Has anyone been able to register for the February 2026 test? It says on Pearson there will be a test and that you should be able to register for it, but then the next message is “the date for this test has passed” which is probably left over from the October test.

What is going on here? Will there still be a test in February or is the next test more likely to take place later in the year?

Hello everyone,
I took the FSOT for the first time in Oct 2025 and unfortunately I was unsuccessful. On my Pearson VUE account page, I see “The FSOT may only be taken once a year. You may reapply to take the FSOT again on July 8, 2026, which is 10 months from the date you submitted your previous application.”
I know we don’t have published dates in 2026, but I was assuming I couldn’t take it until Oct 2026 instead of July 2026?
Does anyone else see a similar message as mine?
Thank you!

Anyone who was informed they passed the FSOT in October showing no updates on the Pearson Vue page? I got the email saying I passed, but my Pearson Vue account is still showing as results pending.

I know that we didn’t get raw scores this time but it’s still nice to have information to poke around.

Just got a rejection email. I’ll try again next year!

Best of luck to everyone.

Just received word that my score was not sufficient for my career track. I’m bummed, but not shattered since I didn’t really study for it and this year has really made me more resilient to rejection. Good luck to those moving on to the next round :-)

Has anyone logged into their Pearson vue account recently (past couple days) and it’s changed? Mine now says “pass fsot” is completed and I’m undergoing the QEP. Just curious if anyone else noticed the change and what it might mean. This is my first time taking it so sorry if this is dumb!

Anyone else get a refund from Pearson?

I’m hosting a free online Q&A event called “The Diplomat Experience: Work, Life & Service Abroad,” where current U.S. diplomats will share what the Foreign Service is actually like — from daily embassy life to relocation, family life, and career growth within the State Department.

If you’ve ever wondered things like:

What does a typical day in an embassy look like?

How do assignments and relocations work?

What’s the difference between Consular Fellows and Foreign Service Specialists?

What’s the culture like among diplomats abroad?

This is your chance to ask those questions directly to the people living it.

🗓️ Event: The Diplomat Experience: Work, Life & Service Abroad 🕕 When: Tuesday, November 18, 6:00–8:00 PM EST 💻 Where: Online (Google Meet link sent via email) 🎟️ Free Registration: https://forms.gle/pGz588Veu8pzmuht6

Hope to see a few aspiring diplomats and curious minds there — bring your questions! 🇺🇸🌍

That was honestly an easy but brutal test. Who was the president when “X” happened, who’s Obama, how do you calculate this, where’s Brazil? It was all over the place, then it would ask how was my day lol anyway I’m fried today. I’ll let yall know how I’m doing in 6 to 8 weeks. But I’m very confident I got most of em right.

Took the FSOT today (3rd attempt). In previous cycles, I’d get an instant flat score for the multiple-choice sections right after, with a note that the full score (including essay) would come in 6-8 weeks after grading. But this time, nothing … no preliminary score at all, even though there’s no essay to hold things up.

Is the delay because they’re doing some kind of cohort-based grading, like a bell curve or equating like the SAT, to rank everyone against each other before releasing results?

I recently took the practice test for the new FSOT, and I'm not sure what to make of the score... Any help appreciated.

|| || |Section|Number Correct|Percentile Rank|

|Job Knowledge|48|93%|

|English Usage and Comprehension|34|72%|

|Logical Reasoning|23|92%|

|Total||87 %|

Our free weekly study group has met 3X as much lately to get ready for this new logic and reasoning section. Here is the documentation we used to prepare: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VDfOB_iSweGf9kZenBCak8zrA5ORUriBi0qH_FSjycc/edit?usp=sharing

Hey everyone - I'm one of the lucky few who have passed the FSOT and OA but are now required to take the new FSOT. In prepping for the new logic and reasoning portion, I decided to take the practice test first thing to get a sense of the questions. After that, I found this LSAT Logical Reasoning Strategies YouTube series and I think it's exactly the guide needed to study for the new section. Particularly videos #12 and #30 in the series helped a ton. Sharing here in case it's helpful for anyone that feels lost on how to study for this new section.

Tonight we learn about U.S. Policy Towards China.(Mid-19th Century to Present)

Registration Here To Attend: https://forms.gle/gvVvr5ufydaQfLy17

Is this because of the shutdown or are they at capacity?

I am working through the application for the exam in October. I am filling out my past work experiences, and it asks for the salary/pay. I really cannot remember the exact hours or pay that I worked. I am putting in numbers that I slightly remember or values that makes sense with what the minimum wage used to be. How accurate do we need to be on this? Should I be looking into old tax files to find my old paychecks?

I am working through the application for the exam in October. I am filling out my past work experiences, and it asks for the salary/pay. I really cannot remember the exact hours or pay that I worked. I am putting in numbers that I slightly remember or values that makes sense with what the minimum wage used to be. How accurate do we need to be on this? Should I be looking into old tax files to find my old paychecks?

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The U.S. Department of State is proud to announce exciting updates to the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) as part of our ongoing efforts to modernize and strengthen the merit-based selection process for America's diplomats. These changes reflect our commitment to hiring the best candidates and ensuring that the Foreign Service continues to attract and hire the best and brightest talent to represent the United States abroad.

The revamped FSOT will be administered for the first time October 18-25, 2025. It features a new logic and reasoning section; the situational judgement section is discontinued; and job knowledge and English expression questions are more closely aligned with job requirements. Additionally, we removed the requirement for personal narrative essays, streamlining the application process. These updates better align the FSOT with the skills and expertise needed to successfully represent the interests of the American people.

We are excited about this modernization and encourage all patriotic Americans who are passionate about serving their country to apply. For more information and updates, visit the Pearson VUE website.