such as the New York Times. Focus on U.S. foreign affairs.

3. Begin memorizing the countries on each continent. You should know where each one is located and its neighbors.

4. Focus upon English grammar. The exam includes a large English grammar portion and a 30-minute essay; therefore, your spelling and grammar should be impeccable. Be able to construct sentences and know where commas are placed.

5. Make sure you have a basic knowledge of fractions, decimals, mean, median and mode and economic theory. The best way to prepare for this test is to be highly educated and well read. The test contains questions about world leaders, politics, economics, U.S. culture and human resources.

References

• FSO Wannabe: Studying for the FSOT

Resources

• U.S. Department of State: Becoming A Foreign Service Officer
• Amazon: Cliffs Testprep Foreign Service Officer ExamFSOT Exam: Preparation ...