EPSO Translator study plan
EPSO Translator · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Linguistic ability (target language translation) & Source language comprehension
Translate two 250-word EU-style source texts (one press release, one legislative summary) into the target language under a 45-minute timer
Build a personal glossary of 60 recurring EU institutional terms with verified target-language equivalents
Identify and log the five interference errors you make most often when calquing source-language syntax
Read one source-language policy document and summarise its argument structure in five bullet points before translating anything
Your checkpoint
Two timed translations plus a 60-entry bilingual glossary in a spreadsheet, with error log of at least 10 tagged items
Linguistic ability (target language translation) & Source language comprehension
Translate three short texts (150-200 words each) covering three different registers: legal, technical, and public-facing
Rewrite your week-1 translations after a 24-hour gap and mark every self-correction
Drill 40 source-language idioms and collocations by writing target-language equivalents in context sentences
Analyse one source text for implicit meaning, register shifts, and hedging, annotating each instance
Your checkpoint
Three register-varied translations plus a revision comparison showing at least 15 concrete improvements between draft and rewrite
Source language comprehension & Verbal reasoning
Complete 60 source-language comprehension items on inference and author attitude, reviewing every wrong answer to name the exact misread
Paraphrase five dense source-language paragraphs in the target language without losing nuance
Practise 30 verbal-reasoning items on assumption and conclusion, timing each set at 90 seconds per item
Compile a list of 25 source-language false friends and deceptive cognates with target-language traps
Your checkpoint
A scored comprehension and verbal-reasoning log (90 items total) with a written diagnosis of your three weakest item types
Linguistic ability (target language translation) & Source language comprehension & Verbal reasoning
Translate one full-length source text (400+ words) under exam conditions with a 60-minute limit
Self-mark that translation against a checklist covering accuracy, completeness, register, and target-language fluency
Complete a 40-item mixed verbal-reasoning set at exam pace without pausing
Re-read two earlier translations and rewrite the three weakest sentences in each
Your checkpoint
One full-length timed translation with a completed self-assessment rubric scoring each criterion out of 5
Numerical and abstract reasoning & Linguistic ability (target language translation)
Work through 80 numerical-reasoning items on percentages, ratios, and data interpretation, recording time per item
Learn and apply three shortcut methods for percentage-change and ratio problems, then re-test on 20 items
Translate a statistical or budgetary text where figures, units, and number formatting must match target-language conventions
Verify number, date, and currency conventions in the target language and build a one-page reference sheet
Your checkpoint
A numerical-reasoning accuracy and timing log across 100 items, showing improvement in average seconds per item
Numerical and abstract reasoning & Verbal reasoning
Solve 60 abstract-reasoning items on sequences, matrices, and odd-one-out patterns, categorising each by rule type
Write a rule statement for every abstract item you get wrong, to expose faulty pattern detection
Complete 50 verbal-reasoning items under strict timing, targeting 80% accuracy
Review all week-5 numerical errors and redo them cold
Your checkpoint
A rule-type taxonomy for abstract reasoning with your error rate per category, plus a timed verbal-reasoning score
Linguistic ability (target language translation) & Source language comprehension & Verbal reasoning & Numerical and abstract reasoning
Sit one full mock exam covering all four domains under real time limits
Mark the mock against official-style criteria and rank your errors by domain
Translate two source texts chosen specifically to target your weakest error categories
Redo every numerical and abstract item missed in the mock until each is correct and explained
Your checkpoint
A full mock-exam score report with per-domain percentages and a prioritised list of the five highest-impact fixes
Linguistic ability (target language translation) & Numerical and abstract reasoning
Sit a second full mock exam and compare per-domain scores against week 7
Translate three source texts at exam pace, focusing on speed without accuracy loss
Drill 40 numerical and 40 abstract items drawn only from your weakest categories
Finalise your glossary, conventions sheet, and error log into a single one-page pre-exam checklist
Your checkpoint
A week-7-versus-week-8 score comparison plus a one-page pre-exam checklist covering terminology, number conventions, and personal error patterns
Milestones
Week 2: You can translate a 200-word EU-style text in 40 minutes with no meaning errors and a glossary of at least 100 verified terms.
Week 4: Your self-marked full-length translation scores at least 3 out of 5 on every rubric criterion, and verbal-reasoning accuracy reaches 70% at exam pace.
Week 6: Numerical-reasoning accuracy is at least 75% and abstract-reasoning accuracy at least 70%, with average time per item within exam limits.
Week 8: Mock-exam scores improve over week 7 in at least two domains and no domain falls below 65%.