A Career in the Foreign Service

The Diplomatic Technology Officer Test (DTOT) is a key step in the Foreign Service Diplomatic Technology Officer (DTO) selection process, covering job knowledge, English expression and situational judgment necessary to work as an DTO.

The DTOT is conveniently offered throughout the U.S., likely in a location near you, and is available Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Some test centers offer testing Monday through Sunday with some evening hours. Find a test center near you.

Please note: New candidates must create a web account before they can submit an application.

To be eligible, the U.S. Department of State requires that each candidate be:

• Be a U.S. citizen and accept assignments based on the needs of the FS.
• E-Verify: Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
• Be able to obtain a Top Secret
• Be able to meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
• Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.*
• Be at least 20 years old to apply; at least 21 years old to be appointed as a DTO.
• Be appointed prior to age 60 (preference eligible veterans excepted. **

At the time of application, you must have one of the following:

• HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 5 years of specialized experience. OR
• IT degree (minimum Associate’s degree). No specialized experience required. OR
• Non-IT degree (minimum Associate’s degree) with two years of Specialized Experience out of the last five years. OR
• U.S. military IT-related training or specialty with two years of Specialized Experience out of the last five years. Applicants with U.S. military IT-related training from a U.S. military facility or Academy in fields directly related to the duties described below. A list containing U.S. military occupational specialty codes or designators is provided for your reference.

IT-related degree or training must be in the following: Information Technology Management, Telecommunications Management, Computer Information Systems, Information Systems, Information Security, Networking, Data Processing, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Electrical Engineering, Cloud Computing, IT Acquisition and Control Management, IT Business processes, Computer Support Specialist, IT Project Management, Data Science/Analytics, Software Engineering/Development, Health Information Management, Video Game Design, Management Information Systems; or other related computer networking fields.

If you have questions about this position, please email us at DOSITRecruitment@state.gov, and for more information about the Foreign Service, please visit our FAQs.

The DTOT is offered for free. However, please note that Department of State requires that candidates provide credit/debit card information to Pearson (the test administrator) to complete the registration process. The card will be charged $5 to hold the appointment. This fee is fully refundable and will be credited back to the credit/debit card a few weeks after you test. If, however, a candidate either does not take the test or does not cancel an appointment at least 48 hours in advance, the card will be charged an additional $40 for a total no-show fee assessment of $45.

Candidates must complete two registration steps: submitting an application and selecting an appointment. Applicants have six months to schedule an appointment for the gateway test, however due to required administrative processes, the appointment must be made within eight weeks of the desired testing date. If you would like to schedule an appointment further than eight weeks out, you will need to log back into this system closer to the date you wish to schedule the test to make a request. Once an application is submitted it cannot be changed until the six months have passed. Candidates may test only once in a 12-month period.