UPDATE 30 June 2026: EPSO published the amendment to the Notice of Competition, scroll down for the summary.
EPSO has shared an important update for candidates in the AD5 Graduate Administrators competition.
In a video announcement published on EPSO’s social media channels today, EPSO Director Olivier Salles confirmed that the AD5 tests will take place in two stages.
This confirms speculation: the reasoning tests will come first, while the remaining tests will be organised later.
Stage 1: Reasoning tests
The first stage will cover the three EPSO reasoning tests:
- Verbal reasoning
- Numerical reasoning
- Abstract reasoning
These tests are expected to take place in October/November 2026.
Each candidate will sit all three reasoning tests on the same day. However, because of the very high number of applicants, testing will be spread across several days.
Candidates will receive an official notification several weeks before their exam with:
- their individual test date
- technical instructions
- practical information for the test day
- any other key details they need to know
So, for now, do not expect everyone to sit the reasoning tests on exactly the same date.
Reminder: what score do you need to pass the reasoning stage?
To move forward in the competition, candidates must reach the reasoning test pass marks set out in the Notice of Competition:
- Verbal reasoning: at least 10/20
- Numerical + abstract reasoning combined: at least 10/20
Candidates who do not reach these pass marks will not continue to the next stage.
Important: This pass mark reminder is based on the current Notice of Competition. EPSO may amend the NoC, so candidates should always check the latest official version.
Stage 2: The remaining AD5 tests
Candidates who pass the reasoning stage will be invited to sit the remaining AD5 tests:
- EU Knowledge MCQ
- Digital Skills test
- EUFTE (Free Text Essay on EU Matters)
Salles stated that these tests are expected to take place in the first half of 2027.
Exact dates have not yet been confirmed and will be communicated later by EPSO.
Official EPSO AD5 Notice of Competition amendment
After yesterday's announcement, EPSO made good on their promise and the freshly baked amendment was served up early this morning.
First of all, what didn't change: the pass marks for all tests remain the same, including the reasoning skills tests.
The changes are not earth shattering, but still significantly different to what we've seen in EPSO competitions up until now. Here is a summary of the amendments made to the AD5 Notice of Competition:
- Candidates will now receive their reasoning test results after Part 1, instead of waiting until the end of the whole competition. The competition timeline has been rewritten to reflect this new order:
- application
- invitation to Part 1
- reasoning tests
- reasoning results
- invitation to Part 2
- EU Knowledge, Digital Skills and EUFTE
- scoring, ranking, eligibility check
- reserve list
- The rule on missed/incomplete tests has been adjusted: it now applies to each testing part separately.
- After Part 2, EPSO will score the EU Knowledge test first, then only score the Digital Skills test for candidates who passed EU Knowledge.
- Final notification wording has changed: candidates will be notified of their Part 2 results and eligibility-check outcome.
- The disqualification rules have been clarified: candidates can be disqualified for not following testing instructions, where the instructions clearly state that this may lead to disqualification.
What should AD5 candidates do now?
For the moment, candidates should keep a close eye on:
- the official AD5 competition page
- messages in the Single Candidate Portal
- EPSO’s social media channels
Olivier Salles also mentioned that more information will be shared on social media in the coming weeks.
EU Training will continue monitoring the updates and will help spread the word as soon as more official information becomes available.
Join Andras Baneth and András Körizs next Tuesday, 7 July, for a free Q&A session focused solely on the EPSO AD5 Graduate competition. Register here: Ask Me Anything: EPSO AD5 Update
Prepare for the AD5 tests with EPSO test experts
The AD5 competition now has a clearer timeline, you now can get a clearer picture of what to expect for our experts.
Join the EPSO AD5 overview workshop this Thursday, 2 July, and get guidance about what the 'other' AD5 tests are, what to expect and how to prepare.
Next week’s verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning workshops are especially relevant for candidates who want to get clear methodology on how to tackle these exams and practice with realistic test simulations.
See the full schedule for all EU Training AD5 training sessions here.