EPSO AD5 study guide
EPSO AD5 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The EPSO AD5 competition is the European Personnel Selection Office's entry-level route into the administrator (AD 5) function group of the EU institutions - the grade at which most graduates join the Commission, Parliament, Council and other bodies as policy, legal, scientific, financial or communication staff. It is open to candidates who meet the published eligibility conditions for the competition concerned, and it is competitive: a large applicant pool is filtered through computer-based reasoning tests, a situational judgement test and a field-related written exercise before a small shortlist reaches the assessment centre. The EPSO AD5 study guide has 6 sections and about 1,584 words.
01Verbal Reasoning: Extracting Meaning from EU Texts
Verbal reasoning checks whether you can extract meaning from a dense text rather than merely recognise words from it. You must separate the main point from supporting detail, distinguish what is stated from what is implied, and notice logical relations such as cause, contrast and concession.
248 words, about 1 min02Numerical Reasoning: Percentages, Ratios and Data Interpretation
Numerical reasoning here is mostly arithmetic under time pressure: percentages and percentage points, ratios and proportions, weighted averages, index numbers based on 100, growth rates and unit conversion. Be fluent at reading tables whose footnotes change the meaning of a column (thousands vs millions, euro vs thousand euro), and estimate before computing.
275 words, about 1 min03Abstract Reasoning: Patterns, Sequences and Matrices
Abstract reasoning presents a series or matrix of figures and asks which one continues the pattern. The rules are usually simple but combined: rotation by a fixed angle, reflection, movement of one element around a grid, changes in the number of elements, shading or fill, and superposition where overlapping parts cancel (exclusive-or).
278 words, about 1 min04Situational Judgement in EU Institutional Contexts
Situational judgement measures behaviour, not knowledge. Scenarios are set in EU institutions and ask you to rank or choose responses: how you prioritise competing deadlines, handle a colleague's error, respond to a request that exceeds your remit, communicate bad news, or sustain a team under pressure.
291 words, about 1 min05EU Knowledge and Drafting: The Written Case Study
The written case study asks for a short, structured note on an EU policy or administrative issue. Expect to identify the problem, set out the legal and policy context, present two or three options, assess them (effectiveness, efficiency, subsidiarity and proportionality, budget, stakeholders, timing) and recommend one with clear next steps.
243 words, about 1 min06Competency-Based Assessment: Evidence, Structure and Impact
Competency-based assessment looks for evidence of five competencies: analysis and problem solving, communication, teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Assessors score behaviour, so answers must be concrete and attributable to you.
249 words, about 1 min