Acronyms (Alphabet Soup)

The Foreign Service application process if full of acronyms. This page is designed to eventually create a complete list of them:

13 D's (Thirteen Dimensions)

These are the objective criteria use by QEP and the FSOA assessors to rank candidates.

A-100

Numbered akin to a college course, this is the introductory training that all new FSOs undergo in the first six weeks in the Service.

ACS

American Citizen Services. The section in a consulate or embassy that provides services to American citizens abroad, such as issuing and renewing passports; registering births or deaths; visiting and helping repatriate the sick, indigent or deceased; helping American tourists and expatriates during emergencies; visiting imprisoned Americans. ACS, NIV and IV are the work of officers in the Consular career track.

BEX

Board of Examiners, which administers the FSOA

BIO

the biographical portion of the FSWE

CM

Case Management (the third part of the FSOA)

CO or ICO

(Immediate) Conditional Offer, which you receive when you pass the FSOA

CLO

Community Liaison Officer. At an embassy or consulate, this person's role is connecting Americans who work there with the resources and activities in the surrounding community. This person will answer questions from incoming Americans and also strive to keep a high morale at post.

CNL

Critical Needs Language

CON

Consular career track

CONE

Not an acronym, but as opaque. It is what is now called "career track".

DIR

Diplomat In Residence, a DoS official who does recruitment activities and conducts training sessions, hosts special events, and preparation sessions for would:be JOs

DRI

Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, the aggressive plan to bring greater numbers of candidates to DoS, sponsored by Secretary Powell in 2000.

DS or DoS or SD

Department of State. Within the Department, however, DS refers to Diplomatic Security, and "SD" is never used.

EEOC

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

ECO or ECON

Economic career track

EE

the English Expression portion of the FSWE

EFM

Eligible Family Member

E-Qip

"Electronic Questionnaires for Investigative Processing" : the online applicant site for submitting data for the security clearance process (the online version of the SF:86).

FAH

Foreign Affairs Handbook

FAM

Foreign Affairs Manual, the compilation of regulations governing various aspects of Department of State activities, including personnel matters.

FLO

Family Liaison Office, the Washington-based counterpart of the CLO at post.

FSI

Foreign Service Institute, located at the NFATC in Arlington, VA.

FSN

Foreign Service National, a native of another country who works at a consulate, embassy or other US mission abroad. This is an antiquated term. LES is the current term.

FSOA: Foreign Service Oral Assessment

This is the all day assessment conducted several times a year both in Washington, DC and across the country.

FSO: Foreign Service Officer

This is the career for which you are applying.

FSOT: Foreign Service Officer Test

This is used to designate the computer based portion of the testing process.

FSWE: Foreign Service Written Test

This has been replaced by the computer based FSOT

GAO

Government Accountability Office, the oversight arm of the Congress

GSO

General Services Officer, the person at a consulate or embassy who supervises its physical operations and financial aspects.

GE

Group Exercise (another part of the FSOA)

HR

"Human Resources" : the SD Dept charged with managing personnel, of which BEX, the DIRs, and recruitment (among many others) are all a part.

IV

Immigrant Visa. An IV allows a citizen of a foreign country to emmigrate to the United States and typically receive permanent resident status after a set number of years. Permanent residents, in turn, can become naturalized US citizens after a number of years. See NIV.

JK

the Job Knowledge portion of the FSWE

JO

Junior Officer, what we all become after we pass our FSWEs, FSOAs, receive our ICOs from BEX, cleared by the DS, and go to A-100. This is an antiquated term, however. ELO is the current term.

LEH

"List of Eligible Hires" (found throughout the archives); previously BEX used two sets of numbers at the OA, the first (5.25) was the baseline passing score, the second (which varied by cone) would be the cutoff to receive an ICO. Those candidates who passed, but did not score high enough to receive an ICO were relegated to this list, which was to be used if the Register Lists thinned out.

LES

Locally Engaged Staff. The current term for persons who work at a consulate, embassy or other US mission abroad who are hired from the local area. While often nationals of the host country, they are also sometimes third country nationals or even expatriate Americans living in the host country.

MGT or MGMT or (formerly) ADMIN

The management career track, formerly known as the administrative cone.

NDA

non-disclosure agreement, your promise not to disclose the substance of the FSOA.

NFATC

The National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, VA. This is sometimes referred to as the "Schultz Center," as it is dedicated to former Secretary of State George Schultz. The property is sometimes referred to on maps by its former name, Arlington Hall.

NIV

Non:immigrant visa. A visa which allows a citizen of a foreign country to seek entry to the United States on a temporary basis. Some NIVs allow a person to work in the US, some allow a person to study. "Tourist" visas (B1/B2) are the most common NIV. An ELO can expect to spend at least one year adjudicating NIVs and possibly IVs.

OMS

Office Management Specialist (Administrative Assistant)

PD

Public Diplomacy career track

POL

Political career track

QEP

Qualifications Evaluation Panel : This panel evaluates the applications of candidates who successfully complete the FSOT and either admits them to the FSOA or ends their candidacy. Little is known about this part of the process.

SCNL

Super Critical Needs Language

SF:86

the eQIP before it went online

SI

Structured Interview (part of the FSOA)

SOI

Statement of Interest (one of the things you must fill out before your FSOA)

USG

U. S. Government