After receiving this package, I stepped up my research and reading about the FS and the State Department in general. I found several blogs similar to this where individuals chronicled their experiences. Other than that I did not find to much information on the OA process. Most of the postings were extremely vague and cited NDA. Having signed my Non Disclosure Agreement, I will not be sharing any details either.
In general my OA started with me finding transportation and a hotel for my stay in Washington. All of this was on my own dime. I suppose that is by design to aid in weeding out those who are not completely interested in a position with the FS. With some cheap tickets and some planning, I was able to make the whole trip on about $350. That doesn't include the cost of the new suit I bought for the interview.
I scheduled my flight to come in the day before and leave the day after my OA. I got a decent night sleep and on October 8, 2010 I started my short trek from my hotel to the building where the OA would take place. A nice stroll to the Metro station, a short train ride from Crystal City to L'Enfant Plaza and finally a 5 block walk to the State Department building.
My OA's took the same format as what is posted online HERE
Here is an excerpt from that site...
Candidates forwarded by the qualifications process are invited to travel to Washington, D.C. at their own expense to the Foreign Service Assessment Center to participate in an oral assessment test that consists of a writing exercise, a structured interview, and an exit interview. The new format for some specialties also requires a competency exam (online technical multiple-choice test.)Well after several nerve racking hours, during the exit interview I was congratulated on passing the OA! Next steps, Security Clearance, Medical Clearance and Final Review. Below are the dates I completed each of the steps. Currently my package is with the Final Review Panel. Once the panel determines whether or not I am suitable for the Foreign Service, I will be given a score based on my OA and Veteran status. Then I will be placed on the Register of cleared applicant. I will be put on the list based on my score. When it is time to fill a class they start at the top of the list and work their way down to the necessary number. .
When you come to the Oral Assessment, you will be asked to read and sign the following three forms pertaining to the conditions for taking the Oral Assessment and conditions of employment in the Foreign Service. If you are not willing to abide by these conditions, you should not schedule an Oral Assessment.
* Three Conditions of Foreign Service Employment (pdf)
* Medical Clearance for Eligible Family Members (pdf)
* Non-Disclosure Form (pdf)
Writing Exercise:
Candidates will be asked to write either an essay or will be presented a hypothetical problem set in an embassy environment related to the candidate’s area of specialization. The candidate will be required to write a two-page memo outlining how to solve the problem presented. The candidate will have 45 minutes for the writing exercise. He/she will have a computer available to use, but may write the essay or memo in longhand.
Structured Interview:
The interview will be conducted by two examiners, a Foreign Service generalist and a Foreign Service specialist or generalist working in your field. The interview generally takes about 75 minutes.
There are two parts to the structured interview. In the first part of the interview, the candidate will be asked about his/her motivation for joining the Foreign Service and about background experiences that might be relevant to their work as a Foreign Service specialist. In the second part of the interview, the second interviewer will ask questions in the candidate’s field and provide hypothetical workplace problems to resolve. Candidates are expected to use common sense and good judgment and to make assumptions they believe are appropriate in responding to the hypothetical situations.
Competency Exam:
Candidates may be given a computer based multiple-choice exam that presents a series of technical and/or situational judgment questions. It is intended to measure job-related knowledge and how the candidate might apply that knowledge on the job. This exam is timed and lasts approximately 45 minutes. The exam is designed to present more questions than can generally be answered in the time allowed, so candidates should not expect to answer every question.
Exit Interview:
At the conclusion of the interview, candidates will return to the waiting room while the examiners consolidate their scores. They will then be asked to return to the interview room where the examiners will inform them whether or not they reached the cut-off score which will enable the State Department to continue the candidacy. If the candidate reaches the cut-off score, the examiners will brief him/her on the next steps in the pre-employment process.
OA completed: 10/8/10
Med Submitted: 11/2/10
Med Cleared: 11/17/10
Sec Interview: 11/22/10
Sec Adjudicated: 1/7/11
Sent to FRP 1/24/11
Well this is where I stand as of today, I have called and checked on my status a couple of times, most recently yesterday. I was told to call back on Friday February 4....
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