Foreign Service Officer 2027 Prep Pack: Written Exam, Simulation, Interview
Original practice for three assessment stages of the 2026 Global Affairs Canada FS-01 campaign: the January written exam, the in-person simulation exercise and the interview.
- Feedback point by point
- Model answers and STAR frames
- Stages from the 2026 poster
- Timed drills
- Written examScheduled for mid-to-late January 2027Written exam practice2 × 60 min
- Simulation exerciseExpected in March and April 2027, in personSimulation practice2 × 40 min
- InterviewExpected the same full day as the simulationInterview4 × 25 min
| Stage (2026 poster) | When | What is in the pack |
|---|---|---|
| Written exam | Scheduled for mid-to-late January 2027 | 2 timed written-exam sets (60 minutes each) on invented information packs: 6 tasks (a briefing note, a data analysis, 2 recommendations, an email to Canadians abroad and key messages), each with a worked example. |
| Simulation exercise | Expected in March and April 2027, in person | 2 invented mission scenarios (40 minutes each), 6 tasks: a consular emergency and a meeting with a counterpart, each with a worked example. |
| Interview | Expected the same full day as the simulation | 20 interview questions on the poster's competencies and on Foreign Service life: 6 full model answers and a STAR frame for each of the other 14. |
| Also included | Not listed on the 2026 Foreign Service poster | Practice for two Public Service Commission tests: the Test of Judgement kit (47 situations and a 40-question, 60-minute mock) and the GCT2 kit (2 full practice tests). |
Bonus: screening-answer examples (for the next campaign): 6 application screening questions, each with a worked example.
One payment covers practice for these three stages; no subscription. The second language evaluation is not covered. Written by ProSyllabus: not Global Affairs Canada or Public Service Commission questions. The poster does not describe the content of the written exam, simulation or interview, and does not list the Test of Judgement or the GCT2, which are Public Service Commission tests.
Type your answers to timed written-exam tasks, simulation tasks and interview questions, and get feedback point by point: what you showed (your own words quoted), what you left out, the one thing to add next, and a model answer, a STAR frame or a worked example. The Test of Judgement and GCT2 practice kits come with it, opened by the same purchase.
- Written exam practice2 × 60 min2 invented information packs (one with a data table), 3 timed tasks each (6 in all: a briefing note, a data analysis, 2 recommendations, an email to Canadians abroad and key messages).
- Simulation practice2 × 40 min2 invented mission scenarios, 3 tasks each: a consular emergency and a meeting with a counterpart.
- Interview4 × 25 min20 questions on the poster's competencies and on Foreign Service life, 6 full model answers and a STAR frame for each of the other 14.
- Test of JudgementKit 147 original work situations (1 of them in the free sample) in the format of the PSC sample question (rate each response from 1, very ineffective, to 6, very effective): 12 sets and a 40-question, 60-minute mock (the length and time of the supervised 377), every rating explained against the Values and Ethics Code.
- GCT2Kit 22 full practice tests in the GCT-2A-324 format: 50 questions each in 120 minutes, with the working for every answer.
- Bonus: screening answers2 × 45 minScreening-answer examples for the next campaign: 6 application screening questions, each with a worked example (the 3 essential experiences on the 2026 poster and 3 of its asset experiences).
Free: one extra interview question (not one of the 20), with full feedback
Type what you would say: one specific example, what you did and how it turned out. About 5 minutes. No sign-up.
Question 1 10 marks
Tell us about a time you had to explain something complicated, out loud, to people who did not have your background or knowledge. How did you make sure they understood?
0 words · at least 50 needed for feedback. Answer as fully as you would on the day.
Written exam practice
Simulation exercise practice
Interview practice
Bonus: screening-answer examples (for the next campaign)
Both test kits come with it: see the Test of Judgement kit and the GCT2 kit, each with free questions.
One payment unlocks the whole Foreign Service Officer 2027 Prep Pack
- Written exam: 2 timed practice sets on invented information packs (6 tasks: a briefing note, a data analysis, 2 recommendations, an email to Canadians abroad and key messages), each with a worked example
- Simulation exercise: 2 invented mission scenarios, 6 tasks, each with a worked example
- Interview: 20 questions, 6 with full model answers and 14 with STAR frames
- Also included: the Test of Judgement practice kit (47 situations, a 40-question, 60-minute mock) and the GCT2 practice kit (2 full tests), opened by the same purchase; the 2026 Foreign Service poster does not list either test
- Bonus: screening-answer examples for the next campaign (6 questions, worked examples)
- Feedback on every typed answer, quoting your own words, and up to 3 marked attempts per set
The Foreign Service FS-01 process (2026 poster)
- The 2026 intake
- Global Affairs Canada's GC Jobs poster for Foreign Service Officer (FS-01) has a closing date of 9 November 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time. It aims to staff 30 positions on an indeterminate basis and 15 ab initio positions. Salary $81,792 to $103,494, Ottawa.
- The steps
- Prescreening, a written exam (scheduled for mid-to-late January 2027), a simulation exercise and an interview (in person on the same full day, expected in March and April 2027), and a second language evaluation.
- Screening questions
- For the essential qualifications, and any asset qualifications you claim, you must show how you meet them with specific, detailed examples: where, when, how and why. Stating that you meet it or listing duties is not enough. The poster suggests 500 words or less in English per question.
- Essential experience
- Collaborating with others while managing multiple priorities and deadlines; analyzing and synthetizing information from various sources; working with and presenting data. Paid, volunteer or scholastic experience counts.
- Competencies
- Judgement and Critical Thinking; Resilience and Adaptability; Integrity and Respect; Partnerships, Networking and Relationships; Autonomy; Self-awareness; Digital Literacy. Plus sharing information clearly, logically and concisely in writing and orally.
- Education
- A degree by 30 June 2027 that includes at least four semester courses (12 credits) in a field related to international affairs.
- Language and security
- Bilingual imperative (CCC/CCC); candidates who meet everything except the language levels may be hired ab initio: up to 52 weeks of full-time language training paid at 80% of the FS-01 salary, not as employees under the Public Service Employment Act, and appointment only if they reach CCC/CCC. Top Secret clearance and rotationality are conditions of employment; the poster says only Canadian citizens can obtain the clearance and a diplomatic passport.
- Streams
- New FS-01s start with a de-streamed onboarding period and learn about all four Foreign Service streams before being aligned with one.
Sources (read 1 November 2026): GC Jobs: Foreign Service Officer, Global Affairs Canada (FS-01, EXT26J-179609-000011); Public Service Commission of Canada: Understanding the Test of Judgement.
Questions
Is this from the Government of Canada?
No. ProSyllabus is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Public Service Commission of Canada or Global Affairs Canada. The questions, information packs, scenarios and answers are our own. Read the official poster too (linked below).
Are the Test of Judgement and the GCT2 part of the Foreign Service process?
The 2026 Foreign Service poster lists its own steps (prescreening, a written exam, a simulation exercise, an interview and a second language evaluation) and does not name either test. The Test of Judgement and the GCT2 are Public Service Commission tests; their practice kits are included as additional practice.
Are these the written exam and simulation Global Affairs Canada uses?
No. The 2026 poster does not describe the content, format or scoring of the written exam, simulation exercise or interview. Our information packs and scenarios are invented practice, and our timings and practice points are our own.
How is my answer judged?
Each question has our own list of practice points: for example one specific example, your own actions, the competency it shows and the result; for a written task, the facts of the pack, a clear recommendation and the right length. An automated marker checks your typed answer against every point, and any credit it gives quotes your own words. It can miss something valid or credit something it should not, so treat it as practice feedback and compare with the model answer, STAR frame or worked example. The band (strong, solid, developing) is our own guide, not an assessor's mark or a prediction.
Applications close on 9 November 2026. What is the pack for?
The stages after the application: the written exam is scheduled for mid-to-late January 2027, and the simulation exercise and interview are expected in person in March and April 2027. The pack has practice for each of those three. The screening-answer examples are a bonus for the next campaign.
I already bought the GCT2 kit.
The GCT2 practice stays yours. The prep pack is for buying everything together in one purchase.
Can I try it first?
Yes. One extra interview question (not one of the 20) is free and gets the full feedback, with no sign-up. The Test of Judgement and GCT2 kits each have free questions on their own pages.
Disclaimer
Independent practice, not affiliated with the Public Service Commission of Canada or Global Affairs Canada. The questions, information packs, scenarios, STAR frames, model answers and worked examples are our own; no Government of Canada test material is reproduced.