Applicants for the examination must be knowledgeable on the economic, political and social conditions of the Philippines, and must possess not only facility in oral and written communications, but must also possess the personality traits essential to the performance of the duties of Foreign Service Officers.  They must also be willing and able to accept assignments to any post where their services may be required.

Applicants are advised to check the eligibility requirements to ensure that they meet the said admission requirements. No exemptions from the requirements shall be considered. Applicants who are found ineligible, or who have submitted incomplete application forms and requirements, shall not be allowed to take the examination, and their admission fees shall be forfeited.

DUTIES OF A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER

The duties of a Foreign Service Officer include: gathering information, analyzing and reporting political, economic, technological, cultural and other events and developments; drafting diplomatic notes and other forms of diplomatic correspondence; preparing briefing papers and other foreign policy papers for the Department and other offices of government as may be required; assisting in the preparation and conduct of international conferences; managing and supervising staff; disseminating information; working with other government agencies and private groups and individuals in promoting Philippine interests abroad; undertaking negotiations; assisting Filipinos abroad and protecting their rights; promoting Philippine culture and trade; bringing in foreign investments and promoting tourism to the Philippines; performing consular functions; and representing the Philippines in various international fora. 

FSO EXAMINATIONS

The FSO Examination is composed of five (5) parts:

(1) Career Service Examination for Foreign Service Officer (CSE-FSO);

(2) Preliminary Interview;

(3) Written Test;

(4) Psychological Test; and

(5) Oral Test.

I.  Career Service Examination for Foreign Service Officer – 15 December 2013

The CSE-FSO shall be conducted in collaboration with the Civil Service Commission. The CSE-FSO is both a Qualifying Test for the FSO Examination and an eligibility examination.

The CSE-FSO covers (1) Verbal Ability; (2) Analytical Ability; (3) Numerical Ability; and (4) Managerial Ability.

The testing centers are in Baguio City, Cagayan de Oro City, Cebu City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Legazpi City, Metro Manila, San Fernando City, La Union, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, and Zamboanga City.  Depending on the demand, there may also be testing centers in New York and San Francisco USA; Paris, France; and Dubai, UAE. The BFSE reserves the right to modify the list of testing centers depending on the number of applicants at any testing center.

Candidates must obtain a rating of at least 80 to pass the CSE-FSO. Those who pass shall be conferred the Career Foreign Service Officer Eligibility by the Civil Service Commission. They shall also qualify to the next stage of the FSO Examination, the Preliminary Interview.

The Career Foreign Service Officer Eligibility shall be appropriate for appointment to first and second level positions in the foreign service and to all other first and second level positions in the government, except to positions requiring qualifications in skills or trade test and/or passing the Board or Bar examinations, or those requiring eligibilities provided under other laws, subject to meeting all the qualification requirements of the positions.

The corresponding Certificate of Eligibility (COE) shall be released to successful local examinees by the CSC through its Regional Offices in charge of the testing center where they took the CSE-FSO.  For examinees abroad, the COE shall be released through Philippine embassies and consular offices.

II.   Preliminary Interview – February 2014 (tentative)

The Preliminary Interview shall be held after the results of the CSE-FSO have been determined.  Candidates shall be interviewed by a panel of Foreign Service Officers to evaluate their overall potential for becoming Foreign Service Officers and future Ambassadors.

The Preliminary Interview shall be held in Metro Manila.  However, the Board reserves the right to conduct the Preliminary Interview outside Metro Manila depending on the number of qualified candidates.

Candidates must obtain an overall rating of “PASS” from the panel in order to qualify for the Written Test.

III.   Written Test – February 2014 (tentative)

The Written Test covers the following six subjects with the corresponding weights:

The testing center for the Written Test is the Department of Foreign Affairs, 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 obtain a passing grade of at least 75% in the Written Test in order to qualify for the Psychological Test.

IV. Psychological Test – To be Announced

The Psychological Test shall be held in Manila after the results of the Written Test have been determined.

Candidates shall be evaluated and certified as having passed the Psychological Test based on the results of their test.

V. Oral Test – To be Announced

The Oral Test shall be held in Manila after the results of the Psychological Test have been determined. The Oral Test shall 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.

Candidates who obtain a transmuted score of at least 80% shall be deemed to have passed the Oral Test. A candidate must garner a composite rating of 80% or above in the Written Test and Oral Test in order to pass the FSO examination

Applicants are required to pass the five (5) sequential parts of the entire FSO Examination all within the prescribed time frame in order to be considered eligible for appointment to the position of Foreign Service Officer, Class IV.  Any applicant who passes the CSE-FSO shall no longer be allowed to defer any of the succeeding portions of the FSO Examination. Moreover, 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

Applicants shall meet the following requirements:

1. Citizenship – Applicants should be natural-born Filipino citizens and concurrently permanent residents of the Philippines for at least one (1) year.  Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9225 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, those who pass the FSO Examinations with more than one citizenship, shall subscribe and swear to an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and its duly constituted authorities, and renounce their oath of allegiance to any other country, prior to assumption of office.

2. Age – Applicants should not be more than thirty-five (35) years of age on the day of the CSE-FSO or on 15 December 2013.  The maximum age limit, however, do not apply to those who have been employed in the Department of Foreign Affairs or Foreign Service Institute for at least two years prior to the date of the CSE-FSO and who meet the other qualifications required of candidates for the examination.

3. Education – Applicants should have at least graduated from a four (4) 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 at least two (2) years employment or further studies or a combination of both after graduating from college or university.

HOW TO APPLY

1. Application forms may be obtained in the following means:

a.  Downloaded from the DFA website (www.dfa.gov.ph) or CSC website (www.csc.gov.ph);

b. Personally secured from the Main Office or Regional Consular Offices (RCO) of the DFA, or from Philippine Embassies/Consulates abroad;

2. Application forms shall be duly accomplished by the applicants and submitted in person from 07 October 2013 (Monday) until 08 November 2013 (Friday) at any Regional Consular Office or at Philippine Embassies or Consulates abroad, and not later than 15 November 2013 until 5:00 p.m.only at the Board of Foreign Service Examinations (BFSE) Secretariat, 2nd Floor, DFA Main Building, 2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. Applications shall no longer be accepted beyond the set deadlines.

3. The following shall be attached to the completed application forms:

a. 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 said 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, and duly authenticated by a Philippine Foreign Service Post which jurisdiction covers said foreign school;

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

c. Proof of past or present employment or further studies;

d. Original birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office

For those born abroad: Report of Birth at Post may be submitted in case no birth record is available at National Statistics Office (NSO). The Report of Birth shall be duly authenticated by the issuing Post. A certification of non-availability of said birth certificate from the NSO shall be submitted along with the Report of Birth.

For a Filipino citizen who has dual or multiple citizenships: 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; he/she must also submit a notarized affidavit stating that he/she is a permanent resident in the Philippines.

e.    For married applicants: a 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.

(For photograph details, please refer to CSC webpage - http://excell.csc.gov.ph/cscweb/geninfo_cse.html)

g.    Two (2) self-addressed and self–stamped envelopes marked as “priority mail”; and

h.    Two (2) Original valid identification cards (IDs) and a copy of each IDs.

Applications with incomplete documentary requirements shall not be accepted. A non-refundable admission fee of five hundred pesos (P500.00) shall be collected from those who shall take the 15 December 2013 CSE-FSO only upon inspection and acceptance of their application.