Current format · introduced October 2025 · Next test window: Jan 30–Feb 6, 2027 · Registration opens Dec 31, 2026 · FSOT test dates
A full-length FSOT simulator built for the test as it is now.
Sit the whole FSOT before test day — 125 questions, three timed sections, 115 minutes, in the format introduced October 2025 — then see exactly which topics are costing you points. Your first full-length simulator is free. AI "why right, why wrong" explanations on every answer and dedicated Logical Reasoning drills turn each miss into your next study session. The timer doesn’t pause, because the FSOT doesn’t either.
- Job Knowledge
- English Understanding & Comprehension
- Logical Reasoning
No credit card. One free full-length attempt.
FSOTPractice is a full-length Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) simulator built for the current exam format, introduced October 2025 — three timed sections including the new Logical Reasoning section, with AI explanations on every answer. One complete timed attempt is free.
Last updated
A diplomat argues that, because every successful negotiation in the region has included a third-party mediator, the next round will also require one. Which option most weakens this conclusion?
- APast negotiations differed in scope from the upcoming round.
- BSeveral recent rounds succeeded without any third-party mediator. (selected)
- CMediators historically reduced the average negotiation length.
- DThe current parties have publicly endorsed direct dialogue.
- sections
- 3sections
- questions
- 125questions
- minutes of testing
- 115minutes of testing
Counts and per-section timings come from the section instructions of the U.S. Department of State official online practice FSOT; the live exam's per-section figures are not separately published, and a small number of candidates report section lengths that differ from the practice form. Last checked November 4, 2026.
What changed in October 2025
The essay, Situational Judgment Test, and Personal Narratives are out. The exam is now three timed multiple-choice sections — and Logical Reasoning is brand new. There is no passing score: State selects candidates to move on based on the highest scores and the needs of the Foreign Service.
Job Knowledge
U.S. government, U.S. and world history, geography, economics, math and statistics.
English Understanding and Comprehension
Grammar, usage, vocabulary in context, and reading comprehension.
Logical Reasoning
Inferences, justifying conclusions, identifying assumptions, and finding logical flaws.
- SUBJECT
- The Foreign Service Officer Test, as it is now
- SECTIONS
- 3
- ITEMS
- 125(50 · 45 · 30)
- TIME
- 115 min(35 · 35 · 45)
- OPTIONS
- 4 per item · no penalty for guessing
- PASS MARK
- ── NONE ──
- SOURCE
- State Dept official online practice FSOT · checked November 4 2026
How it works
Create your account
Three fields. No credit card. Start the timed simulator immediately.
Take the full simulator
All three sections under real exam conditions — per-section timers that don't pause, just like test day.
Analyst capacity, not some other constraint, is the binding limit on throughput.
If intake or some other step is the bottleneck, hiring more analysts won't reduce backlog.
Review with AI explanations
Detailed score breakdown by section and topic, plus a written explanation on every question.
No credit card. One free full-length attempt.
A score report that shows where the points went
Illustrative attempt. The FSOT has no passing score — State selects candidates to move on based on the highest scores and the needs of the Foreign Service — so we report percentage correct by section and topic, never a pass/fail verdict or a predicted score.
- Job Knowledge34 of 50 · 68%
Strong on U.S. government; economics cost the most points.
- English Understanding and Comprehension33 of 45 · 73%
Paragraph ordering was the slowest item type.
- Logical Reasoning17 of 30 · 57%
Assumption and flaw items account for most misses.
We should hire more analysts to reduce backlog. Which assumption is required?
Why A is right: If intake or some other step is the bottleneck, hiring more analysts won't reduce backlog.
- Assumption · 3 of 8
- Flaw · 4 of 9
- Economics · 3 of 7
Next testing window
Jan 30–Feb 6, 2027 · Next test window: Jan 30–Feb 6, 2027 · Registration opens Dec 31, 2026
- 1Day 1
Free full simulator
- 2Days 2–3
Drill Logical Reasoning
- 3The day before
One more full timed simulator
Pay once. No subscription.
Free
What you already have.
- Included: 1 completed full-length simulator
- Included: Overall + section scores
- Included: Answer key for your attempt
Exam Pass
Unlimited simulators and AI explanations for life.
- Included: Unlimited timed simulators
- Included: AI explanations on every answer
- Included: Section + topic score breakdown
- Not included: Logical Reasoning drill mode + Job Knowledge topic drills
- Not included: Drills auto-built from your missed topics
Full Prep
Full simulator and drill access for life.
- Included: Unlimited timed simulators
- Included: AI explanations on every answer
- Included: Section + topic score breakdown
- Included: Logical Reasoning drill mode + Job Knowledge topic drills
- Included: Drills auto-built from your missed topics
Logical Reasoning drills are included in Full Prep ($79) only.
14-day refund if you've completed fewer than two full simulators.
No credit card. One free full-length attempt.
How we built this
Prep is only useful if it is honest about what is known and what is estimated.
Where our timings come from
Our item counts and per-section timings are the official ones: the State Department states them in the section instructions of its U.S. Department of State official online practice FSOT — Job Knowledge 50 items in 35 minutes, English 45 items in 35 minutes, Logical Reasoning 30 items in 45 minutes, 125 items in 115 minutes of testing time. Our simulator matches them exactly. Last checked November 4, 2026. One honest caveat: the section order on the live test is still not published, so ours follows the practice test's order. The 180-minute figure you see quoted elsewhere is the length of the whole appointment — check-in, the non-disclosure agreement, instructions and transitions — not the length of the test.
How the questions are written
Every question is written to the current format and independently checked before it ships — one defensible answer, plausible distractors, and nothing that reproduces a real exam item. We have also removed everything tied to the retired essay, Situational Judgment Test, and Personal Narratives.
Who we are
FSOTPractice is an independent test-prep tool. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of State or any U.S. government agency. We sell two one-time plans and take no advertising.
Frequently asked
Is this affiliated with the U.S. Department of State?
No. FSOTPractice is an independent test-prep service and has no affiliation with the Department of State or any U.S. government agency.
Is the content updated for the October 2025 redesign?
Yes. Our simulator covers the three new sections — Job Knowledge, English Understanding and Comprehension, and Logical Reasoning. We do not include the retired essay, Situational Judgment Test, or Personal Narratives.
What score do I need to pass?
There is no published passing score on the FSOT. In the State Department's own wording, it selects candidates to move on “based on the highest scores and needs of the Foreign Service.” Candidates who sat the exam, and the Pearson candidate portal, describe the cut being applied as a rank within your chosen career track, moving with hiring needs, budget and applicant volume — that framing is theirs, not State's published wording. Those same candidates report never being shown a score at any stage: the outcome is a pass-or-fail email, typically 6 to 8 weeks after the testing window closes. That is why we never show pass or fail, and why our per-section breakdown may be the only feedback on your own performance you ever get.
How do AI explanations work?
After each attempt, paid plans show a written explanation for every question describing why the correct answer is right and why each distractor is wrong.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes. Request a refund within 14 days of purchase and we'll refund you in full, provided you've completed fewer than two full-length simulators. This applies to all plans.
Free FSOT guides
Everything we know about the redesigned exam, written up and kept current.
What Changed in the FSOT in October 2025
A clear breakdown of the new three-section format, what the State Department removed, and what it means for how you prep.
Read the guideFSOT Logical Reasoning Explained
What the brand-new Logical Reasoning section measures, every question type you'll see, and how to approach inferences, assumptions, strengthen/weaken, and flaw questions.
Read the guideFree FSOT Practice Test vs. Paid Simulator: When Each Makes Sense
Free FSOT practice tests, the State Department's official sample, and paid simulators — what each gives you, what they miss, and when the upgrade is worth it.
Read the guideStart your free timed simulator
Next test window: Jan 30–Feb 6, 2027 · Registration opens Dec 31, 2026
Three fields, no credit card. Take a full-length, three-section FSOT under real exam conditions — including the new Logical Reasoning section.
Start your free simulatorNo credit card. One free full-length attempt.
14-day refund if you've completed fewer than two full simulators. · Independent prep, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.