Since the Department of Foreign Affairs is the most elite government agency in the Philippines, normal applicants won’t just do. So, every applicant for the ambassador or diplomat position must go through the most grueling trial known as the Foreign Service Officer Exam (FSOE).

The FSOE isn’t any normal exam. In 2011, 628 applied to take the FSOE, but only nine applicants passed. There was even one year where no one passed! So, how do you even pass the most difficult government exam? Well, here are tips from one of the lucky passers!

Qualifying Test
The exam has five main parts: Qualifying, Preliminary, Written, Psychological, and Oral. Arguably the easiest part of the exam, the qualifying exam will test your verbal, analytical, numerical, and managerial capacity. If you have passed the Civil Service Exam, then this part of the test will be just a breeze!

To study for this part of the exam, you need to go back to basics. Gather all your high school reviewers and study like you are in high school. You will later see that almost all questions in the qualifying portion are like questions from high school quarterly exams.

Preliminary Test
If you pass the qualifying test, then you will only become qualified to take the preliminary portion. The preliminary test will test your competency as a Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador of the Philippines. A panel of Foreign Service Officers administers this test.

The Preliminary test is like an extremely difficult job interview. While potential questions are diverse and difficult to find out, there’s one way to pass this exam. And that is to memorize and familiarize the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy.

Written Test 
If you hate essays, then this will be torture. The Written part of the test is a three-day essay exam. This portion of the exam will test your knowledge on the following subjects: Filipino, English, politics, social conditions, international affairs, world history, and foreign language.

So, what foreign languages are allowable in this exam? Well, you are allowed to use Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish in the exam.

To pass this exam, it is important that your essays are well-structured and supported with good justifications. Practice by writing essays on a diverse set of topics and have someone evaluate your essays for you.

Psychological Test
After passing all these three, it is time for the psychological test. The psychological test will see your mental capacity for foreign service work. There is no way to prepare for this exam except ensuring that you are mentally and physically well. If you think that you are undergoing extreme stress or mental illness, check with your psychiatrist before you take the FSOE. 

Oral Test
As the last portion of the exam, the oral test will assess your oral skills, logical thinking, values and, attitude. In this portion, you will undergo an individual interview, group discussion, and formal dinner. To prepare for your exam, make sure to know the basic ethics for interviews, group discussions, and formal dinners.

You need at least 80% in the written and oral exam to pass. When you successfully passed the FSOE, you will be recommended to the President for possible high-ranking positions in foreign service.

References: 

https://dfa.gov.ph/faqs
https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/16694-how-to-take-the-foreign-service-officer-exam

Contributed by: Allison Julianne Macasaet
Allison is a freelance writer on the side, a student of international relations on the other. Interests include fantasy books, international relations, and lifestyle..