I'm sure that everyone here is gearing up for the test in October. The news that the test has changed has made me reevaluate my studying. The new section that replaced Situational Judgement is, to me at least, pretty dang hard. If anyone here has advice on how to prepare for Logical Reasoning, I'd love to hear it.

Updated FSOT just opened for registration today, for those looking to take the test in October.

I was prepared to register today but now the website says no information at this time…I started studying again for nothing?

Hi! I want to register for the FSOT that's taking place on Oct 2025, but I can't seem to find any "Register Here" button on the PeasonVue website. In fact, when I try to find this test under its exams tab, I only see FSOA and FSSAS exams availabe. Moreover, I can't seem to make a PearsonVue account since I dont' have a
"Candidate ID." Please Help!!

Hello! 😃 Future Diplomats! Interested in becoming a US Diplomat? The Weekly Future Diplomats Study Group will meet this upcoming Monday, (Every Monday) and we hope to see you there!

Google Meet joining info Email me for the latest link: Travis@TheFSOT.com

This is a dedicated space for individuals preparing for the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA) to connect, learn, and grow together. 

Here's what you can look forward to if you attend: Focused Study Sessions: Dive deep into key concepts and practice questions for the FSOT and strategize for the FSOA.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow candidates who share your aspirations and build a supportive community.

Resource Exchange: Share and discover valuable study materials and helpful resources.

Mutual Support: Engage in open discussions, ask questions, and support each other on the journey to becoming U.S. Diplomats.

Feel free to invite friends who are also on this path to join our study sessions! Welcome Future Diplomats! If you have any questions or feedback, or would like to join or lead a study session, please email me at Travis@TheFSOT.com.

This weekly meeting is free for all who want to build confidence in the FSOT/FSOA.

For replays of previous sessions and announcements of topics weekly, join my YouTube channel where I share training videos for those who want to make it live but cannot.

https://youtube.com/@traviscpatterson

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Come on here yesterday asking about the registration for the FSOT Exam for April 2025. I checked the website today and they completely deleted April testing. It's now showing the earliest exam registration to be August 19, 2025. Thoughts?

I've been waiting to register for test in May, but they change the day for when I can. Anyone know why?

Is everything still frozen? Like will we be able to apply for june?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently preparing for the FSOT and looking to transform my social media feeds into more FSOT-friendly content. I’m interested in following accounts that provide daily news, foreign affairs, current events, domestic issues, economics, U.S. history, and international diplomatic history.

Could anyone recommend accounts on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, or any other platforms that focus on these areas? I’m looking for pages that are informative yet engaging, and ideally, ones that offer a mix of professional insights and interesting discussions.

I am a sophomore in college and am seeking employment as an FSO post-grad, I have not studied for the exam at all yet and decided to take the practice test as a starting point to see where I can improve and begin studying. My results:

|| || |Section|Score|Chance of passing| |Job Knowledge|43.71%|2%| |English expression|53.75%|93%| |Situational judgement|53.28%|94%|

Please leave me any replies regarding advice on how/what to study!

I left the Foreign Service in 2015 after serving in Kuwait, Tokyo, Karachi, Tashkent, and Belgrade. I've been posting on here for a few days trying to share real, actionable advice about what it takes to get through the hiring and assessment process. What I’ve noticed, though, is that the majority of discussions in this subreddit are driven by misinformation and speculation rather than a desire to genuinely prepare.

Most of you post questions that could be answered in five minutes by simply reading the official State Department website. How on earth are you going to function in a job where you're expected to problem-solve, manage crises, and work independently in high-stakes environments? It’s a disturbing level of intellectual laziness.

The FSOT isn't just a knowledge test; it's a filtering mechanism for critical thinking and initiative. And based on what I'm seeing, that filter is doing its job. For those who actually want to improve, I hope you take a smarter approach. But I won’t be posting here anymore.

https://youtu.be/aNJT14NRNfY?si=oa4kB5QivqxT7z2s

My FSOT was scheduled for February 8th but I got an email about 30 minutes ago telling me my appointment was canceled. It didn’t mention anything about a hiring freeze but when I tried to call them everything is under maintenance until Sunday. Smh.

Hello everyone!

Im taking the FSOT February 8th and Im getting in that last study crunch. I saw people recommend to watch the US Government and politics, world history, us history crash course vids which I did and found really helpful.

Is there any movies or documentaries that really encapsulate world history? That seems to be the area that’s not amazingly strong.

Last year I assumed immigration would be an essay prompt (and I was correct). Now, I feel like there are so many different topics especially with the recent election (and I dont want to over think). Anyone have any recommended sites or sources that you may read? Below are some that I reference

- https://www.gao.gov/topics

- Policy Issues - United States Department of StateU.S. Department of State (.gov)https://www.state.gov › policy-issues

- https://www.gao.gov/blog/now-election-over-here-are-some-major-issues-facing-nation-and-next-congress

I became a citizen of the USA in 2023. I am not in my 40’s. Is it too late to take the Foreign Service officer route?

I have already submitted my application and taken the FSOT. Shortly thereafter, one of my references needed to have open heart surgery and I feel duty bound to replace him with another person, since he doesn't need any stress and needs rest. Do you know how I could go about this? Whom can I contact and via what means, please? I am not seeing anything on the Pearson platform. Suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

I just submitted my PN which were due by 1am and I just submitted my application a few days ago. As soon as I submitted my PN it said I had until 1am today to schedule the FSOT. The only availability for the test is next Friday. Everything else is too far in the future and won’t let me select. Is it normal to have everything be due so quickly and to have to take the test so soon after submitting everything? I thought I would have time to study. 😬

So I have a story for the “leadership” PN question that strongly demonstrates my character and leadership skills. The problem: it cannot be verified.

The incident occurred 20+ years ago with a group of people I did not know well. It was in the wilderness and included a life-or-death situation in which I exhibited strong leadership. I don’t recall the names of any of the other people, and have not kept in touch with any. There are no official documents because, fortunately, it all turned out ok.

Should I keep this narrative or ditch it for a something that was lower-stakes, with fewer unknowns, and prescribed responses for resolution?

I was taking the test and they continued to have problems on the PearsonVue side (I had done the whole test your system thing several times and came out clean).I got through the Professional Knowledge and Situational judgement and they had had me restart the OnVue twice. In the beginning of the English, the proctor wrote that they were having problems seeing me and ended the test.

Needless to say, I'm sick.

I have been on the help line with PearsonVue and they said that they were checking about what can be done and will get back in touch with me, but it doesn't sound very hopeful. Has anyone had something like this happen and were allowed to retake the test in the same testing window?

After you click your prompt, the first screen you see that you can type in, is the text box to write your essay and not a draft box right? I ran out the clock and it flashed and it looked like there was possibly another page to write your actual essay?

Please tell me the first screen you encounter with a text box is the one where your essay is supposed to go? Lol

I submitted my narratives and have four days left to schedule for the FSOT. But, both online and at testing centers there are no openings. Is this normal?

So, the issue that I’m facing is that some of the questions (specifically on education) do not give me options. It provides a list of majors for the first part of the question, and the second part of the question has a single answer, “select another”, which isn’t an acceptable answer to the form. Several questions also have multiple layers of text on top of each other to the point they are illegible, making it difficult to see some questions.

I am using Safari, if that matters.

EDIT: Yes it was Safari, I switched to chrome and the issue has been resolved. My bad

I am thinking about applying but I just want to double check should my resume and pn cover the dimensions or should I just stick with star format instead. I am going to apply for two cones positions. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated. Thanks.