The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

Trust but Verify In order to deter misrepresentation by applicants on the extensive application forms and essays, HR instituted a verification process for applications reviewed by the QEP after the candidate passes the written exam. Each mini-essay must include a contact person who can verify the events described, and references are contacted. Because of the volume of this kind of work, HR has con- tracted with Foreign Service retirees to help. However, verification so early in the process may be turning some applicants off. Several candidates told the Journal they were uncomfortable having references, especially a current supervisor, contacted before the Oral Assessment and before it would be clear if a Foreign Service job offer would ever come out of the process. Candidate Mark Palermo explains: “My chief concern about the vignettes was the verification process. I am the chief operating officer of a fairly large company. My boss is the CEO, and the manner in which he was asked to verify a certain story came across as unsophisticated and perplexing, particularly given the level of my job and the fact that I’ve already been through a background check [from passing the orals before].” HR tells the Journal that although it is noted on the State Web site, many candidates may not realize that they have the option not to list a current supervisor as one of the contacts, and will not be penalized for such an omission. The Oral Assessment Once candidates pass the QEP, they receive an invita- tion to the Oral Assessment. The delay between the writ- ten exam and the invitation to the orals, which can be sev- eral months and includes the QEP process, is a source of stress for some applicants. However, the wait is getting shorter than it was under the old system. The format and content of the traditional Oral F O C U S 22 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 8 The State Department has decided to administer a new entrance exam to measure the suitability of prospec- tive Foreign Service officers and to weed out the dummies. We have managed to obtain a copy of the test. Here are some sample questions. INSTRUCTIONS: Read each question carefully. Answer all questions. Time limit: four hours, begin immediately. HISTORY: Describe the history of the papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its social, political, economic and philo- sophical impact on Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Be brief and specific. MEDICINE: You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze and a bottle of Scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until your work has been inspect- ed. You have 15 minutes. BIOLOGY: Create life. Estimate the difference in subse- quent human culture if this form had developed 500 million years earlier, with special attention to its probable effects on the English parliamentary system. Prove your thesis. MUSIC: Write a piano concerto. Orchestrate and per- form it with flute and drum. You will find a piano under your seat. PHILOSOPHY: Sketch the development of human thought, then estimate its significance. Compare with the development of any other kind of thought. PSYCHOLOGY: Based on your knowledge of their works, evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment and repressed frustrations of each of the following: Rameses II, Gregory of Nicea, William of Occam, Hammurabi. Support your evaluations with quotes from each man’s work, mak- ing approximate references. It is not necessary to translate. SOCIOLOGY: Estimate the sociological problems which might accompany the end of the world. Construct an experiment to test your theory. ENGINEERING: The disassembled parts of a high-pow- ered rifle have been placed on your desk. You will also find an instruction manual printed in Swahili. In 10 minutes a hungry Bengal tiger will enter the room. Take whatever action you feel to be appropriate. Be prepared to justify your decision. ECONOMICS: Develop a realistic plan for refinancing the national debt. Trace the possible effects of your plan in the following areas: Cubism, the wave theory of light, the Sonatist controversy. Criticize this method from all possi- ble viewpoints. Point out the deficiencies in your point of view, as demonstrated in the answer to the last question. POLITICAL SCIENCE: Start World War III. Report its sociopolitical effects, if any. EPISTEMOLOGY: Take a position for or against truth. Prove the validity of your stand. PHYSICS: Explain the nature of matter. Include in your answer an evaluation of the impact of the development of mathematics on science. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Describe in detail. Be objective and specific. Weeding Out the Dummies The following is excerpted from a “test” that has circulated for years. The author is unknown.