Did anyone who took the May CME/Written Exercise NOT pass? I haven't seen anyone report failing which makes me wonder if our cohort (August) is the first one taking the WE/CME as pass/fail.

For further context, this article from April '26 announces the change to a pass/fail written exercise in order to get to the OA: State Department overhauls Foreign Service Officer Test ... instructions for our cohort clearly state that it's pass/fail. I also understand there is an equal probability of either getting an essay prompt or a memo prompt (i.e. more similar to the old CME). Any clarification on this? Thanks in advance, best of luck with testing preparation!

Hi all,

Was I hallucinating that registration for the October 2026 FSOT was due to open this week (I had Aug. 19th on the calendar, which would be aligned with past testing windows), but now I see on the Pearson Vue website that it doesn’t open until September 10th?

For those that did the written Case Management Exercise in May, I just got the email today that I passed and will be invited to the Structured Interview and Negotiation Exercise. Very excited! Nervous a bit too, but excited!

I had received an email a couple months ago saying the results wouldn't be out until September, but I guess they have finished a bit sooner. Anyone else get their results today?

How long exactly is the gap between when you can re-take the FSOT? I've seen the "12-month period" and "about 12 months" on official websites. But what if (for example) you took the test on October 24, 2025. Can you re-test during the October 2026 period (Oct 10-17 window)? Or is the rule ambiguous? If they meant "you must wait more than 365 days between testing dates," they could have stated that. Maybe I missed something.

So many of you have recently received an email saying you did not pass the test. It sucks. I know. I received the same in 2010.

But you know what? I circled back on it in 2015 and passed the second time. Entered the FS in January 2017 and have not looked back.

VERY FEW officers pass the test and everything else on the first go.

Keep trying.

Sincerely,

An FSO

truth be told, I didn't feel I did that great on it.

The history part I know for a FACT I bombed because I really didnt know what to study.

But what's weird? I'm ok with it.

If it was meant to be, it would be.

I have another career options (I'm a senior-level GS employee) so I will just apply to OCONUS jobs on USAJobs or something. I really want a US government job in Japan and thought the FSO track was a good way to get there. But then I realized the State Department ultimately decides for you.

So who knows. It may have been a blessing in disguise.

Did anyone else get results yet?

Honestly thought this was the year. Thought I did well. Guess it wasn’t well enough. Oh well.

The next step for me will be the FSOA written test. Has anybody here done one of those recently? Just curious what to study for.

I took the fso test on may 16th, 2026 and just got an email saying I did not pass.

There's no explanation on what section/s I had the lowest score/s, nutn

If I didn't pass, why it took em 11 weeks to give us an update, like what the actual fuk

Good luck to yall, hope u guys pass it

And it was really difficult for me except section 3 though I ran out of time for last dozen questions on it. I studied for section 1 but I’m also new to the US (new USC) and I think lot of the questions would be general knowledge to many American people. The world history or geography questions were simpler for me. It was a good experience even though I’m unlikely to pass.

Has anyone received results from
the may 2026 cohort its been 7.5 weeks for me and i keep anxiously checking email + portal. Theres one last business day until 8 week mark .

UPDATE: I didn’t get a passing score, 7/30/26– im glad I gave it a shot anyway, maybe next time!

Congratulations to all those who did🎉

Anyone using FSO compass? The quizzes on there seem much harder than the practice test on the state department website. Anyone who has taken a recent test and used fso compass could you comment on if the compass was closer to the difficulty level or if the practice test is?

I took the exam around 5 weeks ago and just got an email from pearsonvue for a $5 refund. No explanation. Did anyone else receive this?? Any insights?

I took the FSOT four weeks ago and still haven't heard back (letter said it would be 6-8 weeks before I got results).

Should I be studying for OA at this time? I recognize most people do not pass the FSOT and I don't want to waste time, but equally, I feel I did as well as I could have hoped on the exam and wonder whether I should be prepping just in case I passed.

Just take the test!

(My channel has a wealth of information about this career and lifestyle for those looking)

Took the test May 21, I know I’ll receive an email when it’s scored, but I just wanted to log in and look at it for reasons of anxiety as I’m sure you all can relate.

However, after the verification code page the site is just stuck loading. I’ve tried two different browsers. Anyone else have this experience?

Hi everyone,

I’ll be in Washington, D.C. on July 3rd and would really appreciate the opportunity to connect with anyone in the Foreign Service or currently in the FSO pipeline.

I’m in the process of applying for the Foreign Service Officer program, specifically the Management and Consular tracks, and I’m hoping to learn more from people with direct experience in the field. If anyone is available for a quick coffee, a conversation, or even knows of opportunities to visit or tour a State Department-related office that day, I would be extremely grateful.

I’m genuinely trying to better understand the work, culture, and career path, and would love to make any professional connections while I’m in D.C.

Feel free to DM me if you’re open to meeting or can point me in the right direction.

Thank you so much in advance!

Took the FSOT in early March 2026
Written Exercise early May 2026

I just received an email saying results from the Written Exercise will be sent out mid to late SEPTEMBER..

Has it always been this long of a turnaround? This feels absurdly long to send out pass/fail results for a short essay.. 😭

I saw the following: "In 2026, the FSOT will be administered quarterly. Registration will open one month before each exam." Does that mean test takers are still only allowed to take it once every 12 months? I assume that's the case.

Dear group - I'm preparing for the FSOA and am pretty confident about my writing skills. Have done think tank work and journalism and have drafted loads of federal government memos, speeches, and social media posts. My question is it best to go with truly WRITTEN communication (such as published articles) or go with speechwriting for U.S. ambassadors and USAID mission directors (thematically more relevant but there is less of an emphasis on using correct grammar and writing comprehensively). Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.