CAST Permanent study guide
CAST Permanent · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
CAST Permanent is the European Union's standing selection process for contract agents, run through the EU Careers portal managed by the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security. Candidates sit computer-based multiple-choice tests covering verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, abstract reasoning and situational judgement, and results feed a database that recruiting EU institutions and bodies draw from when contract-agent vacancies arise. The CAST Permanent study guide has 4 sections and about 1,762 words.
01Verbal Reasoning - Judging Text Instead of Interpreting It
The verbal reasoning module of CAST Permanent measures how accurately you read and how strictly you reason from written language. Items typically present a short passage followed by statements you must judge as correct, incorrect, or not derivable from the text; other items ask for the relation between word pairs (synonym, antonym, whole-to-part, cause-to-effect, degree), the odd word out, or the word that completes a sentence logically.
445 words, about 2 min02Numerical Reasoning - Correct Setup, Fast Estimation
The numerical module tests quantitative reasoning rather than arithmetic drill: tables, charts and short scenarios involving percentages, ratios, averages, growth, unit conversion and cost, plus number series. A calculator is usually not allowed and time per item is short, so marks come from setting up the calculation correctly and estimating fast.
420 words, about 2 min03Abstract Reasoning - A Fixed Scan for Multiple Rules
Abstract reasoning items use no words: you get a series of figures, a 2×2 or 3×3 matrix, or a figure analogy, and must pick the option that continues the pattern. The test measures fluid pattern detection - noticing how many elements there are, where they sit, how they are oriented and filled - under tight time pressure.
437 words, about 2 min04Situational Judgement - Professional Logic, Not Personal Preference
The situational judgement part of CAST Permanent presents realistic federal public-service scenarios - a citizen at a counter, a colleague missing a deadline, a request that conflicts with procedure - and asks you to judge how effective each reaction would be, or to pick the most and least effective. It measures competences such as service to the public, integrity, cooperation, planning, adaptability and communication.
460 words, about 2 min