Arco American Foreign Service Officer Exam (Arco Civil Service Test Tutor) [Paperback]

Eve P. Steinberg (Author), Arva Floyd (Author)

Book Description

Series: Arco Civil Service Test Tutor | Publication Date: September 1992

The only complete preparation for exciting careers in today's foreign service! This updated guide shows job hunters how to qualify for challenging foreign service careers with the State Department, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Commerce Department. Includes hard-to-find information; model exams; valuable information on the officer selection process; and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Arco Pub; 2nd edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130372501
• ISBN-13: 978-0130372505
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Once Useful, Now Outdated, May 15, 2000

By 

James Schoonmaker (Centreville, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arco American Foreign Service Officer Exam (Arco Civil Service Test Tutor) (Paperback)

It's mainly useful for giving you an idea what to study, what basic ideas are on the exam, and what you need to bone up on. The most useful and timely section is the English expression section-- what the State Department is looking for in written communication doesn't change much.

However, much of the rest of the book is outdated, and useful only in identifying broad study areas. The section on the oral exam is particularly outdated, as the oral exam changes format and focus every few years, and the book has failed to change with it. Today, the oral exam is so different that I wondered if ARCO was even writing about the same exam. However, given changes in the formation of policy and the role of foreign service officers, even the written exam is much different than the one presented in this book.

There are only two factors saving this book from a single star: the fact that it can be useful in determining what areas you are weak in and need to focus study on, and that it is the only book out dealing with this exam. You would be better off studying independently, based on the materials suggested by the State Department when they confirm your registration.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars questions are indicative of what will be on exam, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arco American Foreign Service Officer Exam (Arco Civil Service Test Tutor) (Paperback)

use the book as a reference tool to gauge which areas you need to study more, then use the recommended reading list provide by the state department to find the appropriate texts to aid you. the english expression section format is changing in '99, but the goals are still the same- identifying grammatically correct, concise sentences (buy the study guide from ACT to see the new format). also refer to the information in the ACT study guide regarding the essay and oral examinations.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Could be better..., March 3, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arco American Foreign Service Officer Exam (Arco Civil Service Test Tutor) (Paperback)

This is about the only test preparation book available for the American Foreign Service Officer's test, and it's a few years old. There was a major change in the '98 exam that this book doesn't cover, simply that the essay is given first thing on the day of the test, as opposed to the day of the interviews. To get more info, you should also splurge for the ETS test preparation guide also (about $11.00). It's another practice exam, like the ones in this book. More info can be found at the State Dept. website. Other than that, ARCO's book is necessary, but less than adequate. The suggested readings at the index will benefit a test taker more than the test itself. Maybe with an exam like this one, they figure that you either live on a diet of international relations or there's no hope for you. Good luck.