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Glossary of terms commonly used in EPSO selection procedures.

Administrator (AD)

European permanent officials are classified into three groups: Administrators (AD), Assistants (AST) and Secretaries/Clerks (ASC-SC).
Becoming an Administrator (AD) requires a college or university diploma and successful completion of an EPSO competition for an open-ended contract.
With grades ranging from AD 5 to AD 16, Administrators work in various sectors such as justice, law, finance, trade, environment, human resources, communication, translation, and more. Their duties include policy development, analysis, regulatory tasks, international negotiations, stakeholder engagement, and drafting and checking EU legal texts.
Selection and recruitment at higher AD grades require relevant experience and management skills.

See also Permanent officials related FAQs.

Competency framework

The Competency Framework defines the competencies that are considered essential to perform effectively in any given job, by the EU institutions and bodies that EPSO serves.
Some of those competencies are assessed by EPSO during the selection phase, others are assessed by the EU institutions and bodies themselves during the recruitment phase.

The competency framework contains the following general competencies:

Communication

Critical Thinking

Analysing & Creative Problem-Solving

Decision-Making and Getting Results

Information Management (Digital and Data Literacy)

Intrapreneurship

Learning as a Skill

Self-Management

Working with Others

Competition

The EPSO selection procedure to become a permanent official.

EASI (Experience Assessment)

EASI is a tool aimed at providing optional feedback to interested candidates to help them understand better their likelihood of admission (eligibility) to a competition, based on their qualifications and professional experience, compared to the requirements laid down in the Notice of Competition.

EU Official/Permanent official

Permanent officials are members of the EU civil service appointed for an indefinite time. They constitute the so-called core working force.
There are three categories for permanent EU officials: Administrators (AD), Assistants (AST) and Secretaries/Clerks (AST/SC).

See also: Staff categories.

Field-related multiple-choice questionnaire (FRMCQ)

The field-related multiple choice questionnaire (FRMCQ) includes a series of questions, which are designed to test the skills and the knowledge related to the field of the competition. The questions are based on the duties required for the specific profile. Each question is linked to four different answer options, only one of which is correct.

Further information is indicated in the Notice of Competition and in the invitation letter.

Free-text essay on EU matters (EUFTE)

The EUFTE is a free-text essay on EU matters aimed at assessing a candidate's written communication skills.

See also: Written test.

Internal competition

Internal competitions are limited to current EU institution employees, promoting opportunities for growth and advancement within their existing workplace.
They are not managed under EPSO’s responsibility, but under the responsibility of the recruiting services themselves.
EPSO may be asked to provide support to the running of such competitions.

Junior Professionals Programme (JPP)

The Junior Professionals Programme (JPP) is a talent development and recruitment initiative of the European Commission, aimed at attracting and integrating young professionals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets into the EU institutions.
This programme provides participants with valuable on-the-job experience, mentorship, and opportunities to contribute to the Commission's work in various policy areas.

JPP offers recent graduates and young professionals a 3-year temporary agent contract, including a 12-month traineeship programme, during which they gain hands-on experience in different departments and Directorates-General of the European Commission.
This immersive experience allows participants to build their professional networks, enhance their skills, and contribute to the EU's mission of promoting sustainable development, democracy, and values.

Throughout the JPP, participants are provided with mentorship from experienced staff members, opportunities to attend training sessions, and access to professional development resources. The JPP offers a limited number of temporary agent positions (up to 70 per year), giving the successful candidates an opportunity take part in internal competitions (open to all other eligible staff) to become permanent officials at the end of the programme.

More information about the Junior Professionals Programme, including eligibility criteria, application process, and benefits, can be found on the European Commission's website.

MCQ (Multiple choice questionnaire)

Multiple-Choice Questionnaire is a common format used in EPSO exams. In this format, test-takers are presented with a question and a set of possible answer choices. They must select the correct or most appropriate answer from the given options. MCQs are designed to evaluate the test-taker's knowledge, understanding, and ability to apply concepts in a specific context.
One of the most used MCQs in EPSO selection procedures is the VNAR/reasoning test.

See also the related FAQs.

Multilingualism

Multilingualism is one of the European Union’s founding principles. Selection procedures published by EPSO as of 2024 provide candidates with the possibility of doing all their tests in any one of the EU’s 24 official languages. The requirement to use two different languages for taking the selection tests in any given competition continues to apply.
Specific conditions apply to competitions for linguistic profiles. For details, always refer to the respective Notice of Competition.
You can learn more about the EU’s 24 official languages on the Europa website: Languages, multilingualism, language rules | European Union (europa.eu)

Notice of Competition (NoC)

The Notice of Competition is the official and authentic document containing a full description of the profile sought, the minimum educational and professional requirements, and the details and conditions of the tests to be held during the competition. It also contains information and instructions on how to apply for the competition.
The Notice of Competition is usually published in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO’s website on the first day of the application period.

Numerical reasoning test

The numerical reasoning test evaluates a candidate's logical thinking and proficiency in comprehending numerical data. Applicants must solve questions based on statistical information provided in tables.
This test is part of the three reasoning pre-selection tests (VNAR).

See also the related FAQs

Subject matter expert (SME)

In the context of EPSO’s selection procedures a subject matter expert, or SME for short, is someone whose job is to participate in the process of creating certain types of written tests, such as field-related questionnaires.

SMEs are officials from the EU institutions and bodies served by EPSO. They take on this task for a limited period of time, in parallel with their usual work.
Permanent officials become SMEs on a voluntary basis, following a dedicated call for interest. They are nominated formally by their organisation of origin and must have a relevant profile in terms of knowledge or expertise in order to participate in the process of test development. They must have no conflict of interest as regards their competition in order to be confirmed as SMEs.
Nominated SMEs are trained by EPSO on test development methodologies before they take up their duties and continue to receive specific support from EPSO throughout their assignment.
Every test development process is analysed by EPSO’s team of psychologists in order to detect any possible bias. EPSO ensures that the process follows the agreed standards for large-scale selection procedures such as the ones organised by EPSO.

See also the related FAQs.

Temporary agent/staff

Temporary staff is recruited to fill vacant positions within the EU institutions and agencies for a set amount of time; this may range from a few months to a few years.
They may be asked to perform regulatory, legal, scientific or financial support tasks; conduct policy and data analysis; carry out IT, administrative, research, communication and programming duties, to name but a few.
Temporary staff cover posts requiring different types of qualifications and specialisations, varying from assistant to higher administrator positions.
For administrator positions, temporary staff can be recruited at grades ranging from entry-level grade AD 5 to AD 6 or higher. Similarly, assistant grades start at AST 1 - AST 3 and can be higher for more specialised profiles.

See also EU staff categories and available job opportunities for temporary staff.