DFA accepting applications for FSO exams until Jan. 31

The Department of Foreign Affairs is now accepting applications for the Foreign Service Officer examinations and it will do so until Jan. 31.

According to the DFA, the Board of Foreign Service Examinations is looking to recruit candidates for Foreign Service Officer Class IV.

It said the qualifying test will be held March 10, while the preliminary interview has been tentatively scheduled on April 6.

The third phase, the written test, will be held April 10 to 12, while the schedules of the psychological test and oral test will be announced later.

Qualifying test

The DFA said the qualifying test covers:

- English grammar and correct usage
- reading comprehension
- logical reasoning
- quantitative reasoning/data interpretation
- leadership/knowledge of management concepts.

It said the testing centers for the qualifying test include:

- Bacolod City
- Baguio City
- Cagayan de Oro City
- Cebu City
- Davao City
- Iloilo City
- General Santos City
- Legazpi City
- Lucena City
- Metro Manila
- San Fernando City (La Union)
- San Fernando City (Pampanga)
- Tacloban City
- Zamboanga City.

Candidates must get a passing grade of at least 80 percent in the qualifying test to qualify for the preliminary interview tentatively scheduled for March 31.

Preliminary interview

Candidates shall be interviewed by a panel of Foreign Service Officers to evaluate their overall potential for becoming FSOs and future ambassadors.

It will be held in:

- Metro Manila
- Cebu City
- Davao City
- Iloilo City
- Cagayan de Oro City.

"However, the Board reserves the right not to conduct the preliminary interview outside Metro Manila depending on the number of qualified candidates," the DFA said.

Candidates who pass the panel will qualify for the written test.

Written test

The written test covers six subjects:

- English, 20%
- Filipino, 5%
- Philippine Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Conditions: Philippine history, culture, foreign policy, geography, government, development issues and goals, 30%
- International Affairs: Theory and practice of international economics and trade, international politics, international law and treaties, 20%
- World History, 20%
- Foreign Language: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish, 5%

The testing centers for the written test will be the DFA in Manila.

However, the Board reserves the right to also conduct the written test outside Metro Manila depending on the number of qualified candidates.

Candidates must earn a passing grade of at least 75% in the written test to qualify for the oral test.

Psychological and oral tests

A psychological test shall be held in Manila after the results of the written test have been determined.

The oral test shall be held in Manila after the results of the psychological test have been determined.

It will include an assessment of the candidate’s oral skills, logical thinking, values and attitude.

"Previous records, experiences and conduct of examinees shall also be considered in determining the candidate's fitness and aptitude for foreign service work," the DFA said.

Candidates who obtain a transmuted score of at least 80% shall be deemed to have passed the oral test.

A candidate must garner an official composite rating of 80% or above in the written test and oral test to pass the FSO examination.

The DFA said any applicant who passes the qualifying test shall no longer be allowed to defer any of the succeeding portions of the FSO examination.

It added an applicant who fails to show up for or does not take the succeeding phase of the FSO Examination as scheduled shall be deemed to have failed the entire examination.

Qualifications and requirements

1. Citizenship: Applicants should be natural-born Filipino citizens and concurrently permanent residents in the Philippines. Those who pass the FSO Examination with more than one citizenship shall subscribe and swear to an oath of allegiance to the Philippines and renounce their oath of allegiance to any other country, prior to assumption of office.

2. Age: Applicants should not be more than than 35 years old on the day of the qualifying test or on March 10. The maximum age limit does not apply to those who have been employed in the DFA or Foreign Service Institute for at lerast two years prior to the date of the FSO qualifying examinations and who meet the other qualifications required of candidates for the examination.

3. Education: Applicants should have at least graduated from a four-year bachelor’s degree course or higher on or before the prescribed due date of submission of requirements, and shall present the transcript of records, and either the diploma, certificate of graduation, or its equivalent, from a college or university of recognized standing.

4. Work Experience or Further Studies: Applicants should have undergone employment or undertaken further studies after graduating from college or university (preferably at least two years).

How to apply

Application forms may be obtained from the DFA website (www.dfa.gov.ph), or personally secured from the DFA main office, regional consular offices or Philippine embassies/consulates

Application forms shall be submitted in person until January 25 at any regional consular office or at Philippine embassies or consulates abroad, and not later than January 31 until 5 p.m. only at the Board of Foreign Service Examinations Secretariat, 2nd Floor, DFA main building in Pasay City.

The following shall be attached to the completed application forms:

- Certified True Copy (CTC) of transcript of records from the college or university from which the degree was obtained, bearing the seal of the college or university;

- Applicants who attended post-graduate schools shall submit a copy of their transcript of records certified as true copy by the school, in addition to their college or university records. Transcript of records obtained from a foreign school shall be certified as true copy by the foreign school, with English translation, or duly authenticated by a Philippine Foreign Service Post which jurisdiction covers said foreign school;

- Certified True Copy (CTC) of diploma or certificate of graduation from the college or university from which the degree was obtained, bearing the seal of the college or university;

- Proof of past or present employment or further studies;

- Original birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office. The Report of Birth shall be duly authenticated by the issuing post. A certification of non-availability of said document from the NSO shall be submitted along with the report of birth;

- eight 1.5 × 2 inch black-and-white or color studio-taken photographs, taken within six months before the date of the examination, showing the full frontal view of the face of the applicant with a name tag. Photocopied, scanned and digitally enhanced pictures shall not be accepted; and

- two self-addressed and self-stamped envelopes marked as priority mail.

For a Filipino citizen who has dual or multiple citizenship:

- a notarized affidavit stating that upon passing the examination, he/she intends to renounce his/her oath of allegiance to his/her other countries of citizenship; and

- he/she must also submit a notarized affidavit stating that he/she is a permanent resident in the Philippines.

For married applicants:

- Certified True Copy (CTC) of marriage contract from the National Statistics office. If married to a foreigner, he/she must secure from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, through the Board of Foreign Service Examinations, authority to take the FSO Examinations.

A non-refundable admission fee of P500 shall be collected from those who shall take the 2013 qualifying test upon initial inspection and acceptance of their application. — LBG, GMA News