Trump Admin Moves to Scrap FSOT for Merit-Based Foreign Service Exam

(UNITED STATES) The Trump administration has moved to replace the long-standing Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) with a new exam that officials describe as strictly merit-based, stripping DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) factors from both recruitment and promotion in the U.S. Foreign Service. Announced in early September 2025 and framed as part of a wider federal shift, the policy follows executive orders signed by President Trump since January that dismantled DEI programs across agencies, including the State Department.

A March White House memorandum also removed DEI language from tenure and promotion criteria, and a May hiring directive told agencies to prioritize “patriotic Americans” while banning the use of demographic data in hiring decisions.

State Department leaders—under Secretary Marco Rubio—say the new exam will focus on demonstrable skills and job performance, not personal background. Officials argue prior processes leaned on DEI goals that, in their view, did not serve a neutral selection system. The administration says the aim is to choose officers by talent and competence alone.

Critics, including Foreign Service advocates, warn that dropping DEI from the FSOT framework and promotion guidance could reduce representation and roll back decades of work to open the diplomatic corps to more candidates from underrepresented communities.

New exam features and current testing posture

The change lands as the Foreign Service continues to run its assessments online, a shift that began in 2024 to cut travel needs. The State Department has not released the full blueprint for the replacement exam, but officials previewed core features:

• Objective skills assessments
• Essay prompts about constitutional duty and applying executive orders
• Explicit prohibition on weighing race, religion, sex, or other demographic data during selection

Future testing windows will reflect the new format once the rollout is complete. The February 2025 FSOT window went ahead under the old design; the State Department signaled that will be the last cycle of the prior test.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the move fits a broader redesign of federal hiring that revives older civil service ideas about job-related testing while removing any DEI screens or incentives. Supporters inside the administration say this shift will deliver a stronger pool of candidates focused on mission, not identity categories. Opponents say the change mistakes equal treatment for equal access, ignoring structural barriers that DEI policies were meant to address.

Policy shift and rationale

The White House’s January package of executive orders directed agencies to end DEI programs and strip related criteria from job ads, performance standards, and leadership evaluations.

• March 2025: The administration extended that effort inside the State Department by removing DEI language from Foreign Service tenure and promotion guidance.
• May 2025: A hiring directive set new expectations for hiring across government, highlighting essay prompts that test commitment to the Constitution and skill at carrying out presidential orders, and banning the use of demographic data in hiring decisions.

A later article from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management praised merit-based reforms and argued that renewed, objective skills tests would restore confidence in federal hiring after years of legal constraints on such assessments.

Inside Foggy Bottom, leaders connect the decision to scrap the FSOT with a philosophical reset. They contend that a test focused on knowledge, critical thinking, and real job skills is the fairest way to select future diplomats. Some officials say earlier versions of the FSOT and related assessments signaled preference for certain educational backgrounds and professional circles; replacing the FSOT is their way to open doors to “ordinary Americans” who can perform the work but lack elite credentials.

The administration’s messaging emphasizes neutrality in law: no consideration of race, religion, or gender at any stage. President Trump presents the move as a restoration of pure merit. Secretary Rubio has echoed that theme, saying the department wants to pick “the best and brightest” and that balancing by demographic group is not part of the mission.

While the department hasn’t unveiled sample questions for the new exam, officials say the design will favor measurable, job-relevant skills and writing tasks that reveal how candidates approach policy execution under pressure.

Impact on applicants and the diplomatic corps

For candidates, the most visible change is the shift away from the familiar FSOT toward a redesigned assessment with new content and scoring.

Applicants should expect:
– Objective skills testing that favors clear, job-tied measures
– Essay prompts on constitutional duty and how to carry out executive orders
– A ban on using demographic data in hiring and promotion

The Foreign Service Officer Assessment remains fully virtual, reducing cost and wait times, but the department may modify parts of the process to align with the new exam. Officials say advancement and tenure decisions will rely on performance and job results, not DEI targets or statements.

Supporters’ arguments:
– Fairness: success depends only on candidate performance
– Mission focus: tighter alignment with job tasks could raise the quality of entry classes
– Enhanced diplomacy: a corps selected for demonstrable ability will better serve U.S. interests abroad

Critics’ concerns:
– Representation rollback: removing DEI signals may reverse outreach and access gains
– Practical diplomacy risks: diplomacy often depends on teams able to connect across cultures and read social cues
– Workforce effects: timing and selection-board changes could disrupt career tracks, mentoring, and retention

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and other advocacy groups have flagged worries about both representation and the timing of selection boards in 2025.

Workforce planning and institutional risk

A department reorganization plan includes buyouts and early retirements capped at roughly 2,700 staff. If carried out alongside the new exam, that could:

• Reshape where experience sits in the system
• Change the balance of specialists and generalists
• Risk loss of institutional memory as the pipeline is rebuilt

Supporters see a chance to refresh the corps; opponents fear simultaneous turnover and new intake rules could weaken diplomatic capacity.

Practical guidance for applicants

Applicants in the near term face practical questions about registration, preparation, and scoring. The department said the February 2025 FSOT window was the last under the old model; future windows are expected to use the new format.

Advice for prospective candidates:
1. Watch for official guidance on test content and timing.
2. Focus preparation on core knowledge areas, clear writing, and sound judgment.
3. Expect no credit—positive or negative—for personal demographics.
4. Keep records of professional results, since promotion and tenure will center on performance.

Monitor the State Department careers site for exact dates and requirements. The official recruitment portal at https://careers.state.gov will post testing windows, registration instructions, and updates on assessment design.

Timeline and what comes next

• January 2025: President Trump signs executive orders ending DEI programs across federal agencies and sets the stage for merit-based hiring reforms.
• March 2025: A White House memorandum removes DEI from Foreign Service tenure and promotion criteria.
• May 2025: A hiring directive prioritizes “patriotic Americans,” sets new essay themes for applicants, and bars agencies from considering demographic data.
• September 2025: The State Department confirms the FSOT will be phased out and replaced by a new merit-based exam; rollout details are pending.

Officials say they will release the final structure, scoring, and study guidance in the weeks ahead. They are also reviewing how the new exam will interact with the broader assessment pathway, including the Qualifications Evaluation Panel and structured interviews.

The department plans to keep the process accessible by maintaining virtual assessments while making content more job-focused and measurable.

Risks, outcomes, and closing considerations

The outcome will hinge on execution:

• If the exam accurately tests needed field skills—writing under deadline, analyzing complex events, and making sound choices with incomplete data—it may win support even among skeptics.
• If it narrows intake to a smaller slice of the country or tilts toward ideological screens, critics will likely challenge it in Congress and possibly in court.

The administration maintains the new system does not ask about ideology; rather, it asks whether a candidate can carry out lawful orders and uphold the Constitution.

This policy shift will shape the next generation of U.S. diplomats. Supporters believe a clean merit rule will produce a corps better able to serve U.S. interests abroad. Opponents believe the loss of DEI guidance will shrink opportunity and harm America’s standing with partners who watch who the United States sends to represent it.

The Foreign Service has weathered major changes before, but few recent reforms have touched the intake system so directly. The new exam will be a test—not only of candidates, but of the institution and the claim that merit alone, as defined by the administration, can carry the weight of modern diplomacy.