Yes, that’s right, you can register online starting January 2 for the Foreign Service Exam which will be held during the week of February 2-9. PearsonVue administers the test under contract with the State Department.
The Career Tracks
As I described in an earlier post, when you register for the Foreign Service Exam you must select your career track (cone). There are five cones: Consular, Economic, Management, Political, and Public Diplomacy. The decision is tough and unfair. How are applicants who’ve never worked in an embassy supposed to decide their Cone? It’s a decision that will guide your entire career of 20+ years.
Don’t Try to Game the System
Check out my recent post — Difficult Choice — What’s Your Career Track? — which provides books and online resources to help make your Career Track decision. I also recommend that you not try to game the system. For example, an applicant believing the Management Track is underrepresented so if you pick the Management Cone you’ll have a better chance. First, I’m not sure where applicants can find out which Cones are underrepresented. Second, if you do succeed in joining the Foreign Service as a Management Cone officer, but realize one year in that you hate management work, then you’re stuck. The Department rarely allows you to change Tracks after you join the Foreign Service. Do yourself a favor, review the Career Track materials, and make an honest decision.
Register as Early as Possible
The Career Track decision requires thought and honesty with yourself. The earlier you decide will help because the sooner you register the better chance you have of scoring a seat close to where you live. I have known one poky applicant who ended up with a test center three hours away. The registration opens January 2 and closes January 30.
Government Shutdown: I don’t know what to tell you. The State Department has furloughed a lot of civil servants and Foreign Service officers, including those folks who staff the Bureau of Human Resources. I’d like to think the budget will be sorted out quickly, but the craziness in Washington, DC could last weeks (or longer!?). Still, since PearsonVUE is under contract, it’s possible they are still gearing up to offer the February Exam. Please let me know if you have trouble registering or PearsonVue tells you the February FSOT date will slip.
Tried to register for the test, but no open dates are showing up at multiple test centers. I’m assuming it’s due to the shutdown :/
When I spoke to PearsonVue a couple of weeks ago, they said the FSOT would be offered in February as scheduled. They said they were funded and prepared to give the test, although they acknowledged that results might be delayed because they send the essay portion to be scored by FSOs in the Department.
I haven’t heard from other people that they haven’t been able to register. I suggest you contact PearsonVue customer service directly at https://home.pearsonvue.com/fsot/contact. They have toll-free numbers as well as an email contact form. During the week they have a Chat app that you can use.
Good luck