The contract staff selection procedure attracts a high number of applications. However, recruiting services only pre-select (shortlist) candidates whose profiles best match their specific recruitment needs at a given time.

If you have not been pre-selected, it means that your profile was not among those selected for that particular recruitment need. You may still be considered in the future if your profile matches other recruitment needs.

Open competitions for permanent staff

A better result in the selection tests for open competitions may increase your chances of being placed on the reserve list, as candidates are selected based on their performance and the competition rules.

However, once you are on the reserve list, recruitment decisions are made by EU institutions based on their needs and the candidate’s profile, not on test scores or ranking.

Contract staff selection procedures

No. In contract staff selection procedures, recruiting services can only see whether candidates have passed or failed the EPSO selection tests. Individual scores are not visible and do not influence recruitment decisions.

Open competitions for permanent staff

If you pass the EPSO selection tests in an open competition, you may be included on a reserve list. Being on a reserve list does not guarantee a job offer, but your profile may be considered by EU institutions for recruitment.

The validity and use of reserve lists depend on the needs of the institutions.

Contract staff selection procedures

If you pass the EPSO reasoning tests for a contract staff selection procedure, you may be invited by a recruiting service for an interview and/or further recruitment tests.

Your test results are valid for 10 years from the date they are published in your EPSO Account.

They are valid for the function group for which you were tested, as well as for any lower function group.

If you do not pass the EPSO reasoning tests for a contract staff selection procedure, you must wait 4 months before you can be invited again for the same or a higher function group.

During this 4-month period, you may still be invited for tests for a lower function group.

The waiting period starts from the date you took the tests.

Please note that recruiting services are not obliged to invite candidates again after the waiting period has ended.

Open competitions for permanent staff

If you pass the EPSO selection tests in an open competition, you may be placed on a reserve list.

If you are not successful in a recruitment process with an EU institution, you remain on the reserve list and may still be contacted for other opportunities while the reserve list is valid.

Contract staff selection procedures

If you pass the EPSO tests for the contract staff selection procedure but are not successful at the recruitment stage, your EPSO test results remain valid for 10 years from the date they are published in your EPSO Account.

This means you may still be invited to other recruitment tests by the same or another recruiting service.

Yes. In contract staff selection procedures, you can be pre-selected (shortlisted) for more than one profile and/or function group.

If you are pre-selected more than once by different recruiting services for the same profile within the same function group, you will only be invited to take the EPSO tests once.

If you are pre-selected for different profiles and/or function groups, you will be invited to sit the tests in the order in which the requests are received by EPSO from the recruiting services.

Neither recruiting services, candidates nor EPSO can influence the order in which test requests are processed.

The candidate concerned should immediately inform EPSO so that the necessary measures can be taken in order to avoid any kind of conflict of interests.

The EU institutions select candidates for permanent contracts through open competitions. These are tests and assessment exercises designed to measure your professional skills and a number of core competencies. In view of the very large number of applicants, this is the fairest and most transparent selection procedure. This means that spontaneous applications cannot be taken into account.

The EU institutions select candidates for permanent contracts through the organisation of open competitions. Each of these competitions is announced by the publication of a Notice of Competition in the Official Journal of the European Union, as well as on EPSO’s website. The Notice of Competition contains a full description of the profile sought, the minimum requirements as regards education (and sometimes work experience) and indicates the tests and other assessment exercises (designed to measure your professional skills and a number of core competencies) that will take place during the competition. The Notice of Competition also includes information and instructions on how to apply for the open competition. In general, the Notice of Competition is published on the first day of the application period.

In view of the very large number of applicants, EPSO deems that this is the fairest and most transparent method for selection procedures. Spontaneous applications cannot therefore be taken into account.

Each selection procedure (competition) for permanent EU officials has its own selection board. Each selection board is composed of officials from the EU institutions and bodies served by EPSO. Officials join the selection board on a voluntary basis, following a dedicated call for interest. Selection board members are nominated formally by their organisation of origin. They must have no conflict of interest as regards their competition in order to be confirmed as members of the selection board.

The members of the selection board are EU officials appointed by their organisations of origin to a particular competition for their technical or linguistic expertise, for example.

Nominated selection board members are trained on selection and assessment methodologies before they take up their duties and continue to receive specific training and guidance from EPSO’s team of psychologists during the different stages of their competition.

Selection boards decide on the difficulty of the competition tests and approve their content, assess the candidates’ compliance with the specific eligibility criteria, compare candidates’ merits, and select the best candidates in the light of the requirements set out in the notice of competition. The proceedings of the selection boards are secrete and their work is facilitated by EPSO.