©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
FSOT Preparation Exam Questions With
100% Correct Answers 2025
Framing - Answer✔The capacity of news media to select some aspects of a story that promote a
particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment
recommendation is known as media
Which of the following daily newspapers is published in the United Kingdom? - Answer✔The
Independent
Which of the following policies, which mandated that media broadcasters present a diversity of
perspectives on contentious or controversial subjects in order to prevent domination by a single
viewpoint, was repealed by the U.S. Congress in 1987? - Answer✔The Fairness Doctrine
Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard, Hill and Knowlton, and Ketchum, Inc. are among the
largest U.S.-based: - Answer✔Public Relations Agencies
Which of the following entities operates independently of the State Department and reports
directly to Congress? - Answer✔The Broadcasting Board of Governors
The U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, popularly known as the Smith-
Mundt Act, prohibits the U.S. government from: - Answer✔Disseminating information intended
for foreign audiences within the U.S. borders.
U.S. citizens are unlikely to be able to listen to or read U.S. public diplomacy outreach materials
because of which of the following acts of Congress? - Answer✔Smith-Mundt
Which of the following entities/programs is an official organ of U.S. government public
diplomacy efforts? - Answer✔The International Visitors Program
In the 1960s and '70s, writers such as Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, and Joan Didion often wrote from
the point of view of their sources, one of the techniques that defined a form of reporting known
as: - Answer✔New Journalism
Which of the following terms is commonly used to reflect the contribution that the attractiveness
of a nation's culture and values can make to its international standing? - Answer✔Soft power
Relationships between the U.S. and the country of Lapatria are at an all-time low. In order to best
engage with the local press, the embassy spokesperson should - Answer✔Invite influential
journalists to the embassy for one-on-one interviews to explain the U.S. position.
1|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A series of editorials appear in the Lapatrian press condemning the lack of donor aid from the
U.S. government. To counter these criticisms most effectively, a Foreign Service Officer would:
- Answer✔Publish booklets and disseminate press releases that stress the importance of private
as well as public U.S. philanthropic activities in Lapatria
Which of the following international broadcasting services, directed to audiences in the Middle
East region, is funded by the U.S. government? - Answer✔Radio Farda
Public diplomacy, as defined by the Department of State, differs from propaganda in that public
diplomacy - Answer✔Must always be based on facts and the truth
As part of U.S. public diplomacy outreach efforts, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs brings non-U.S. citizens to the U.S. for graduate study in which
of the following programs? - Answer✔Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships Program
Journalists in Lapatria are notoriously biased and do not adhere to the internationally recognized
standards of professional journalism. Which of the following strategies would be the best way
for a Foreign Service Officer to best engage the local journalism community? - Answer✔Invite
the most influential Lapatrian journalists to help design and implement a training program on the
international standards of professional journalism.
Three American military officers stationed in Lapatria are accused of accidentally killing a
Lapatrian civilian, whom they mistakenly believed to be an enemy combatant. The Lapatrian
press reports that the death was no accident and a widespread public outcry against the presence
of American military forces ensues. In order to best manage this crisis, a Foreign Service Officer
stationed in Lapatria would first: - Answer✔Create a centralized response team responsible for
formulating all public embassy statements and information about the crisis.
Which of the following web-based publications was developed by the Los Angeles Times as an
experiment in letting its readers rewrite and edit editorials? - Answer✔Wikitorial
Which of the following is a database that contains current and past news stories? -
Answer✔Lexis Nexis.
Effective downward communications within an organization or company can include all of the
following except: - Answer✔Provide regular opportunities for employees to provide supervisors
with status updates.`
If an organization's communications department creates a press release, the inverted pyramid
style of writing may be preferred since: - Answer✔It provides readers with understanding even if
they stop reading before learning all the details
When writing an optimized press release, a communications writer must focus on which of the
following to obtain maximum viewing? - Answer✔Keywords to obtain high rankings on search
engines.
2|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
When an audience is receiving a message they go through four stages: awareness,
comprehension, conviction, and commitment. Which of these stages involves the audience
matching their own interests and views with the information being offered? -
Answer✔Conviction
When communicating face-to-face, negativity is often apparent when a participant: -
Answer✔Crosses his arms across his chest.
When conducting a media interview or making a statement to a member of the media, the phrase
"not for attribution" generally implies: - Answer✔The reporter can use the information, but
cannot quote the source directly
When considering the exact wording of a speech that you are writing, the most important
consideration given should be to: - Answer✔Using effective vocabulary that clearly
communicates your message
If you have been asked to give a presentation to an audience of co-workers, a good strategy to
keep the audience engaged is: - Answer✔Provide handouts to guide the audience through the
presentation
When communicating information, employers will most likely be successful in capturing
employee attention by: - Answer✔Presenting information at brief staff meetings.
In order to convince your audience to support your proposed changes to the organization's
structure, any speech to them must be of what type - Answer✔Persuasive
You are giving a news brief to the media on your organization's response to a crisis situation that
has emerged. One way to avoid miscommunication is to: - Answer✔Define relative words.
Considering that some experts believe more than one half of the emotional meaning of a message
comes from non-verbal communication, an important consideration in delivering a speech to an
audience is: - Answer✔culturally significant gestures
If your organization is hosting a charitable fundraising event and wants to increase attendance
and participation, you might partner with local media to produce: - Answer✔An advance story.
If your organization's spokesperson announces media availability for the following day at 10:00
AM, that generally means: - Answer✔The spokesperson will be available for questions at that
time.
When considering potential sources of information to use in printed or verbal communication,
you should consider FOI laws which: - Answer✔Give public access to government information.
After communicating with an employee via email memo regarding project goals, you discover
that the employee misinterpreted your expectations. You believe the channel was the problem
and: - Answer✔Schedule a meeting to discuss the miscommunication.
3|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Non-verbal communication plays a large part in effectively sending a message. When speaking
to a group be sure to consider paralanguage factors such as: - Answer✔throat clearing and sighs
f you are speaking to an audience of professionals in a highly specialized field and are using the
manuscript style of delivery, it is very likely that: - Answer✔Someone else prepared or assisted
in the preparation of your speech.
As a group, a new project team at work has established several norms for the team. All of these
might be examples of these except: - Answer✔Management evaluation of group performance.
Understanding your target audience is a key to creating effective communication. We can better
understand the target audience through demographics which identify primarily physical traits and
psychographics which focus on people's: - Answer✔beliefs and values
A subordinate at work frequently demonstrates lack of professionalism in her clothing choices.
What approach would be best for communicating the inappropriateness of her behavior? -
Answer✔Have a personal meeting and start with a soft entry, but then be straightforward
Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP is based on the theory that people's thought process is
mirrored in how they speak. When having a conversation this idea can be used to communicate
more effectively by: - Answer✔mirroring the other person's tone and body language to create
empathy
When reprimanding an employee for behavior that you feel was inappropriate, you notice that
she lifts her head and juts her chin forward, giving you the impression that she: - Answer✔Does
not agree with your concerns or respect your authority.
You are giving a presentation to a small group of co-workers and notice that several of them are
leaning forward in their chairs, causing you to infer that they: - Answer✔are interested in your
presentation
You are preparing to give a speech at a convention that will last about 25 minutes. Your primary
objective is to appear informed and for your audience to know that a great deal of planning went
into your remarks. Which delivery style best accommodates this goal? - Answer✔Manuscript
f a government agency offers a news release to a media outlet with an embargo attached, it is
generally implied that: - Answer✔It will not be released or published until the specified date.
Which of the following demonstrates the use of upward feedback within an organization? -
Answer✔An employee evaluates his supervisor as part of the annual performance evaluation
process
You are meeting with an employee to discuss her possible assignment to an established team for
an upcoming project. She says that this would be okay with her. She is pulling at her ear and
scratching the back of her head, giving you the impression that she: - Answer✔is concerned
about the change
4|Page
FSOT Preparation Exam Questions With
100% Correct Answers 2025
Framing - Answer✔The capacity of news media to select some aspects of a story that promote a
particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment
recommendation is known as media
Which of the following daily newspapers is published in the United Kingdom? - Answer✔The
Independent
Which of the following policies, which mandated that media broadcasters present a diversity of
perspectives on contentious or controversial subjects in order to prevent domination by a single
viewpoint, was repealed by the U.S. Congress in 1987? - Answer✔The Fairness Doctrine
Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard, Hill and Knowlton, and Ketchum, Inc. are among the
largest U.S.-based: - Answer✔Public Relations Agencies
Which of the following entities operates independently of the State Department and reports
directly to Congress? - Answer✔The Broadcasting Board of Governors
The U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, popularly known as the Smith-
Mundt Act, prohibits the U.S. government from: - Answer✔Disseminating information intended
for foreign audiences within the U.S. borders.
U.S. citizens are unlikely to be able to listen to or read U.S. public diplomacy outreach materials
because of which of the following acts of Congress? - Answer✔Smith-Mundt
Which of the following entities/programs is an official organ of U.S. government public
diplomacy efforts? - Answer✔The International Visitors Program
In the 1960s and '70s, writers such as Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, and Joan Didion often wrote from
the point of view of their sources, one of the techniques that defined a form of reporting known
as: - Answer✔New Journalism
Which of the following terms is commonly used to reflect the contribution that the attractiveness
of a nation's culture and values can make to its international standing? - Answer✔Soft power
Relationships between the U.S. and the country of Lapatria are at an all-time low. In order to best
engage with the local press, the embassy spokesperson should - Answer✔Invite influential
journalists to the embassy for one-on-one interviews to explain the U.S. position.
1|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A series of editorials appear in the Lapatrian press condemning the lack of donor aid from the
U.S. government. To counter these criticisms most effectively, a Foreign Service Officer would:
- Answer✔Publish booklets and disseminate press releases that stress the importance of private
as well as public U.S. philanthropic activities in Lapatria
Which of the following international broadcasting services, directed to audiences in the Middle
East region, is funded by the U.S. government? - Answer✔Radio Farda
Public diplomacy, as defined by the Department of State, differs from propaganda in that public
diplomacy - Answer✔Must always be based on facts and the truth
As part of U.S. public diplomacy outreach efforts, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs brings non-U.S. citizens to the U.S. for graduate study in which
of the following programs? - Answer✔Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships Program
Journalists in Lapatria are notoriously biased and do not adhere to the internationally recognized
standards of professional journalism. Which of the following strategies would be the best way
for a Foreign Service Officer to best engage the local journalism community? - Answer✔Invite
the most influential Lapatrian journalists to help design and implement a training program on the
international standards of professional journalism.
Three American military officers stationed in Lapatria are accused of accidentally killing a
Lapatrian civilian, whom they mistakenly believed to be an enemy combatant. The Lapatrian
press reports that the death was no accident and a widespread public outcry against the presence
of American military forces ensues. In order to best manage this crisis, a Foreign Service Officer
stationed in Lapatria would first: - Answer✔Create a centralized response team responsible for
formulating all public embassy statements and information about the crisis.
Which of the following web-based publications was developed by the Los Angeles Times as an
experiment in letting its readers rewrite and edit editorials? - Answer✔Wikitorial
Which of the following is a database that contains current and past news stories? -
Answer✔Lexis Nexis.
Effective downward communications within an organization or company can include all of the
following except: - Answer✔Provide regular opportunities for employees to provide supervisors
with status updates.`
If an organization's communications department creates a press release, the inverted pyramid
style of writing may be preferred since: - Answer✔It provides readers with understanding even if
they stop reading before learning all the details
When writing an optimized press release, a communications writer must focus on which of the
following to obtain maximum viewing? - Answer✔Keywords to obtain high rankings on search
engines.
2|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
When an audience is receiving a message they go through four stages: awareness,
comprehension, conviction, and commitment. Which of these stages involves the audience
matching their own interests and views with the information being offered? -
Answer✔Conviction
When communicating face-to-face, negativity is often apparent when a participant: -
Answer✔Crosses his arms across his chest.
When conducting a media interview or making a statement to a member of the media, the phrase
"not for attribution" generally implies: - Answer✔The reporter can use the information, but
cannot quote the source directly
When considering the exact wording of a speech that you are writing, the most important
consideration given should be to: - Answer✔Using effective vocabulary that clearly
communicates your message
If you have been asked to give a presentation to an audience of co-workers, a good strategy to
keep the audience engaged is: - Answer✔Provide handouts to guide the audience through the
presentation
When communicating information, employers will most likely be successful in capturing
employee attention by: - Answer✔Presenting information at brief staff meetings.
In order to convince your audience to support your proposed changes to the organization's
structure, any speech to them must be of what type - Answer✔Persuasive
You are giving a news brief to the media on your organization's response to a crisis situation that
has emerged. One way to avoid miscommunication is to: - Answer✔Define relative words.
Considering that some experts believe more than one half of the emotional meaning of a message
comes from non-verbal communication, an important consideration in delivering a speech to an
audience is: - Answer✔culturally significant gestures
If your organization is hosting a charitable fundraising event and wants to increase attendance
and participation, you might partner with local media to produce: - Answer✔An advance story.
If your organization's spokesperson announces media availability for the following day at 10:00
AM, that generally means: - Answer✔The spokesperson will be available for questions at that
time.
When considering potential sources of information to use in printed or verbal communication,
you should consider FOI laws which: - Answer✔Give public access to government information.
After communicating with an employee via email memo regarding project goals, you discover
that the employee misinterpreted your expectations. You believe the channel was the problem
and: - Answer✔Schedule a meeting to discuss the miscommunication.
3|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Non-verbal communication plays a large part in effectively sending a message. When speaking
to a group be sure to consider paralanguage factors such as: - Answer✔throat clearing and sighs
f you are speaking to an audience of professionals in a highly specialized field and are using the
manuscript style of delivery, it is very likely that: - Answer✔Someone else prepared or assisted
in the preparation of your speech.
As a group, a new project team at work has established several norms for the team. All of these
might be examples of these except: - Answer✔Management evaluation of group performance.
Understanding your target audience is a key to creating effective communication. We can better
understand the target audience through demographics which identify primarily physical traits and
psychographics which focus on people's: - Answer✔beliefs and values
A subordinate at work frequently demonstrates lack of professionalism in her clothing choices.
What approach would be best for communicating the inappropriateness of her behavior? -
Answer✔Have a personal meeting and start with a soft entry, but then be straightforward
Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP is based on the theory that people's thought process is
mirrored in how they speak. When having a conversation this idea can be used to communicate
more effectively by: - Answer✔mirroring the other person's tone and body language to create
empathy
When reprimanding an employee for behavior that you feel was inappropriate, you notice that
she lifts her head and juts her chin forward, giving you the impression that she: - Answer✔Does
not agree with your concerns or respect your authority.
You are giving a presentation to a small group of co-workers and notice that several of them are
leaning forward in their chairs, causing you to infer that they: - Answer✔are interested in your
presentation
You are preparing to give a speech at a convention that will last about 25 minutes. Your primary
objective is to appear informed and for your audience to know that a great deal of planning went
into your remarks. Which delivery style best accommodates this goal? - Answer✔Manuscript
f a government agency offers a news release to a media outlet with an embargo attached, it is
generally implied that: - Answer✔It will not be released or published until the specified date.
Which of the following demonstrates the use of upward feedback within an organization? -
Answer✔An employee evaluates his supervisor as part of the annual performance evaluation
process
You are meeting with an employee to discuss her possible assignment to an established team for
an upcoming project. She says that this would be okay with her. She is pulling at her ear and
scratching the back of her head, giving you the impression that she: - Answer✔is concerned
about the change
4|Page
