D-Day +1: The Oral Assessment

Short and Sweet: I scored a 5.00 on the Foreign Service Oral Assessment.

Long and ... frustrated: I missed the cut-off by a quarter of a point! Groan. Specifically, I did not pass the Group Exercise or the Case Management. I did pass the Structured Interview. I knew I'd done badly on the GE and CM and felt I did OK on the SI. The fact that I came so close, however, despite my abysmal performance on the GE and CM, leads me to suspect that I not only did OK, but extremely well on the SI.

What Went Wrong & Lessons Learned:

I arrived in DC on the day before the Orals. I arrived in time to relax and study further. However, I was coming right off a four-day business conference, which had sapped a great deal of my strength. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that.

What Went Wrong Number 1: I signed into a wonderful hotel, in terms of accommodation. However, it did not serve breakfast at the time at which I had to get up and sign out, i.e. 7 a.m.

What Went Wrong Number 2: I didn't at least make coffee in my hotel room or buy snacks the night before. Why did I have to get up so early and sign out? Because I wanted to get to the Orals on time.

What Went Wrong Number 3: This should actually be Number 1: I chose to take the Orals in Annex 1. For me, a bad decision. As my taxi wound its way through DC, it was still dark outside. I hoped to find someplace to grab a coffee or snack. Those hopes dimmed once I reached the Annex. It's tucked away inside a complex. There were no eateries to be seen. Later I would learn that there is a restaurant, but it's inside the building and one must be accompanied to enter it.

RESULT: I took the GE and CM exercises on an empty stomach. I started off the GE quite well, actually. Then I felt my blood pressure drop and with it my ability to focus or think clearly. I was in an especially assertive group and they debated hotly. They were sharp and smart. I just couldn't keep up.

What Went Wrong Number 4: I received the weakest of the projects. I want to emphasize that, in and of itself, this is not something that "went wrong." What went wrong is that I did a poor job of defending a poor project. It's easy to defend a strong project; a poor one requires a bit of finesse. OK, more than a bit. I should have taken the initiative, defended it assertively and then taken the initiative to withdraw it. I mean, it was a worthy project in and of itself, but it did not supersede the others in priority. Once I saw that, I should have made the case for it, but then withdrawn it. Instead, I let it quietly die.

COMMENT: There are six projects. Usually, one is very strong; one is noticeably weak. The others are middling and sometimes overlap one another. The group quickly recognizes the strong project and gives it full funding. The test, as it were, then becomes the debate over which of the middling projects to choose for partial funding. That's where you can quickly lose track of time, something for which the entire group might suffer, since everyone is responsible for being aware of time and staying on track. Yes, there's a "timekeeper," but everyone is still held accountable for an awareness of the time. So that's where the criterium can really provide guidance and help toward a consensus.

What Went Wrong Number 5: I did not chose a criteria or criterium and stick with it. Having a set of criterium in mind gives you something to fall back on if you can't think of a question about a project or you need a way to measure them one against the other. One of the other participants, for example, asked each person whether the projected he or she represented was sustainable. In other words, would the project be able to sustain itself or require continued U.S. funding? No matter what the project, this woman asked the same question of every single one. It was clear that this was the measuring stick she was using. I believe she passed the Group Exercise with flying colors.

What are other good criterium? Examples would be:

• What/how many U.S. objectives does the project meet?
• How modular is the project? Can it be funded in part and still be effective?
• How much of the population does it benefit?
• Does the project replicate other projects already under way?
• Does any part of it contravene U.S. policies (such as funding abortions) or those of the host government?

The U.S. objectives criteria is one of the easiest and most readily measurable ones. All you have to do is count the objectives and no one can argue against it.

Modularity is one that you have to pay attention to also. It's the one you go for when it's clear that your project will not get full funding. It's your save, in other words.

Redundancy is the one you go for when you're basically trying to explore the weakness in someone else's project. (But be aware of it in your own project, too, and have a response when someone addresses you about it.) If a project contains redundant elements, then it behooves you to find that out. You can then argue that the money would then be better spent on a project that is unique (i.e., such as the one you represent).

Summary:

Most of the comments, as you've no doubt observed, concerned the GE. Why? Perhaps, because that's where I had the most regrets. I never had confidence in my ability to successfully tackle the CM. That was no doubt a mistake, but my strategy was simple: Be good in at least two of the three exercises. I started off strong in the GE, but lost my oomph. I mean I can actually remember the moment when the air went out of my sails. Then the CM followed. Two of my weakest areas, taken first thing in the morning, with nothing on my stomach, low blood pressure: results predictable.

It's no coincidence that I did my best after lunch. The SI was no picnic, and like everyone else I've read on the Yahoo Forums board, I faced tough questions for which I had no prepared answers. Yet I managed to do well. I even managed to make my assessors smile.

Which brings me to another point.

The Assessors.

I don't know if they're kind people are not. I do believe, however, that they are rooting for you. They want you to do well. Mine were strict (or at least strict-looking), but every now and then something I said touched them and they showed it. What's terrifying about the OAs is not the assessors themselves, but an incredible awareness of one's own perceived inadequacies.

What Else?

Miscellaneous points: Back to the GE. I really felt as though I were at the races. As soon as the assessor said "start," it was as though the gates opened and the horses raced onto the field. That speed never let up. Not till the end.

Everyone came with a strong game plan. I quickly realized that I was in a group that had studied the Yahoo board and were über-prepared.

We had someone who said she would serve as timekeeper. Obviously another fellow had wanted to volunteer for that position, but she spoke up before him. So you know what he did? He took out his watch and watched the time, anyway. He spoke up during the debate before she did, when it came to reminding the group that we were down to ten minutes, then five. Did that unsettle her? Don't know. If it did, she didn't show it.

They both grabbed for the blank sheet upon which the memo was to be written, too. He got it first, but graciously slid it over to her. Did they both pass the GE? Yes, they did. Do I recommend that others do as they did? I recommend that you be active, speak up and stay on your toes. That means something different for everyone. I recommend mainly that you eat a high protein breakfast.

FINAL RESULT: No one in my group passed the Orals.

Question: Will I try for it again?

First reaction: Yes, I want to go back and fetch my quarter of a point. Seems silly. But it also seems silly not to try again when I came so close. But will I?

Second reaction: I don't know. I really don't. But within hours of getting my score, I actually went online and registered to take the Written Exam again.

Fact: At the moment, I am mentally and physically exhausted. I don't feel hurt or rejected or bitter. I still feel awed that I even got that far. If I feel any negative emotion at all, it's annoyance or irritation with myself. An inner critic screams that someone who couldn't even manage to organize breakfast for herself on the day of such a major exam ... well, you get the drift.

That's it. I hope this helps someone out there who is about to face the Orals. Best of luck for sure!

P.S. I want to thank everyone for sending me positive thoughts and prayers, and especially Digger over at Life After Jerusalem. Digger gave excellent advice. For all about to take the OA, listen to it!