The next Foreign Service Written Examination is scheduled for Saturday, September 29, 2001. Registration materials, including the on-line registration system, will be available by June 15, 2001. Watch this Web site for more information. Applicants will be advised whether they have passed the examinations in late December. All FSWE passers will be invited to the Oral Assessment phase of the process.

Foreign Service Officers serve in over 165 countries throughout the world, carrying out United States foreign policy and helping to maintain diplomatic relations.  Their work involves administrative management, consular services, political and economic reporting and analysis, and public diplomacy.

The Foreign Service Written Exam is the first step toward a career in diplomacy.  The exam measures a candidate's knowledge and understanding of a range of subjects determined by a job analysis to be important to perform the tasks required of a Foreign Service officer.

There will likely still be three multiple choice sections: job-related knowledge; English expression and usage; and a non-cognitive component. There is also an essay writing exercise.  Only those candidates who pass the multiple choice segments will have their essays scored.

There are no educational requirements to take the exam; however, most candidates are widely read or have taken a variety of college courses.  The State Department-sanctioned Study Guide  helps candidates prepare for the exam.  An order form for a new Study Guide for the 2001 exam will be included in the registration book.  The new Study Guide, including an on-line order form, will be available by June 15, 2001.

Exam takers must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 20 and 59, and be available for worldwide assignment.

The Board of Examiners administers the oral exam to approximately 2,500 to 3,000 candidates each year.  The State Department expects to hire approximately 225 officers in fiscal year 2001.

The oral assessment is based on actual Foreign Service work and evaluates the abilities and personal characteristics considered necessary to perform that work.  During the day-long assessment, candidates participate in a group negotiation exercise, participate in individual exercises, and write a report.

The oral assessment will be conducted all year in Washington, D.C., and, for limited periods at selected other sites to accommodate candidates nationwide.

The Department of State is committed to equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment for all without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, disabling condition, political affiliation, marital status, or prior statutory, constitutionally protected activity.