Does the idea of working abroad in a US embassy appeal to you? You might be a political officer, analyzing current affairs and reporting relevant happenings back to the United States. You could analyze commercial and trade policy and help to ease market

Resources Foreign Service Specialists aren't required to take the Foreign Service Exam. Specialists are needed in 19 categories, including diplomatic security, information technology and nursing. Get more information here. Check out the FSWE Study Guide.

restrictions for US goods abroad. Or, you could be a human resources or financial officer -- in Namibia, Panama or Denmark. But no matter which job description and which country are most alluring to you, you begin by taking the Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE).

For the first time, the Foreign Service Written Exam is being offered twice in one year as part of the State Department's new aggressive recruitment effort. The department plans to hire 5,000 new employees over the next three years, increasing its staffing levels by more than 1,400, according to Niels Marquardt, director of the agency's new Diplomatic Readiness Task Force.

The Foreign Service Written Exam

The FSWE measures many areas of knowledge, clearly laid out in the State Department's Web site (www.careers.state.gov). Foreign Service officers are representatives of the US overseas and domestically, and they are expected to have a strong grounding in domestic government and policy, international affairs, economics, US culture and geography. A General Knowledge section measures a candidate's mastery in 13 subject areas that include the aforementioned topics. There is an English Expression Section that tests writing and grammar. A Biographical Data section gathers information about the candidate's skills, interests, and academic, professional and extracurricular experiences.

The exam also includes a written essay, which evaluates a candidate's analytic and writing abilities; topics vary from year to year and can include a wide range of US or global policy issues.

In the fall of 2001, almost 24,000 people registered for the written exam, and approximately 13,000 took it -- a 63 percent increase over the previous year, according to Marquardt.

The Oral Assessment

If you pass the FSWE exam, the next step is an all-day oral assessment. These exercises are based on a job and skills analysis of Foreign Service work. There are three main parts of the day: a group exercise, an individual oral presentation and a written exercise.

As part of its new recruitment outreach, the State Department will be hosting oral assessment prep sessions around the country. Log on to its Web site for more information.

Tips for Preparing for the FSE

According to Marquardt, one can prepare for the exam, but he warns that it is "not an exam that lends itself to cramming." A composition or writing course is helpful for the English expression and essay sections of the written exam. For the general knowledge section, it is helpful to stay current on world events through regular reading of quality news publications like the Economist and the New York Times. Benjamin Garcia, senior HR officer in the US embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, agrees. "I used to and still love to read the New York Times, so I have always scored well in current events or world geography tests," he said.

An attorney who successfully passed the exam this fall had this take on the test: "The most challenging part of the exam is that it encompasses so many different areas, e.g., geography, history, economics, political science, law and others. I found the most effective study aides to be a world atlas, as it is a tremendous source for information, and the international section of the newspaper, which kept my knowledge updated on current events while providing background regarding those events."