Future ambassadors in Norway are selected with the aid of cut-e tests and questionnaires.

The essential task of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to promote Norway’s interests internationally: to safeguard the country’s freedom, security and prosperity. This is quite challenging so it is not surprising that the selection process for the diplomatic trainees is tough and only the best are shortlisted. cut-e helps to find them.

In Norway, the so-called Aspirant Course is a three-year trainee programme for students intending to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, i.e. prospective diplomats. 450 candidates applied to be diplomatic trainees this year – only ten were selected for the programme.

Finding the best - the selection process
All of the candidates completed three cut-e online tests as part of the screening process: scales verbal (an aptitude test measuring the ability to draw logical conclusions from complex verbal information), the inductive-logical reasoning test scales cls as well as scales lt-e (measuring English language proficiency by testing the three aspects fluency, vocabulary and spelling).

28 of these candidates got ahead and were selected for the second round. They completed cut-e’s personality questionnaire shapes and were invited to an assessment centre.

A committee of nine members, amongst them members from academic institutions, confederations and unions at the Foreign Ministry, peppered the candidates with questions on politics, the Norwegian welfare model, or highly personal matters. “We will get an idea of how the candidates handle a challenging situation”, says Aud Kolberg. She is the Director of the Foreign Ministry and head of the Aspirant Board.

Additionally the candidates had to accomplish a group exercise in teams of six in which the simulation of a realistic crisis situation of a hijacking had to be solved. The simulation was observed by psychologists who watched the candidates closely.

What matters most
“We look at the personal competence. We investigate the interaction, the bargaining power, the ability to execute and the emotional resilience. We also see a little of how mature these candidates are. Cooperation exercises will primarily provide a picture of the candidates' ability to interact and communicate”, says Espen Skorstad, Managing Director of cut-e Norway, who was one of the three observing psychologists in the background.

As a matter of course all candidates also got feedback on the three cut-e tests the personality questionnaire shapes.

And for next year?
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was very pleased with the selection process for 2011, and they have already decided to integrate the cut-e tests and the shapes questionnaire as well as the expertise of the cut-e specialists for the selection process 2012.