EPSO Abstract Reasoning

You see a sequence of four or five diagrams with a gap or a missing final figure, plus several candidate answers. You select the single best answer with mouse or keyboard. Each item is independent, so a slow item costs you time on later ones - pacing matters as much as accuracy.

These are set per competition, not fixed for the test type. EPSO publishes the current number of questions, time allowance and pass mark in the competition notice and on its official website. Check the notice for your own competition rather than relying on figures from an earlier round.

No. The items use only shapes, lines and shading, and the rules involve rotation, movement, addition or removal of elements, alternation and counting. What helps is careful observation and practice at spotting several rules operating at once, not prior study of any subject.

Free samples are usually gentler than the real thing: they often use a single obvious rule, while live items frequently combine two or three rules and include near-miss distractors. If you can only solve untimed, single-rule puzzles, expect the timed test to feel considerably harder.

Start with untimed sets and describe each rule aloud in words. Then move to strict timed blocks of mixed items, and finally full-length simulations. Keep an error log grouped by rule type - rotation, counting, superposition, alternation - and revisit your weakest type rather than repeating sets you already find easy.

Committing to the first plausible rule without checking it against every figure in the series; ignoring one element, such as a small dot, while tracking the main shape; and spending too long on one stubborn item. Also common: choosing an answer that fits the last transition but not the whole sequence.

Retake rules depend on the competition and on EPSO's rules on sitting reasoning tests, which restrict repeated attempts within a given period. The applicable conditions are stated in the competition notice and on the official EPSO website; read them before booking, because an unsuccessful attempt may affect eligibility for later competitions.

EPSO uses accredited test centres and, for some competitions, remote proctoring. The notice for your competition states which applies, along with identification and technical requirements. Whatever the setting, practise on a computer rather than on paper so the on-screen layout feels familiar.

Work steadily through the sequence as presented, but do not let one item consume a disproportionate share of the time. If a pattern resists you after a short look, mark your best guess and move on; returning is only worthwhile if time remains at the end.