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<div style="background:#eef3fb;color:#303846;border:1px solid #c9d7ee;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 18px;margin:0 0 18px"><p style="margin:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6"><strong style="color:#171d29">Checked 9 November 2026.</strong> The 2026 Global Affairs Canada FS-01 poster (page modified 5 November 2026) gives a window for the written exam, not a date or a format. GAC contacts candidates directly; if your invitation says something different from this page, follow your invitation.</p></div>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The 2026 <strong>Foreign Service Officer</strong> campaign at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) closed at 23:59 Pacific Time on <strong>9 November 2026</strong>. The next assessment after prescreening is the <strong>Canada foreign service exam</strong> step the poster calls a <strong>written exam</strong>, "scheduled for mid-to-late January 2027". Passing prescreening does not guarantee an invitation: the poster says the manager may limit how many candidates go further, and that only people selected for further consideration will be contacted. The poster then lists a simulation exercise and an interview, in person on the same day and expected in March and April 2027, and a second language evaluation.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">This page covers only the written exam: what the <a href="https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1800?poster=2462730" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">GC Jobs poster EXT26J-179609-000011</a> confirms, what it leaves out, what an earlier GAC campaign in 2021 used, one original briefing-note task with a model answer, and a 4-week plan. Everything else about the job (eligibility, pay scales, the IRCC route) is in our <a href="/hub/foreign-service-officer-canada" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Foreign Service Officer guide</a>.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7;font-size:14px;color:#5b6472">ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of Global Affairs Canada or the Public Service Commission of Canada. The briefing-note task, the model answer and the rewrite example on this page are original ProSyllabus practice material, written by us about an invented country; they are not Global Affairs Canada exam content.</p>

<div style="display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px;margin:18px 0"><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">9 Nov 2026</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">applications closed, 23:59 Pacific Time</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">Mid-to-late Jan 2027</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">the written exam window on the poster</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">Mar to Apr 2027</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">simulation exercise + interview, in person, same day</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">45</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">positions: 30 indeterminate, 15 ab initio</div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;margin:-8px 0 18px">GC Jobs poster EXT26J-179609-000011, read 9 November 2026.</p>

What the 2026 poster confirms about the written exam

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The poster is short on the exam itself. These are the lines that matter, in the order the poster gives them.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Two things follow from this. First, the poster does not say which qualifications the written exam measures: it lists the abilities and competencies as assessed "at a later date" and says "all qualifications could be assessed throughout the process". Second, because the manager may limit progression with a top-down approach or selected asset qualifications, meeting a minimum may not be enough to go further; the poster gives no written-exam pass mark and does not specify how these selection methods will be applied.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Treat each of these as unknown unless GAC tells you otherwise in your own invitation. The right-hand column is our advice.</p>

Where the written exam sits in the 2026-27 process

<figure style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0;margin:18px 0"><figcaption style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Global Affairs Canada FS-01 2026 campaign: steps by month</figcaption><div style="overflow-x:auto"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;min-width:420px"><tr><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8"></th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Nov 2026</th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Dec 2026</th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Jan 2027</th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Feb 2027</th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Mar 2027</th><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8">Apr 2027</th></tr><tr><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;text-align:left">Applications</th><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#6fb88a;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">closed 9 Nov</td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td></tr><tr><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;text-align:left">Prescreening</th><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#e3f1e7;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">not dated</td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#e3f1e7;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">not dated</td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td></tr><tr><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;text-align:left">Written exam</th><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#6fb88a;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">mid-to-late</td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td></tr><tr><th style="padding:8px 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;text-align:left">Simulation + interview</th><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#f7f5ef;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff"></td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#6fb88a;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">expected</td><td style="padding:8px 6px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;background:#6fb88a;color:#171d29;border:2px solid #ffffff">expected</td></tr></table></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Dark = a date or window the poster gives. Light = our assumption: the poster gives no date for prescreening, so we show it between the close and the written exam.</p><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Source: GC Jobs poster EXT26J-179609-000011. The second language evaluation is listed as a step but not dated.</p></figure>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">From the 9 November close to mid-January is roughly nine to ten weeks, including the December holidays. Our 4-week plan below fits inside that and finishes before mid-January.</p>

The 2021 precedent: the PSEE, Test of Reasoning and Test of Judgement

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">For comparison, the <a href="https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1800?poster=1670775" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">2021 GAC Post-Secondary Recruitment poster</a> for FS-01 said applicants "will be required to successfully write the Public service entrance exam (PSEE) which includes the Test of Reasoning (TOR) and the Test of Judgment (TOJ)", with the link sent by email later. The two posters describe assessment differently: 2021 names the PSEE and its parts, while 2026 names a written exam without saying what it contains.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">What this tells you: GAC changed the step names and the competency list between campaigns, so the 2021 tests are a guide to the kind of thinking GAC valued, not a preview of January 2027. The Public Service Commission's <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/staffing-assessment-tools-resources/human-resources-specialists-hiring-managers/understanding-test-judgement.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Test of Judgement page</a> describes it as a tool "used for staffing officer-level positions in the public service": the Unsupervised Test of Judgement 376 is step 1 of a 2-step assessment, and the Supervised Test of Judgement 377 is used alone or as step 2. None of that establishes its use in the 2026 campaign. Our <a href="/hub/psee-exam" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">PSEE exam guide</a> explains both formats, and <a href="/hub/psee-test-of-judgement-practice" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Test of Judgement practice</a> has free explained scenarios. Use them to train judgement; do not expect the same items in the written exam.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The poster lists clear, logical and concise writing and Judgement and Critical Thinking among the qualifications, but does not say which ones the written exam assesses. For a short policy or briefing task, our advice is:</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><ul style="margin:0 0 10px;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>The answer first.</strong> Put the recommendation or the main finding in the first two lines. A reader who stops there should know what you want them to do.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Only what the reader needs.</strong> Use the facts from the material that change the decision, with the numbers that matter. Leave out the rest, however interesting.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Your own arithmetic, shown.</strong> If the material has figures, work out the one or two that decide the question (a cost per unit, a gap, a percentage) and say how you got them.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Options weighed, not listed.</strong> Give each option a one-line reason for or against, then choose one.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Risks and conditions.</strong> Name the main risk of your recommendation and what would reduce it.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Within the word limit.</strong> If a limit is given, going over it is a failure to follow the instruction. Count before you submit.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Plain, neutral language.</strong> Short sentences, no slogans, no personal opinion about the government's policy.</li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Our advice on good practice, not a published GAC marking scheme.</p></div>

Practice task: a 300-word briefing note (original ProSyllabus material)

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Set a timer for 40 minutes: 10 to read and plan, 25 to write, 5 to check. Write your own note before you read the model answer. The country, the project and every figure are invented by us for practice.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Information pack (invented scenario): school meals in the Republic of Corvania</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65">You are a policy officer at headquarters. Canada funds a school-meals project in northern Corvania through a partner organization. Your Director General (DG) wants a briefing note by 16:00 today.</p><table style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:0 0 10px"><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 1</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">The project runs for 3 years, budget $6.0 million, and ends on 31 March 2027. It feeds children in 600 primary schools.</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 2</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">Rainfall since June has been 40% below average. Corvania has declared 3 of the project's districts drought-affected; 350 of the 600 schools are in those districts.</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 3</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">In the 120 schools that ran out of food in October, attendance fell from 91% to 78%.</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 4</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">The partner asks Canada for a 12-month extension of the whole project at $2.4 million.</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 5</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">Corvania passed a national school-feeding law in September. It commits the government to fund school meals from 2028. The education minister has publicly asked donors to "bridge the gap" until then.</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">Item 6</td><td style="padding:6px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid #e4e1d8;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5">The regional program has $1.5 million uncommitted in 2027-28. A 2025 evaluation rated the project's delivery satisfactory but found weak monitoring in 2 districts.</td></tr></table><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Task.</strong> Write a briefing note of no more than 300 words to the DG recommending how Canada should respond to the partner's request. Consider these options: <strong>A</strong> fund the full $2.4 million; <strong>B</strong> fund a 12-month extension in the drought-affected districts only, within the $1.5 million; <strong>C</strong> decline and refer the partner to humanitarian funding channels.</p><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Original ProSyllabus practice task; the format is our choice, not a published GAC exam format.</p></div>

Model answer (original ProSyllabus material)

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">BRIEFING NOTE FOR THE DIRECTOR GENERAL: Corvania school-meals extension</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Purpose.</strong> To recommend a response to the partner's request for a 12-month, $2.4 million extension.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Recommendation.</strong> Approve option B in principle: a 12-month extension for the 350 schools in the three drought-affected districts, up to $1.5 million, subject to a costed proposal and two conditions.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Background.</strong> The three-year, $6.0 million project serves 600 schools and ends on 31 March 2027. Rainfall since June is 40% below average. In the 120 schools that ran out of food in October, attendance fell from 91% to 78%.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Costs.</strong> Assuming equal costs per school, $2.4 million ÷ 600 = $4,000 per school for 12 months. On that basis, 350 schools would cost about $1.4 million, leaving about $0.1 million of the $1.5 million uncommitted. Actual costs must be confirmed.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Options.</strong> A covers all 600 schools but exceeds the available $1.5 million by $0.9 million, so another funding source would be needed. B targets the drought-affected districts within budget. C avoids a new commitment, but the pack does not show that humanitarian funding is available.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Considerations.</strong> Corvania's September law commits the government to fund school meals from 2028, and the minister has asked donors to bridge the gap. A one-year targeted extension responds to that request while limiting Canada's commitment.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Risks.</strong> B leaves 250 schools out of this extension; their meals after March 2027 are uncertain. The 2025 evaluation found weak monitoring in two districts. The pack gives no handover arrangements.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Conditions.</strong> (1) The partner fixes monitoring in the two weak districts before extension funds are disbursed. (2) The partner and the education ministry agree a written handover plan to the national program.</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65"><strong>Next steps.</strong> With your approval, we will request the costed proposal this week.</p><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Model answer written by ProSyllabus for practice, about 290 words including its title. Arithmetic, on the stated assumption of equal costs per school: $2.4m ÷ 600 = $4,000; 350 × $4,000 = $1.4m; $1.5m − $1.4m = $0.1m; $2.4m − $1.5m = $0.9m; 600 − 350 = 250. Our own sums from the invented pack, not GAC figures.</p></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><ul style="margin:0 0 10px;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It puts the recommendation straight after the purpose</strong>, before the background. Our advice: never save it for the end.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It shows one estimate and its assumption.</strong> The cost per school shows how option B could fit the $1.5 million, and the note says the estimate rests on equal costs per school and must be confirmed.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It uses Item 5 to explain why a time-limited bridge is reasonable</strong>, while noting that the pack gives no handover arrangements.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It names the downside.</strong> 250 schools are outside this extension. Saying so shows judgement.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It turns the evaluation into a condition</strong> instead of a reason to refuse.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>It stays under the limit, title included.</strong> A note over the stated limit has not followed the instruction.</li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Our commentary on our own practice task.</p></div>

Writing concisely: one before-and-after rewrite

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The poster asks for writing that is clear, logical and concise. Our advice is to practise removing words that add no meaning and replacing vague phrases with the facts you have. Here is an original example: a vague draft sentence about the invented pack above, rewritten with the pack's figures.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Before (63 words)</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65">It is important to note that, in light of the fact that some schools ran out of food in October, there has been what could be described as a significant decrease in the levels of attendance in those particular schools, which is something that may potentially have an impact on the outcomes of the school meals project in the period that lies ahead.</p></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">After (24 words)</p><p style="margin:0 0 10px;line-height:1.65">Attendance fell from 91% to 78% in the 120 schools that ran out of food in October, which puts the project's results at risk.</p><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Original ProSyllabus example. What changed: the vague phrases ("some schools", "a significant decrease") became the figures from the pack; "it is important to note that" and "may potentially" went; the sentence ends on the consequence.</p></div>

A 4-week plan for the January written exam

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">This plan assumes the exam falls in mid-to-late January 2027, as the poster says, and that you start in the week of 14 December 2026. If your invitation gives an earlier date, compress weeks 1 and 2 into one. Hours are our suggestion for someone working or studying full time.</p>

<figure style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0;margin:18px 0"><figcaption style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Suggested study hours per week (our plan)</figcaption><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;margin:0 0 4px"><span style="color:#303846">Week 1: baseline and structure</span><strong style="color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">6 h</strong></div><div style="background:#f1eee6;border-radius:6px;height:12px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:75.0%;height:12px;background:#1f7a45;border-radius:6px"></div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;margin:0 0 4px"><span style="color:#303846">Week 2: short information packs</span><strong style="color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">6 h</strong></div><div style="background:#f1eee6;border-radius:6px;height:12px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:75.0%;height:12px;background:#2f6fb0;border-radius:6px"></div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;margin:0 0 4px"><span style="color:#303846">Week 3: data and longer tasks</span><strong style="color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">8 h</strong></div><div style="background:#f1eee6;border-radius:6px;height:12px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:100.0%;height:12px;background:#b7791f;border-radius:6px"></div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;margin:0 0 4px"><span style="color:#303846">Week 4: full rehearsal</span><strong style="color:#171d29;white-space:nowrap">8 h</strong></div><div style="background:#f1eee6;border-radius:6px;height:12px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:100.0%;height:12px;background:#8e3b8e;border-radius:6px"></div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Our suggestion: 28 hours across the four weeks, then 2 to 3 hours a week until your exam. Not a GAC recommendation.</p></figure>

Before the day: invitation, setting and accommodation

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Because the poster does not give the setting, our advice is to prepare for the practical side early:</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><ul style="margin:0 0 10px;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Read every email from the process carefully and answer it well.</strong> The poster says all communications "may be used to evaluate candidates" on the qualifications. Any reply may be used in the assessment, so write each one carefully.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Check your GC Jobs account and the email address you applied with</strong>, including the spam folder, regularly throughout the process. The poster says only people selected for further consideration will be contacted.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Ask for accommodation early if you need it.</strong> The poster invites you to contact the hiring organization (HOSP, FS-01.2026.HOSP@international.gc.ca) about accommodation during any phase of the evaluation process. The poster says accommodation information will be kept confidential. Ask as soon as you receive an invitation, not on the day.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Choose your language.</strong> Section 37(1) of the Public Service Employment Act lets you be examined in English or French or both, except where the exam tests language proficiency. The second language evaluation is a separate, later step; the poster says candidates who meet everything except the language requirement may be hired ab initio, with up to 52 weeks of paid full-time language training at 80% of the FS-01 salary.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Have two setups ready.</strong> A quiet room with a reliable connection for an online exam, and a plan to travel if it turns out to be supervised in a centre.</li></ul></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><ul style="margin:0 0 10px;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Assuming it is the old PSEE.</strong> The 2021 poster named the Test of Reasoning and the Test of Judgment; the 2026 poster does not. Prepare for written work as well as tests.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Writing an essay when a decision is asked for.</strong> If a task asks what to do, the first lines should say what to do.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Ignoring the numbers.</strong> The essentials include "working with and presenting data". A note that skips the figures in the material wastes the evidence.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Running over the limit.</strong> Concise is in the poster's own words.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Taking a political side.</strong> The poster asks whether you are willing to advance the positions of the government in office. Analyse; do not campaign.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><strong>Leaving prep until January.</strong> The window starts in mid-January and the holidays come first.</li></ul></div>

After the written exam: simulation exercise and interview

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The poster says the simulation exercise and the interview will be held in person on the same day, as full-day assessments expected in March and April 2027; applicants were asked to select the city where they would like to be assessed. It does not describe either one. Our <a href="/hub/foreign-service-officer-canada" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Foreign Service Officer guide</a> covers those steps, the competencies and the pay scales; for the wider routes into the profession, see <a href="/hub/how-to-become-a-diplomat-in-canada" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">how to become a diplomat in Canada</a>. <a href="/hub/canadian-foreign-service-exam-sample-questions" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Canadian foreign service exam sample questions</a> has more original practice in reasoning, judgement and written tasks.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Our independent Foreign Service practice bundle</p><p style="margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.6">The Test of Judgement + GCT2 + Foreign Service Guide bundle has three parts: original Test of Judgement practice with every option explained; a GCT2 practice test; and a Foreign Service competition pack with invented written tasks (information packs with briefing-note and recommendation tasks) and original simulation and interview exercises informed by the 2026 poster's qualifications and competencies. All of it is written by us, not GAC or PSC material, and its formats are our choice: they do not show the formats used in this campaign. The 2026 poster does not name the Test of Judgement or the GCT2 as an assessment, and it does not describe the written exam's content.</p><p style="margin:0 0 12px;line-height:1.6">Independent practice, not affiliated with Global Affairs Canada or the Public Service Commission of Canada.</p><a href="/kits/canada-toj-gct2-bundle" style="display:inline-block;background:#ffffff;color:#1f7a45;border:2px solid #1f7a45;padding:9px 18px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700">See the Foreign Service bundle</a></div>

Test of Judgement + GCT2 + Foreign Service Guide, price read live in your currency

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">More in this series</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/foreign-service-officer-canada" style="color:#255a45">How to become a Foreign Service Officer in Canada: exams, salary, requirements</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/how-to-become-a-diplomat-in-canada" style="color:#255a45">How to become a diplomat in Canada</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/canadian-foreign-service-exam-sample-questions" style="color:#255a45">Canadian foreign service exam sample questions</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/psee-exam" style="color:#255a45">PSEE exam: the Test of Judgement 376 and 377 explained</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/psee-test-of-judgement-practice" style="color:#255a45">PSEE Test of Judgement practice: free scenarios with explained answers</a></li></ul></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Sources</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1800?poster=2462730" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GC Jobs: Foreign Service Officer, Global Affairs Canada, FS-01, reference EXT26J-179609-000011 (closed 9 November 2026; page modified 5 November 2026, read 9 November 2026)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1800?poster=1670775" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GC Jobs: Foreign Service Officer - Post-Secondary Recruitment, Global Affairs Canada, FS-01, reference EXT21J-023877-000003 (closed 17 November 2021)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/staffing-assessment-tools-resources/human-resources-specialists-hiring-managers/understanding-test-judgement.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">Public Service Commission of Canada: Understanding the Test of Judgement (page dated 22 July 2025, read 1 November 2026)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/p-33.01/page-3.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">Justice Laws: Public Service Employment Act, section 37 (language of examination; current to 19 October 2026)</a></li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472"><strong style="color:#1f7a45">official</strong> = a document published by the conducting body. <strong style="color:#8a5300">reported</strong> = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.</p></div>

<a href="/exam/canada-psee-test-of-judgement">This article has been published in Canada Public Service Test of Judgement (PSEE 376/377). Explore everything related to it here.</a>

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The January 2027 written exam in the Global Affairs Canada FS-01 process: what the poster confirms, what is not published, the 2021 PSEE precedent, a practice briefing note and a 4-week plan.

Foreign Service Officer Canada Written Exam 2027: What We Know, Prep

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