Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FSOT Essay Tips and Structure
FSOT Essay Tips and Structure
FSOT Essay Tips and Structure
http://editfish.blogspot.com/2005/04/fswe-essay-section.html
Tumbleweeds
A collection of thoughts, experiences, insights, and epiphanies gathered along the way, as I make my slow ascent toward the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service.
About Me
Name: Editfish Location: , USA View my complete profile
Previous Posts
Cracking the FSWE Study Guide Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! Job Knowledge - History Getting Down to Business Geography Bush vs. Putin Who's Pocketing this Money? The Taiwan Question Diplomats in Residence Why the Uproar? One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Web
Editfish.blogspot.com
You will write your essay in the testing booklet provided, and may use the first few pages for planning and organizational purposes. Your
1 of 4
18-Sep-12 9:21 AM
http://editfish.blogspot.com/2005/04/fswe-essay-section.html
essay, specifically: ...should present your point of view clearly and support it. Your writing will be evaluated on the quality of the writing, not the opinions expressed. A successful essay should have an obvious structure and clear thesis supported by relevant substantiating details. It should show your ability to analyze a topic in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience. The writing should be coherent with only occasional lapses that do not impede flow or readers comprehension. Language should be generally concise with clear and appropriate word choice. The language should also be free of errors in grammar and syntax, with only minor errors in spelling and punctuation. There is no limit on length.
-- "2005 FSWE Study Guide", pg. 6, ACT, Inc., 2005.
FSOA Yahoo! Group A100 Info Group Foreign Service Books Language Categories Languages of the World Omniglot Language Guide Rosetta Stone Free Language Learning Software!
DoS Links
AAFSW American Foreign Service Assoc. Bureau of Human Rights, Democracy & Labor DoS Regulations Family Liaison Office Foreign Service Institute
But how does one go about preparing for a question that will not be revealed until the test? Obviously, you will not be able to practice your actual essay, but you can practice your strategies on other similar questions under similar time constrainments. Your strategies may include (but not be limited to) pacing (time management), brainstorming (evidentiary management), organizing (structural management), and proofreading (quality control). You only have sixty minutes. One measly hour. That sounds like a long time, until you get into the swing of writing then it feels more like you are popping popcorn in the microwave. Thus, the key to success is Pacing. Don't give in to the temptation to begin writing immediately. It may seem like you are getting a jump on the essay, but a rushed start will damage your flow and structure, which is essential to getting a good score. After a few practice runs, you will have a better idea of your specific pacing needs, but here is a sample schedule to get you started: 5 minutes - read all presented prompts (topics) thoroughly; choose the topic with which you are familiar/comfortable. 10 minutes - compose your thesis, list your talking points, brainstorm (not fabricate) your supporting evidence, outline your essay. 30 minutes - write out your essay, basing it on your outline. Your transitions should be clear, with each main point clearly referring back to the introductory paragraph. Your closing paragraph should clearly reiterate the problem, the evidence, and the conclusion. Some people recommend writing your intro and concluding paragraphs at the same time before writing all the intervening stuff. A weak midpoint due to the lack of time does less damage than the lack of a strong conclusion. 10 minutes - proofread and polish. Correct those run-on and incomplete sentences. Reword those awkward or repetitive sentences. Try to include a variety of sentence structures in your text. Verify the progression of ideas is logical and smooth. 5 minutes - Glance over your [edited] essay quickly for misspellings or odd puncutation. Do Not make any major changes
Interagency Language Roundtable International Topics & Issues Issuing Security Clearances Mailing Lists Nat'l Virtual Translation Ctr. Post Reports U.S. Embassies & Consulates U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Law U.S. Policy Issues U.S. Treaties Virtual Democracy Center Wikipedia: Department of State
2 of 4
18-Sep-12 9:21 AM
http://editfish.blogspot.com/2005/04/fswe-essay-section.html
in your text at this time. Leave it alone! Congratulations! You have a finished product in your hand. Of course it may look messy and sound rough. You're not being tested on producing a finished article for publication. Rather, you are being tested for your ability to think and write logically and clearly under pressure. It will be scored primarily on structure and organization, and not how well you know the material. But how are they scored? How is it possible to score several thousand completely different essays on a fair and impartial basis? Aren't essays arbitrary? Those points are valid, and I'm glad you asked. Each essay is read once (and only once) and scored by two [trained] individuals, each of whom assign a score ranging from 1-6, according to the rubric (more on that in a moment). They generally take about a minute or so to read each essay. There cannot be more than one point difference between the two scores; if that occurs, the two readers will discuss the essay and agree on a score. Eighty percent of the time, however, the scorers will independently arrive at the same score. Your final score, however, is calculated by adding the two scores together. The scoring rubric is essentially a 'scoring guide', which assigns a numerical score based on predetermined criteria that the essay meets. There are several scoring rubrics available online for various exams (SparkNotes SAT Scoring Rationale, Collegeboard SAT Scoring Guide, and ACT Scoring Guidelines); although the exact language varies slightly, they parallel each other nicely and can be used effectively to score your practice essays. The ACT website also has some sample essays to demonstrate the differences in scoring. Passing scores for essays in the past generally have fluctuated between 6 and 7, so if you aim to get a score of '4' on your essay, you should be covered. In recent years, the State Department has been holding 'Prep Sessions' prior to the exam to demystify this portion of the exam. Check with your local DIR (Diplomat-in-Residence) for more information. The following information was excerpted from a scoring rubric passed out at a recent prep session (for a complete rundown see TD's excellent 'EssaySessionNotes' posted in the fswe group files): To obtain a score of '4': A paper at this level is adequately developed. The writers purpose is clear and the analysis is generally supported by relevant examples. The writers rationale may not always be fully developed. The paper has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion, but the structure may be too obvious and ideas may be subordinated to structure. Alternatively, the paper may exhibit lapses in organization. Transitions are usually used effectively. Sentences clearly express meaning and exhibit some variety, but there may
Anna Martz Anne's Blog Baker Travels Blogot Consul-At-Arms Coupon the Movie The Daily Demarche Deputies in the Desert The Diplodocus Diplomacy The Diplomat's Ex-Wife The Diplomat's Wife The Dusty Suitcase The Excellent Adventures... Face the Sun Fishers Online Foreign Service Blog Foreign Service Husband FSO Globetrotter Furnish Worldwide Girl in the Rain Globehoppers :greatdiversions Hamblin Family Have Conflict, Will Travel The Jetset Set Josh's Blog Keeping up with the Joneses Laura's Travels Layera: La voie Life, Liberty...& Happiness Life on the Mekong Life in Jerusalem Mainly About Food New Sisyphus Nicholas Kralev - FS Series Our American Family Our Man in Tirana Patchwork Planet The Permanent Mission of Joshie
3 of 4
18-Sep-12 9:21 AM
http://editfish.blogspot.com/2005/04/fswe-essay-section.html
be some repetition. Word choice is appropriate to the audience and is usually precise. While there may be some errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics, a competency with language is apparent. The errors may be distracting, but they only occasionally impede understanding. To obtain a score of '5': A paper at this level is well developed. The writers purpose is well defined and, for the most part, the analysis is supported by sound reasoning and relevant, effective examples. Analysis and judgment may show thought and insight. The writers rationale is well developed and integrated into the text of the paper. The structure is logical and coherent, with clear organization, an effective opening and closing, and effective transitions. Sentences are usually concise and varied in structure. Word choice is usually precise, varied, and is appropriate to the audience. The writing shows good command of the language. There may be occasional errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics, but the errors pose minor distraction and they do not impede understanding. To obtain a score of '6': A paper at this level is substantially developed. The writers purpose is very well defined and the analysis is supported by sound reasoning and relevant, effective examples. Analysis and judgment show thought and insight. The writers rationale is very well developed and very well integrated into the text of the paper. The structure is unified and coherent, with clear organization, an effective opening and closing, and effective transitions. Sentences are concise, interesting, and varied in structure. Word choice is precise, varied, and appropriate to the audience. The writing is fluent and shows superior command of the language. There may be occasional errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics, but the errors pose minor distraction and they do not impede understanding. Although it would be nice to score a perfect '6', it's not required. A '4' is all you need. Practice, relax, and good luck! If you wish to prepare further, here's a few book that might help! posted by Editfish @ 9:08 PM |
Permanently Disco Place 2 Place Prince Roy Reinventing...Public Diplomacy San Miguel Newlyweds Scherbels Abroad Serendipity Simon World (East Meets West) Spicygirl SxSE South by Southeast Sue & Not U Taitai Knits Tales from a Small Planet Tasman's World Vice Consul Viviendo en Uruguay Wandering This World Well, Let's Talk About It Windy City Tales World Adventurers (A-100) World Adventurers (Current) Worldwide Dave yrstruly - world wanderer
| << Home
4 of 4
18-Sep-12 9:21 AM