The EU Knowledge Test in EU Competitions

The EU Knowledge Test is now a key step in EU competitions, including the AD5 and several internal competitions.

Success increasingly depends on mastering this part of the selection process.

What Is the EU Knowledge Test?

It is a multiple-choice test covering:

• The EU and its institutions
• EU policies and legislative procedures
• The EU budget, rules of procedure, and EU law

In recent internal competitions (2025), topics also included general organisational awareness and current EU affairs.

Timing: Expect 1–2 minutes per question on average.

Always check the Notice of Competition for exact details on:

• Number of questions
• Duration
• Scoring
• Official description

You can also find sample questions from the Administrator Generalist competition on the EU Careers website.

Main Challenges

The main difficulty is the breadth of information you need to know.

You must be comfortable with:

• EU treaties and institutions
• Legislative procedures
• EU budget and key policies
• Figures, facts, and even recent developments

💡 Tip: Read each question carefully and manage your time efficiently. Precision and speed matter equally.

How to Prepare

Start early: building solid EU knowledge takes time.

1.Review the basics

• History and founding treaties
• Roles of main institutions
• Current EU priorities and policies

2.Use reliable sources

• Recommended books from EU Careers
• Official EU websites (Commission, Parliament)
• Specialised EU news sites such as Euractivor EUobserver

3.Take structured courses

Our partner’s “EU in a Nutshell” course offers 7 hours of training focused on essential EU knowledge.

You’ll also find this training in the EU Competition Pack, which offers complete preparation for both the reasoning and written tests.

4.Practise under test conditions

ORSEU provides 3 packs of 150 questions each that closely resemble the real EU Knowledge Test, as confirmed by past candidates.

Final Takeaway

To succeed, combine official sources, targeted study, and realistic practice.

Preparation pays off — the EU Knowledge Test rewards those who understand not just what the EU is, but how it works.