The competitions are organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). Since 2010, they have taken place in two phases: the admission phase and the assessment phase.
The admission phase:
The admission phase consists of several tests called admissions tests. They are taken on computer in specialist centres in each of the Member States of the European Union. Each test takes the form of a set of multiple choice questions (MCQs). Tests vary according to the category of the competition:
Admission Tests
| Test | Competitions | Number of questions* | Duration* | Language | ||
| AST1 | AST 3 | AD | ||||
| Verbal Reasoning | X | X | X | 20 | 35 min | L 1 |
| Numerical Reasoning | X | X | X | 10 | 20 min | L 1 |
| Abstract Reasoning | X | X | X | 10 | 10 min | L 1 |
| Situational Judgement | X | X | 20 | 30 min | L 2 | |
| Accuracy and Precision | X | X | 40 | 6 min | L 2 | |
| Priority and Organisation | X | X | 24 | 30 min | L 2 | |
| Secretarial skills | X | 20 | 30 min | L 2 | ||
*Based on the 2014 competition
In theory, the main language (L1) is your mother tongue but you can choose another language too. Unless indicated otherwise in the notice of competition, you must choose this language from among the official languages of the EU. The second language (L2) must be different from the main language. You must choose from French, English or German.
The assessment phase:
Candidates who fulfill all the admission conditions (studies or diplomas and potentially professional experience) and who achieve the best results in the admission tests are invited to take part in the second phase of the competition. This takes place in Brussels, at an assessment centre, generally over a day and a half. Tests vary according to the competition category.
Assessment tests for the AST competitions
|
Test |
AST1 |
AST3 |
Language |
| Structured interview |
X |
X |
L 2 |
| In-tray exercise |
X |
X |
L 2 |
| A case study in the chosen field |
X |
L 2 |
|
| Group exercise |
X |
L 2 |
|
| Practical exercise on preparing and/or processing an MS Word document |
X |
L 1 |
|
| Practical exercise to assess your ability to express yourself in writing |
X |
L 1 |
Assessment tests for AD competitions
|
Test |
Langue |
| Case study in the chosen field |
L 2 |
| Group exercise |
L 2 |
| Oral presentation |
L 2 |
| Structured interview |
L 2 |
The case study and practical exercises are aimed in particular at assessing your competencies in the chosen field (secretarial, finance, human resources, etc) The other exercises are aimed at assessing general competencies: – Analysis and Problem solving – Communicating – Delivering quality and results – Learning and development – Prioritising and organizing – Resilience – Working with Others – Leadership (only for AD competitions) These key competencies are defined in the guide to general competitions http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:270A:FULL:EN:PDF For a clear and detailed analysis, we recommend that you read the book “Situational Judgement Tests for European Institution Competitions” published by ORSEU. The candidates who achieve the best results in the assessment exercises are placed on a reserve list. The number of successful candidates is stated for each competition notification. For further information on the organisation of the competitions, please visit the EPSO website.