EPSO Lawyer-Linguist exam-day guide
EPSO Lawyer-Linguist · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the exact identity document named in your invitation letter (typically a passport or national ID card). The name and spelling must match your application. If you are unsure which document is accepted, confirm with the provider before travel day.
Printed invitation and candidate number
Print the invitation/convocation email showing your candidate number, test centre address, and reporting time. Do not rely on your phone for access to the building; some centres check paper documents at the door.
Confirmed reporting time and venue
Re-check the reporting time and venue in your invitation 24 hours before. Arrive with a margin for security checks and registration queues. Late arrival rules vary, so confirm with the provider whether latecomers are admitted at all.
Permitted reference materials
The exam may allow specified dictionaries or legal texts. Check the instructions for your sitting and bring only what is explicitly permitted. If the list is unclear, confirm with the provider rather than guessing.
Writing tools and permitted aids
Bring pens you are comfortable writing with for several hours, plus any aids the instructions allow. Do not bring unauthorised electronic devices into the test room.
Water and a small snack for breaks
Long written sittings are draining. Bring water in a clear container if permitted and a snack for scheduled breaks. Check whether food and drink are allowed at your desk.
Travel and accommodation plan
Know the route to the centre, the building entrance, and a fallback transport option. For morning starts, staying nearby reduces risk more than any last-minute revision.
Language and dictionary strategy rehearsed
Practise under time pressure with the exact dictionaries or reference works you will use, so you can find terms quickly. Know which language version you will write in for each part.
Timed mock completed under exam conditions
Do at least one full timed rehearsal in the final days, including handwriting or typing as the exam requires. Review where you lost time, not just where you lost marks.
Rest and logistics protected
Protect sleep in the final 72 hours. Do not schedule heavy new study the night before; consolidate instead.
Plan the day
Do a final full timed rehearsal or a substantial part of one, then stop adding new material. List your weak points and decide which two or three are worth targeted revision. Confirm travel, accommodation, and the exact reporting time. Assemble your documents and permitted materials in one bag.
Revise your own error log: recurring grammar slips, terminology in your source and target languages, and legal drafting conventions. Rehearse your timing plan for each section so you know roughly how many minutes per question or per translation paragraph you can afford.
Re-read the invitation for venue, time, and permitted items. Lay out ID, printed invitation, pens, dictionaries if allowed, water, and snack. Check the journey once more, including any strike or disruption notices. Do light terminology review only, then stop early and sleep.
Eat a proper breakfast and leave earlier than the route suggests. At the centre, follow registration and ID checks, find your seat, and set out your permitted materials. Read the front-page instructions carefully, including any choice of questions and any rule on which language to use.
Scan the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and any optional sections, then allocate time. Start with the section you handle most confidently if the rules allow any order, but do not let one answer consume another's time.
Keep to your time allocation and leave a few minutes per answer to check grammar, agreement, and terminology. For translation, prioritise accuracy of meaning and legal register over elegant variation. If you run short, finish the answer in outline rather than leaving it blank, provided the instructions allow it.
Check that every required section is attempted, your candidate details are correct, and no answer is on the wrong page or in the wrong language. Do not rewrite whole passages; fix clear errors only.
Rules to check
Bring the identity document specified in your invitation and present it on request. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Bring only materials explicitly permitted for your sitting. Unauthorised notes, phones, smart watches, or other electronic devices should be left outside the test room; confirm the provider's device policy in advance.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on seating, timing, and movement. Rules on leaving the room during the test, including toilet breaks, vary by centre, so confirm with the provider and expect to be escorted or supervised.
Check the scoring and section weighting in the official instructions before you start, since marks per section affect how you allocate time. If the weighting is not stated in your materials, confirm with the provider rather than assuming equal weight.
Respect the language rules: write each part in the language required and do not switch languages unless the instructions allow it. Use of dictionaries or reference works outside the permitted list may be treated as misconduct.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test and do not remove question papers or answer materials unless the instructions permit it. Breaches of conduct rules can lead to invalidation of your paper.
If something goes wrong, such as a missing page, a faulty desk, or illness, raise it with an invigilator immediately and ask for it to be recorded; do not wait until after the exam to report it.
Keep to the stated arrival and reporting time. Whether late arrivals are admitted is a matter for the provider, so confirm the policy in advance and plan to arrive early.