Foreign and Commonwealth Office Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 94 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
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20 roles · 94 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Deputy Manager
Manager Average Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
There will be a competency based interview, and the assessment is optional. For senior roles, the interview will be in English. They want answers based on examples from your current or previous job.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Discuss your competencies.
- How do you work with others?
- How do you deliver results under pressure?
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Health Advisor
Mid Difficult Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Take home Presentation Panel
Interview formats
Other Presentation Behavioral
So first there was a written test where I had to write a briefing note on different options. Then I had an interview with a panel of three people: the Head of Profession and two others who currently do the job. I had to prepare a presentation for this, and they asked a mix of competency and technical questions based on the Competency framework that's available online.
Confirmed questions1 question
- In what ways have geopolitical factors influenced your health policy recommendations?
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Intern
Intern Average Negative experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral
Applied online, then got invited for an interview pretty fast. The interview itself was weird. It was for a diversity internship, but it only had four situational questions, like 'tell me a time you did X'. No chance to introduce myself or talk about my background. They said they only had a redacted version of my application, missing diversity info. They kept asking about negative stuff like conflict, setbacks, and feedback, which I answered honestly, mentioning my disability and background. The lead interviewer seemed surprised and didn't ask follow-ups. They were also from a different department. Got a generic rejection email after almost three weeks. They ignored my request for feedback. Seems like diversity is just a buzzword here. If they really cared, they'd know feedback is important and you can't judge someone on four questions with an interviewer who couldn't relate.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you share an instance where you collaborated within a team setting?
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Programmer
Entry Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Group Presentation Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Group Presentation Behavioral Technical
First, you'll do an IQ-like test to check how sharp you are, your problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. If you pass that, you'll go to an assessment centre with interviews, group stuff, case studies, and presentations to see your skills, how you work with others, and how you handle problems. After that, there's a language test to see how good you are with the languages needed for the job. If you do well in all those, you'll have a final interview with FCO people to talk about why you want the job, what you know about international affairs, your diplomacy skills, and if you're a good fit.
Confirmed questions1 question
- You'll be tested on your skills to analyze and summarize political information (not necessarily international politics).
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Foreign and Commonwealth Office interview reports.
“Could you draft a formal letter to a public official expressing thanks for attending the Queen's birthday reception?”
Read reports →“What potential factors could explain a situation where product sales rise monthly but fall annually?”
Read reports →“Imagine a foreign national reports her passport stolen at your high commission and needs to get back to the UK immediately. She's very upset and insists on seeing the High Commissioner. How would you immediately respond to this situation?”
Read reports →“What are the potential areas for UK and Singapore to collaborate in Science and Innovation, and what challenges do these collaborations face?”
Read reports →“What criteria would you use to evaluate the success of a trip involving a UK minister?”
Read report →“In the upcoming year, what particular policy actions ought to be prioritized by the Minister?”
Read report →“What strategies would you propose for promoting Trade and Investment within the UK's Financial Sectors?”
Read report →“What do you consider the most pressing economic challenge in Shanghai, and what is your reasoning?”
Read report →“Given the announcement about FCDO investing £50 million in a programme to support sustainable energy generators in Nigeria, how would you frame this announcement? This is a scenario question related to the “seeing the big picture” behaviour.”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 94 Foreign and Commonwealth Office interview reports.