I am very grateful to CEl for all the support provided during the preparation for the Diplomatic Career examination. It is inevitable that when you start it you will be assailed by many doubts about the study method, but CEl provides you with a whole series of materials and activities that gradually help you to succeed: from the provision of an up-to-date, well-written and structured syllabus, to the multiple-choice tests with subsequent correction, to the two-weekly essays in their two forms: some allow you to test yourself by having to take a mock exam, others can be worked on over a whole weekend, which allows you to study different topics in depth and then master a whole range of possible exam questions. But, without a doubt, with CEl you gain a great support network: your coaches. Ambassador Perpiñá-Robert helped me gain confidence at the beginning, when the uncertainty was immense. Afterwards, I was able to count on the corrections and assessments of trainers such as Guillem Manso, Tomas Riba, Marc Sánchez, Juan Torres and Javier Parrondo, among others, who passed on their knowledge and advice so that what seemed impossible, the pass mark, finally materialised. Languages are also very important in the competitive examination, and through CEl you can measure your level on a quarterly basis so that, if you need reinforcement, you can contact excellent teachers, as in my case Kathryn O'Connor for English and Margarita Estapé for French. Last but not least, this process would have been much harder without Elisabeth Rubio, who is always willing to rearrange any timetable to suit your needs, as well as to give you words of support when you need them most. In short, CEl is a living knowledge centre that brings you closer to the reality of diplomats and offers you the essential tools so that, with hard work and dedication, you can pass the competitive examination.
Preparing for the entrance examinations to the Diplomatic Career at the CEl in the online modality has been a very positive and rewarding experience. This innovative and dynamic institution in Barcelona provided me with all the resources I needed to successfully prepare for the different tests of the selection process, and the best thing is that I was able to do it from the desk I set up at my grandmother's house in Salamanca. The Centre has been offering online preparation for many years, so they have a great deal of experience and flexibility to adapt to the needs of their distance learners. In addition to the online preparation capability, there are many assets and strengths of CEl as a preparation centre for future diplomats. Firstly, the syllabus is perfectly adapted to the requirements of the competition and is regularly updated. Secondly, there are frequent simulations of text commentaries and language exercises, and there are also updated tests for the preparation of the first exercise. Along with this academic support, I also felt a strong personal support, reflected in the constant messages of encouragement and affection I received from the CEl team during the 1,060 days I spent preparing for the examination. It is worth noting that studying for the Diplomatic Career examinations is not an easy task, but it provides a deep understanding of the international reality that more than compensates for the effort made. I will always be grateful to CEl for helping me to become a diplomat, and I fully recommend this institution to anyone interested in starting a professional career in the field of diplomacy and international relations.
Preparing for the diplomatic career competition is scary, even looking back after you have passed it. Although the excitement of the first few weeks of study is never lost, the uncertainty you feel from the start grows as the investment made - and therefore potentially ‘lost’ - becomes greater and greater. No one can assure you that you will pass, or promise you that it will take a year or five. Neither can CEl. However, CEl can provide you with answers to other types of questions that may be less anxiety-provoking, but are more useful in your preparation: What makes a good essay, is it possible to prepare for an interview where you may be asked anything, what kind of answers are appropriate in the language exam, is it better to take a few topics each week but prepare them thoroughly, or is it better to challenge yourself to do a lot of quick turns through the syllabus? These are very difficult questions that every candidate faces at one time or another, and the answer to them is not unequivocal. That's why what I value most about CEl compared to other preparation academies is its diversity: the competition is an individual effort, but to succeed it is essential to build a solid network of support, it takes a village to raise a child. CEl will give you access to very different preparers (diplomats mostly of different ages and backgrounds, but also State Lawyers, for example), whose strategy for passing will not always coincide, and although this will sometimes be frustrating, as a candidate you will soon realise that you must find your own unique way of approaching the competition, based on your strengths and weaknesses. The entire CEl staff and collaborators, starting with Ambassador Perpiñá-Robert, will appreciate your dedication and will be an essential support in times of increased frustration and uncertainty. And they will be the first to call you as soon as you pass, of course. They are a team and I assure you that they will feel your success as their own. Cheer up!
I am very grateful to the CEl for the support provided during my competitive examination to enter the diplomatic career: I started the process in the face-to-face mode in Barcelona and finished it in the online mode, with many face-to-face sessions, from Madrid. I recommend the preparation of the CEl in the modality that best suits the candidate, as the follow-up of the CEl is continuous and personalised, adapting to the different needs that the different stages of the competition require, from the first moments full of excitement and learning to the final moments in which the objective is close, but everything becomes more repetitive. For more than 25 years, CEl has been the only public centre to prepare for the entrance examination to the diplomatic career. It is located in an idyllic setting at the Finca Pere Pons, where all kinds of interesting conferences on international relations are organised. CEl offers exhaustive preparation for each exercise of the competitive examination and a syllabus prepared by professors from the different universities in Barcelona. And above all, it has a real team of trainers made up of diplomats with very diverse backgrounds and profiles, other civil servants such as a state lawyer and a state economist, and an English and a French teacher. This allows the candidate to obtain the views and expectations of the different members of the selection board throughout his or her preparation. Finally, I would especially like to thank His Excellency Ambassador Perpiñá-Robert and Elisabeth Rubio for their loving and unconditional support throughout the entire process, and to express my admiration for having succeeded in making the CEl, in addition to a centre for excellent preparation as demonstrated by its results, a very special place from which I have great memories and, above all, lifelong friendships.
Studying for competitive examinations such as those for the Diplomatic Career is, without a doubt, one of those experiences that definitively mark a person's life. That is why the choice of the academy or centre in which to prepare for them is so important, as not only does the final outcome depend on it, but also whether the experience is more or less pleasant and enjoyable. In my case, I remember well the first day I arrived at CEl I had only a slight idea of what it was to be a diplomat and many doubts that needed to be answered. Fortunately, the CEl team answered all my questions and made up my mind that I was ready to embark on this adventure. Once the decision was made, there was another of the most important moments that a candidate has to go through: the first song. One is hesitant and nervous, with little mastery of the subjects and, once again, a good dose of uncertainty. However, Ambassador Perpiñá-Robert's affability and enormous wisdom are the necessary elements to instil security and confidence in the young candidates who have decided to study at the CEl. From then on, the candidate begins to master each of the exams of the competition thanks to the extensive training that CEl offers. Thus, the preparation of the test, the commentary, the interview and the cante is facilitated by the collaboration of numerous diplomats and other civil servants of the General State Administration with great knowledge in all areas of law, economics, development cooperation, history and international relations. CEl also relies on Kathryn O'Connor and Fernand Menier for the preparation of the language exercise, two people of great experience, professionalism and passion for their work who offer comprehensive training to achieve a broad command of English and French. Finally, after my time at the Centre for International Studies, I can say that the CEI is not just a place to prepare for the competitive examinations, but a great home where personal relationships are created and developed that remain for many years to come. In this sense, I have to thank the Secretary's team and, in particular, Eli Rubio, for having listened to all our problems and concerns over the years, for having solved so many doubts and for having been so patient. Based on all this, I encourage all those of you who are thinking of taking the Diplomatic Career Examination to choose CEl as a guarantee of success and as an unforgettable experience.
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