First time failing the FSOT

On February 4, I took the Foreign Service Officer Test (formerly the Foreign Service Written Exam) for the first time in about six years. This past Thursday I found out I didn't pass. Despite the feeling after the test that I didn't do well in the essay section, I was still bummed, mostly because I've never failed the written test before.

What's interesting is that they now break down the scores for you, though it's in the form of a "T-score." Here's how my scores translate to the more traditional "percentile ranking." [Source]

Job knowledge: 61.49 > 87th percentile
Biographic Information: 62.03 > 89th percentile
English Expression: 54.12 > 66th percentile
[Score converter]

As in my case, when sum of the three section scores is above 154, the examiners grade the essay. I needed 6 out of 12 on the essay to pass the whole thing; unfortunately, I got a 5. Now I have to wait a year before I test again.

In trying to look at the bright side, I focus on a couple things. First, it doesn't look like they're offering the oral assessment anywhere but Washington, D.C., which I've been advised to avoid because of the caliber of the candidates that live there. It saved me quite a bit of airfare.

Second, with career prospects in the Army looking good right now it's not likely I'd continue my candidacy anyway. Yes, it would be nice to transition as an FSO-5 and get promoted to FSO-4 in two years, but if I stay two more years in the Army I'll transfer as an FSO-4 anyway.

Finally, and this is admittedly a bit silly, I'd like to show up at my high school reunion as an Army captain. Being a company-grade officer 20 years after high school is not really high on the list of awesomeness, but everyone I knew from way back when expresses surprise to hear I joined the Army (my family most of all). I kind of like that.

So it's not a total loss -- after all, I still have a good job -- but it's something I'd have liked to have an option on, at least. A captain with four years of service has reached a significant inflection point in his pay scale -- things level off quickly from that point forward. [Military pay chart] And with the drawdown casting a cloud on things, I wonder if I'll be able to do the things I hope for in the future.

Oh well. As I've told myself at least a half-dozen other times, there's always next year....