FSOT Score Breakdown

My test scores for the Foreign Service Officer Test came back recently; I actually did better than I thought I did. The test is a bit different than others I've taken before, as on each section you're graded compared to all the other test takers. Your score is therefore dependent both on how well you did, but also the strength of the test taking group. This percentage is shown as its equivalent T-score, and you need a combined T-score of at least 154 from the three sections to get your essay graded.

Here are my results:

Job Knowledge: 52.01 (58%)
Biographic Information: 30.53 (3%)
English Expression: 56.38 (74%)

Total Score: 138.92 (15.08 off from passing)

I wasn't worried at all with the English Expression portion, as I scored well on the practice tests and tend to read a lot. A quarter of the test takers scored better than me, however, so I've got room for improvement. I wonder how many questions I got wrong though, since a competitive group would mean even a few missed questions would drop your percentage drastically. I think I can add another 4-5 points come November in any case. Which reminds me, I should go buy "Elements of Style."

I was quite surprised how high I scored on the Job Knowledge section. I suppose that my International Relations major came into play, but I certainly feel that there is so much to learn about the world, and that any time I forgo studying to go work out or play video games, that some other guy is getting a leg up on me. This section also contains questions on management theory and constitutional amendments, which I'll be sure to study for next time. With all the Economist I've been reading, I should be OK with any current events. I want to say that I can get a 60 next time, but I'll be cautiously optimistic and say 58 (6 point improvement). Those cultural and art history questions will probably be my Achilles' heel, but maybe my daily NPR Fresh Air listening will help.

If I were to actually improve that much on the English and Job Knowledge sections, I would need to boost my Biographic Info section by 5 points. Unlike the past two portions, this one doesn't receive any benefit from studying hours at a time over at Starbucks. The questions ask for you to answer using your own experiences, which is what I sorely lack. Being a dorm RA and JET ALT just don't provide me enough material to answer the questions, but at least I know that now. Were it not for the Bio Info section I might now be preparing for a flight to Washington D.C., where my dearth of relevant experiences would certainly have been apparent at the Oral Assessment. I like jumping into challenges, however, so I wouldn't have minded. In sports they say you have to play with those whom are better than you if you want to improve your own game; this can't be much different, so it would have been great to interact with so many potential diplomats.

But anyway, in preparation for next year's test I'll have to find some positions of leadership here in Yatsushiro. Perhaps I can help out with the local newspaper some ALTs write or volunteer to present at the conferences that JET does for new employees. I know what I'm getting into this time, and if I can improve my previous score that'll at least vindicate all this studying I've done. And since I'm at a lowly 3% in the Bio Info section, getting a few more points can't be all that hard, right?