Afghanistan Specialization Entry Exam study plan
Afghanistan Specialization Entry Exam · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Afghanistan History and Political Development
Build a dated timeline of Afghan political milestones from the 1747 Durrani state through the 1978 coup
Summarize the causes and consequences of the 1979 Soviet intervention and the 1989 withdrawal in your own words
Identify the main mujahideen factions and explain how their rivalries shaped the post-1992 period
Explain the rise, governance, and fall of the Taliban regime (1996-2001) in a written outline
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated timeline (1747-2001) with at least 12 events and a 150-word note on each of the Soviet period and Taliban rule
Afghanistan History and Political Development & Security, Conflict, and Peace Processes
Trace the post-2001 political transition, including the Bonn process and the 2004 constitution's adoption
Explain the structure and outcomes of the 2014 and 2019 electoral processes and the 2020 Doha agreement
Describe the 2021 Taliban takeover sequence and the collapse of the Islamic Republic
Compare pre-2001 and post-2001 conflict drivers, identifying continuities and breaks
Your checkpoint
A 400-word comparative essay contrasting governance and conflict dynamics before and after 2001, with a citation list of at least four sources
Government Institutions, Constitution, and Rule of Law
Map the three branches of government under the 2004 constitution and their formal powers
Explain the constitutional amendment procedure and the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting it
Describe the structure of subnational governance, including provinces, districts, and municipalities
Identify key rule-of-law institutions (courts, attorney general, police) and their formal mandates
Analyze how constitutional ambiguity contributed to executive-legislative friction
Your checkpoint
A one-page institutional diagram of the 2004 constitutional order with a 200-word annotation on at least two structural ambiguities
Security, Conflict, and Peace Processes & Government Institutions, Constitution, and Rule of Law
Outline the principal peace initiatives from 2010 to 2020, including the High Peace Council and Doha talks
Evaluate the design and sequencing of the 2020 Doha agreement and its implementation gaps
Explain how the 2021 transition affected the constitutional order and judicial institutions
Assess the main security actors and armed group dynamics since 2021
Your checkpoint
A two-page peace-process analysis comparing at least two initiatives on actors, sequencing, and verification, with a short risk table
Economy, Trade, and Development
Describe the structure of the Afghan economy before 2021, including the role of aid and services
Explain the post-2021 economic contraction, banking restrictions, and humanitarian-economic linkages
Summarize Afghanistan's trade profile, key partners, and major export and import categories
Identify principal natural-resource sectors (minerals, lithium, agriculture) and barriers to extraction and export
Explain the roles of the central bank, currency regime, and informal finance (hawala)
Your checkpoint
A one-page economic profile with a small data table (GDP structure, top trade partners, key exports) and a 150-word commentary on post-2021 constraints
Society, Demographics, Ethnic Groups, and Culture & Geography, Environment, and Natural Resources
Describe Afghanistan's major ethnic and linguistic groups and their geographic distribution
Explain demographic patterns, urbanization, displacement, and refugee flows over the past two decades
Identify major physical features: the Hindu Kush, river basins (Amu Darya, Helmand, Kabul), and climate zones
Summarize environmental pressures: drought, water management, and desertification
Explain cultural institutions and their role in social organization
Your checkpoint
An annotated map-and-notes packet (hand-drawn or digital) linking at least five ethnic or linguistic groups to regions and at least four river basins to water-use issues
Foreign Policy, Regional Relations, and Diplomacy
Map Afghanistan's key bilateral relationships (Pakistan, Iran, China, Central Asian states, India) and core interests
Explain the roles of the UN, regional organizations, and major donors in Afghan diplomacy
Describe the status of diplomatic recognition and representation since 2021
Analyze how connectivity projects and transit trade shape regional leverage
Summarize the main multilateral frameworks affecting Afghanistan
Your checkpoint
A stakeholder matrix of at least six states plus two multilateral bodies, listing interests, leverage, and posture, with a 200-word synthesis
Humanitarian Affairs, Human Rights, and Rule of Law Challenges & Economy, Trade, and Development & Security, Conflict, and Peace Processes
Summarize the humanitarian architecture (UN agencies, NGOs, funding appeals) and access constraints
Explain key human-rights challenges, including restrictions on women's education and employment and media freedom
Describe rule-of-law gaps: informal justice, detention conditions, and accountability
Integrate cross-domain linkages among humanitarian need, economic fragility, and security
Synthesize the full syllabus into a coherent policy brief
Your checkpoint
A 700-word policy brief with three concrete recommendations, each justified by evidence from at least two domains, plus a final 30-question self-test scored at 80% or higher
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75% on a 20-question history and conflict self-quiz and confirm the timeline covers all required periods
Week 4: Complete the institutional diagram and peace-process analysis; pass a 15-question mixed quiz on domains 1, 2, and 7 at 75% or higher
Week 6: Complete the economic profile and annotated map packet; verify each data point against a cited source
Week 8: Submit the policy brief and achieve 80% or higher on the 30-question final self-test covering all eight domains