Foreign Service Officer Test FSOT Job Knowledge Practice Test 2022 (60 Question Answer): The following sample questions are intended to familiarize you with representative types of questions that appear in this part of the Foreign Service Officer Test. They are examples of the subject matter covered by this test, not the degree of difficulty. There is an answer key at the end of the sample test questions.
Directions: Each question or incomplete statement below is followed by four suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case. (N.B. In the actual online FSOT, once you complete and exit a test section, you may not return to that section.)
We recommend that you take this test under the same constraints you will have in the exam. Take the whole test within 40 minutes, without bathroom breaks. You have an average of 40 seconds per question (60 questions). Do not use a calculator, as they will not be allowed in the exam. Remember that the Department of State does not deduct points for wrong answers; if you are unsure about an answer, make an educated guess.
FSOT Job Knowledge Practice Test 2024
Knowledge Area: United States Government (general understanding of the composition and functioning of the Federal Government, the Constitution and its history, the structure of Congress and its role in foreign affairs, as well as the United States political system and its role in governmental structure, formulation of government policies, and foreign affairs).
Warm-up test with 20 questions
Q1. A political device of drawing irregular district lines in order to favor one political power over another is called:
- A. gerrymandering
- B. filibustering
- C. federalizing
- D. rezoning
Q2. Congress can override a Presidential veto of a congressional bill by:
- A. not signing the bill
- B. passing the bill again by a two-thirds majority in both houses
- C. filibustering
- D. voting to place the bill in the congressional record
Q3. Which of the following amendments to the Constitution affect the political process by declaring that the Federal government should not interfere with the press?
- A. First
- B. Fifth
- C. Seventh
- D. None – no amendment refers to the press
Knowledge Area: United States Society and Culture (general understanding of major events, institutions, and movements in national history, including political and economic history, as well as national customs and culture, social issues and trends, and the influence of U.S. society on foreign policy and foreign affairs)
Q4. The primary medium for the diffusion of American popular culture throughout the world following World War I was:
- A. motion pictures
- B. newspapers
- C. radio
- D. books
Q5. The architect Maya Lin is known for designing the:
- A. Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas
- B. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
- C. Sears Tower, Chicago
- D. Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Knowledge Area: World History and Geography (general understanding of significant world historical events, issues, and developments, including their impact on U.S. foreign policy, as well as knowledge of world geography and its relationship to U.S. foreign policy)
Q6. The most economical route for an oil pipeline from Turkmenistan to world export markets would cross:
- A. Iran
- B. Afghanistan
- C. Uzbekistan
- D. Pakistan
Q7. The purpose of the South African policy of apartheid was best described as the:
- A. segregation of blacks from English-speaking whites
- B. control of immigration from neighboring countries
- C. protection of the economic, political, and social status of Afrikaners
- D. promotion of equal opportunity for various racial groups
Knowledge Area: Economics (general understanding of basic economic principles, as well as a general understanding of economic issues and the economic system of the United States)
Q8. The Council of Economic Advisers advises which of the following on monetary and fiscal policy?
- A. The Federal Reserve Bank
- B. The Joint Economic Committee of Congress
- C. The President of the United States
- D. The Senate Budget Committee
Q9. All of the following are examples of United States products that would typically fail to be produced to optimal output without government intervention EXCEPT:
- A. national defense products.
- B. light provided by lighthouses.
- C. new automobiles.
- D. new highways.
Knowledge Area: Mathematics and Statistics (basic mathematical and statistical procedures and calculations)
Q10. After a 3 percent raise and a $3,000 bonus, a worker’s salary increased to $50,000. What was the worker’s salary before the raise and bonus?
- A. $48,544
- B. $47,000
- C. $46,910
- D. $45,631
Q11. The test scores for seven students are 90, 90, 70, 40, 80, 90 and 100. What is the median score for this group?
- A. 70
- B. 80
- C. 85
- D. 90
Knowledge Area: Management (general understanding of basic management and supervisory techniques and methods. Includes knowledge of human psychology, leadership, motivational strategies and equal employment practices)
Q12. The primary guideline for effective delegation of tasks to subordinates is to:
- A. delegate to subordinates only when necessary
- B. delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks to subordinates
- C. provide subordinates information on a “need-to-know” basis
- D. provide assistance to subordinates whenever it is requested
Q13. A work group that has high performance norms and low cohesiveness will most likely have which of the following levels of performance?
- A. Very high
- B. High
- C. Moderate
- D. Low
Knowledge Area: Communication (general understanding of principles of effective communication and public speaking techniques, as well as general knowledge of the common sources of information, public media and media relations)
Q14. Posing rhetorical questions, telling a story, and providing a quotation are all techniques that help a public speaker to:
- A. arouse audience curiosity
- B. avoid audience questions
- C. increase audience anxiety
- D. avoid visual aids
Q15. Unless told otherwise, a professional journalist will most likely consider anything said by a source to be:
- A. off the record
- B. on the record
- C. on background
- D. not attributable
Knowledge Area: Computers (general understanding of basic computer operations such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and preparing and using email)
Q16. It is common practice of email users to have some specific text automatically appear at the end of their sent messages. This text is called their:
- A. attachment
- B. subject
- C. signature
- D. protocol
- A. a “cooling off” period before workers in a critical industry could strike
- B. the right of federal workers in non-defense agencies to organize and strike
- C. the government’s right to prohibit strikes by industrial workers during wartime
- D. collective bargaining and the right to organize as national policy
- A. audiotaped transcripts
- B. Supreme Court deliberations
- C. electronic records
- D. Presidential campaign contributions
Q19. In federal government budgeting, “mandatory” spending differs from “discretionary” spending in which way?
- A. Legislative committees may not cut mandatory spending levels
- B. Mandatory spending is not subject to the annual appropriations process
- C. Discretionary spending increases in one budget category must be offset by reductions elsewhere
- D. Bills to re-categorize mandatory funding as discretionary must originate in the House
- A. http://www.pressdigest.org
- B. http://www.foreignaffairs.org
- C. http://www.associateprogram.com
- D. http://www.info-strategy.com
Final Test
Q1. Which of the following diplomats designed the policy of containment with the Soviet Union?
- (A) Richard Haass
- (B) Richard Holbrooke
- (C) George Kennan
- (D) Henry Kissinger
Q2. Which of the following countries is located in the area known as the Cradle of Civilization in the fertile crescent?
- (A) Iraq
- (B) Greece
- (C) Egypt
- (D) Italy
Q3. The current U.S. system of four time zones was established in 1883. Which of the following organizations created the time zone system?
- (A) Congress
- (B) The railroads
- (C) Wells Fargo
- (D) The telegraph companies
Q4. In 1951, this country was the first country to achieve independence through the United Nations, when it became a constitutional and hereditary monarchy. The country has the largest oil reserves in Africa. Which country is this?
- (A) Nigeria
- (B) Libya
- (C) Angola
- (D) Saudi Arabia
Q5. The Triangle Shirtwaist factory is best known for which of the following reasons:
- (A) It is the last remaining operating factory in New York’s garment district
- (B) The first major outsourcing operation
- (C) A major strike in the early 20th century
- (D) A fire that killed 146 people in the early 20th century
Q6. The Shinto religion is a major religion in which of these countries?
- (A) Thailand
- (B) Japan
- (C) Malaysia
- (D) Myanmar
Q7. The Canadian company Research in Motion is best known for which of the following:
- (A) Smart phones
- (B) Electric vehicles
- (C) Software
- (D) Renewable energy
Q8. Which of the following countries is a former Italian colony that has the largest crude oil reserves in Africa?
- (A) Mali
- (B) Gabon
- (C) Nigeria
- (D) Libya
Q9. Which of the following is the most populous Arab nation?
- (A) Saudi Arabia
- (B) Egypt
- (C) Indonesia
- (D) Iraq
Q10. The model of delivering computer services over the internet using shared servers and software is an example of which of the following:
- (A) Grid computing
- (B) Data warehouse computing
- (C) Autonomic computing
- (D) Cloud computing
Q11. Which of the following is the largest daily newspaper in the United States by circulation?
- (A) USA Today
- (B) Los Angeles Times
- (C) Wall Street Journal
- (D) New York Times
Q12. Which of the following countries has the largest Muslim population?
- (A) Indonesia
- (B) Saudi Arabia
- (C) Iran
- (D) Pakistan
Q13. The Opium War of 1839-1842 was fought by the British against which of the following countries?
- (A) Afghanistan
- (B) China
- (C) India
- (D) Indochina
Q14. The term “Licensing Raj” refers to which of the following:
- (A) Regulation of private businesses in India after independence
- (B) Hunting regulations in India during British rule in India
- (C) Mercantilist regulations set up by the British East India Company
- (D) Education system prior to British rule in India
Q15. Nollywood produces approximately 50 full-length films a week, making it the world’s second most prolific film industry after Bollywood in Bombay, India. Which of the following is the city in which Nollywood is based?
- (A) Toronto
- (B) Nippon
- (C) Lagos
- (D) Moscow
Q16. The Cancun climate conference which was held in 2010 reached an agreement called REDD. What was the principal objective of REDD?
- (A) To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars
- (B) To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation
- (C) To reduce the pace worldwide of forest loss
- (D) To transfer resources (money) from developed countries to less developed countries to combat climate change
Q17. Peter travels from the U.S. to Peru, from Peru to Brazil, and then back to the U.S. He leaves the U.S. with $1,000, which he converts into Peruvian Soles at a rate of PS 8/ USD. While in Peru, he spends 3,200 Soles. Then, he converted the remaining Soles into Cruzeiros at a rate of PS 1.2 / BC. He spends 2,000 Cruzeiros. Finally, he converts any remaining Cruzeiros into USD upon his return to the US at a rate of BC 5 / USD. How many US Dollars did he spend during his trip?
- (A) $248
- (B) $400
- (C) $600
- (D) $752
Q18. The Middle Kingdom is most commonly used to identify which of the following countries?
- (A) China
- (B) United Kingdom
- (C) Saudi Arabia
- (D) Belgium
Q19. The League of Nations was established at the Treaty of Versailles after the end of the first World War. The creation of the League of Nations was a centerpiece of President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points for Peace. Which of the following countries was never a member of the League of Nations?
- (A) China
- (B) United States
- (C) Germany
- (D) Japan
Q20. Which of the following is the oldest city in the U.S. that was founded by European settlers?
- (A) St. Augustine, FL
- (B) Santa Fe, NM
- (C) Los Angeles, CA
- (D) El Paso, TX
Q21. Which of the following events is known as the trail of tears?
- (A) The forced marches that concentration camp detainees were forced to take at the end of World War II
- (B) The trip that Cherokee Indians were forced to take from Georgia to Oklahoma
- (C) The return of escaped African Americans slaves from northern states to the South
- (D) The route that the Mormons took when they resettled in Utah after the murder of Joseph Smith in Illinois
Q22. The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions called for better (or more equal) treatment of which of the following?
- (A) African Americans
- (B) Women
- (C) Native Americans
- (D) Mexican Americans
Q23. The term “AAMOF” is most likely to mean which of the following?
- (A) An international trade organization
- (B) African-American Movement of Freedom
- (C) As a matter of fact
- (D) A treaty between the U.S. and Russia
Q24. Which of the following Asian countries was formerly known as Ceylon?
- (A) Cambodia
- (B) Sri Lanka
- (C) Thailand
- (D) Myanmar
Q25. In 2007, a country announced the discovery of oil deposits in a field deep below the seabed off its coast. This is oil field has become the largest oil discovery in recent times. In which country is this field located?
- (A) Brazil
- (B) Norway
- (C) Canada
- (D) Venezuela
- (A) Norway
- (B) Croatia
- (C) Romania
- (D) Latvia
Q27. Which country hosted military bases of both the United States and Russia in the 2000s?
- (A) Ukraine
- (B) Kyrgyzstan
- (C) Macedonia
- (D) Afghanistan
Q28. Which of the following countries best fits this description? Country located in Central America with its North Coast on the Caribbean Sea and the South Coast on the Pacific Ocean. This country was originally settled by the Mayans, and Columbus discovered it for the Europeans in 1502. The country’s name is derived from a name given to the area by Columbus. U. S. companies owned vast banana plantations on this country’s North Coast during the 20th Century, and this country hosted one of the largest Peace Corps delegations in the world.
- (A) Panama
- (B) Dominican Republic
- (C) Honduras
- (D) Costa Rica
Q29. All Western European countries that are members of the EU adopted the Euro currency except for three countries. Three of the four countries listed below have not adopted the Euro. Please select the country that HAS adopted the Euro as its currency from the following list:
- (A) United Kingdom
- (B) Sweden
- (C) Finland
- (D) Denmark
Q30. If the extension at the end of a file name is.htm, what is this file most likely to have?
- (A) An image
- (B) An executable file
- (C) An application
- (D) A web page
Q31. Which of the following is the best example of a Pigouvian tax?
- (A) A tax on cigarettes
- (B) A tax rate that increases as incomes increase
- (C) A value-added tax
- (D) A property tax
Q32. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 protects employees ages _____ and above from age discrimination.
- (A) 40
- (B) 50
- (C) 55
- (D) 60
- (A) 10
- (B) 13
- (C) 14
- (D) 26
Q34. Mercosur is a trade block among countries from which of the following regions:
- (A) South East Asia
- (B) South America
- (C) Sub-Saharan Africa
- (D) Balkans
Q35. The Treaty on Open Skies is most likely to deal with which of the following?
- (A) Increase in the number of air routes between participant countries
- (B) A regime of unarmed aerial observation over the territory of its participants
- (C) A program for space exploration
- (D) Rules to increase competition on commercial air routes among participant countries
Q36. Many interstate highways in the U.S. have (or had until the 1990s) a maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour. What is the reason for that speed limit?
- (A) To reduce gasoline consumption
- (B) To reduce the number of accidental deaths and serious injuries
- (C) Because cars in the 1940s and 1950s could not safely drive at higher speeds.
- (D) To reduce the rate of accidents among young people
Q37. The term “START” is most likely to mean which of the following?
- (A) Standard terminal access – Refresh task
- (B) A congressional office that conducts research for members of Congress
- (C) A database software
- (D) A treaty signed between the United States and the Soviet Union that aimed to reduce the number of nuclear weapons
Q38. Where was the first Ferris Wheel located?
- (A) London, next to the Thames River
- (B) Chicago for the World’s Fair
- (C) Coney Island at an amusement park
- (D) San Francisco
Q39. The Temperance movement was most concerned with which of the following?
- (A) Smoking
- (B) Slavery
- (C) Alcohol
- (D) Voting rights
Q40. Who was the first African-American author that published a book?
- (A) Harriet Beecher Stowe
- (B) Frederick Douglass
- (C) Harriet Tubman
- (D) Phyllis Wheatley
See also:
- FSOT Practice Test 2024 and Study Guide [PDF]
- FSOT Job Knowledge Practice Test (30 MCQs)
- FSOT Job Knowledge Practice Test (60 MCQs)
- FSOT Situational Judgment Test
- FSOT English Expression Practice Test (60 MCQs)