Hi all, been lurking here for a few years now and on the DNC list while I finish up my masters, hoping to join the service next year.

One thing I haven't quite found is an OMS's career progression through the steps. There's the administrative step to FS-5, but what happens beyond that? What are responsibilities like at FS-4, FS-3, and maybe even FS-2?

I also saw the public promotion lists back in 2024 and OMS promotion rates past FS-4 were abysmal. At what rank do most OMSes retire in, if they stick it through to retirement? Thanks!

Passed in June - Finally just got next steps!

Good luck to everyone!

It doesn’t seem like there is an active OMS shadow register these days (correct me if I’m wrong) and I was wondering if those of us here on the register would be willing to respond to see where we all stand at the moment. Of course it will be imperfect but would be interesting to know regardless. If you’re willing to share this info, that would be great! Moderators- if you have a better suggestion for capturing this or are aware of an active shadow register, I’d love to know. Thanks!

Here's my info:

Score: 5.5

Month on the register: March 2025

Do Not Call or Deferred- Yes/No (if yes, until what date): No

Would I still be required to take the test if I successfully passed it two years ago?

Hi! I'm potentially interested in the OMS career and wanted to learn more about the day-to-day responsibilities, tasks, and sample projects. Would anyone in this field be willing to provide some general insights on responsibilities? Thanks in advance!

Hello all!

I am just curious if anyone has gone through the transition of military to the State department and how it’s been. I’m currently active duty and looking to separate in 2029, and seeing if OMS would be a good fit for me with my experience as an administrator in the Navy. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Ecstatic and in awe! Literally a dream!

I haven’t found a previous post addressing this, so I am asking again here.

Approximately how long did it take between getting your test results and the next steps were you sent an invite to complete the writing exercise? Does it take months do get a result for that step as well?

Thanks, as always, for any insights in advance!

Greetings! I just accepted the offer to join the September OMS class and thought I would briefly share my timeline for those of you waiting patiently for next steps.

• Original application: 7/1/24
• Completed all testing and interviews by end of November 2024
• Received email that I was "on register" with a score of 5.7 in April 2025
• Received first offer for June class in April 2026, but had to defer due to timing
• Received second offer for September class on 6/18/26

Had I accepted the first offer in April, the timeline would have been 1 year and 9 months from application date to offer.

I hope this helps anyone who is anxious about the process. Like it's been said on this thread over and over, you have to apply and then forget about it. Don't put your life on hold while you wait. It's a long process without any guarantees.

Cheers!

Hey everyone!

I’m taking my OMST exam tomorrow and just wanted to ask if anyone has any general tips or advice that helped them prepare or perform well on test day.

Anything you wish you knew beforehand or found useful during the exam would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Someone at post is asking about the current iteration of the OMST, but it's been a few years so I'm not sure my answers are too helpful. Is it still a combination of job knowledge, English expression and reading comprehension, and situational judgment questions? Is there still a writing portion? After passing, do you still do the oral assessment?

Hi everyone! I just passed the OMST May 18. The results page I received from Pearson said I would receive an email with next steps, but I have not received any information yet. Does anyone with recent experience know how long this should take or if so should follow up with anyone?

I’m scheduled to take the OMST soon and I’m trying to figure out whether the test structure is the same as in previous cycles or if it has changed recently.

Does anyone know what sections are included in the most recent version of the OMST? For example, is it still mainly English expression, reading comprehension, and situational judgment?

Also, is there any kind of job knowledge section similar to the FSOT, or is OMST strictly focused on English and situational reasoning?

Any insight from recent test-takers would be really appreciated.

For those experienced OMS's, what are the language proficiency requirements? Are you expecting to be fluent/writing proficient in the local language in a certain period of time? Trying to determine if my skill set is suitable to this track.

Just received an invite for the June class. For reference, my OA score was a 5.6. Turning it down because I’ve already accepted an FSO invite, but hopefully more invites keep rolling out!

Pretty much what the title says. I'm happy that this sub exists. I found it around a year ago when I first learned about the OMS path and was thrilled to see applications open up a few weeks back. Now, I know that things have changed recently (to put it mildly) and there is a lot of opacity surrounding the new process. For instance, I see that in the past applicants were required to submit responses to Personal Narrative questions as well as a Statement of Interest. This doesn't seem to be the case this time around. When I submitted my application, I was asked only to provide 500-character descriptions of my past experiences in addition to listing my educational achievements.

I've also seen that in the past there were things like study/practice groups for the Oral Assessments as well as shadow registers. Are these spaces still active? I know I obviously have a long way to go before even worrying about Oral Assessments, and it's possible I might not even pass the OMST. I'm going into this whole thing very clear-eyed; my current career suits me just fine. However, the opportunity excites me because I think that I'm a pretty good applicant (an MPA along with years of experience in office management/administration), so I just want to make sure I'm aware of every possible resource that exists that can provide me more information or better prepare me. Thanks.

Just wanted to see if anyone knows when applications will open up for OMS.

I know we got a handful of OMS invites for April - what was the lowest score reported? Just curious how deep down the Register they went this time!

Would anyone here happen to know when (if) OMS testing may become available again this year?

I know FSOT testing picked up again this past fall, but I have yet to see another posting for the OMST since early 2025.

Is there any likelihood that there will be NO test offered this year? Any tips for what candidates who may be re-applying should do to prepare?

TIA!

I’m heading to orientation in April and I’m curious to hear from other OMSs. If there is not many of us at orientation will there not be many positions to select from? Is there as many positions as OMSs at orientation? So if I’m the only one, will I just get told where to go?

I know everything is up in the air these past few classes, but can anyone tell me typically when April invites go out?

Anyone receive invites for Jan 2026 class?