American Foreign Service Officer

Okay maybe your not "dumb," but this book really exercises your general geo-political knowledge. A little dated in the post 9-11 world, but newer versions will likely reflect a better global analysis. The exercises are fun practice if only for improving your "trivial" knowledge. REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

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.