After months and months of reading and studying, the day finally came on Thursday for me to take the Foreign Service Officer Test.
The FSOT is the entrance exam to becoming a Foreign Service Officer. It's notoriously difficult and shrouded in mystery, and I was pretty nervous to take it. Lots of people fail the first time around, and, of the people who start the process, only about 2% actually make it through all the steps.
The test is made up of three parts, the first being a Job Knowledge section that covers a huge range of topics -- American history, government and culture, foreign policy and international relations, world history, management theory, and technology, to name just a few. Other sections of the test are practically impossible to study for, including on on English usage, one with personal questions that resembles a personality test, and a 30-minute timed essay at the end.
Needless to say, I was pretty nervous on Thursday morning. Thankfully, I was staying with the Foreign Service management officer in Maputo and she was very helpful and supportive. Also, I was not alone -- taking the test with me were my friends and fellow Moz 19 PCVs Grisha and Haleigh. Together we stand!
All in all, the exam went OK. I knew more of the answers on the Job Knowledge section than I thought I would. (All those books came in handy!) Being my linguistically-nerdy self, I actually kind of enjoyed the English Expressions part and feel very confident about it. The personal questions were tricky and had a really tough word limit for the responses, so I'm not sure how I did on that one. And finally, the essay was brutal -- I love writing, but I have gotten so used to taking my time (for example, writing blog posts takes me several days) that I ran out of time and didn't get to write nearly as good an essay as I wanted to.
But what's done is done, and I won't know the results until three to five weeks from now. At least the test is over, and now I know what it's like. Even if I fail (a distinct possibility) I will know what to study for and practice for the next time. And if I pass.... who knows.
Great attitude you have - and that is the best indicator of future success in any endeavor. We are sending prayers and best wishes your way! Mrs. H.
ReplyDeleteGlad you finally got to take it! It's wonderful that much of your background helped! Just getting a look at the test is also a good thing! I agree with Mrs. H. that your attitude is also an indicator of success. Glad you can check it off your list for now! Love you! Aunt B
ReplyDeleteI took the test two days after you in the States. Definitely thought the word limits on the biographical section made it the hardest - it was like I was tweeting my accomplishments. Good luck!
ReplyDelete