The first part of the testing for the AD5 graduates competition (EPSO/AD/427/26) concluded on the evening of Friday 13 November 2026, following five intense days of online testing in all 24 EU languages.

The tests concerned reasoning skills only (verbal, numerical, abstract). Over the 18 testing sessions which took place this week, we achieved a global completion rate of over 95%, pending tickets analysis, among candidates who started their tests. This is fully in line with benchmarks for mass-scale online testing. EPSO will communicate further details on participation rates, including by language, in the coming days.

This was an unprecedented operation, with three times the number of applicants than the largest ever EPSO competition before that. EPSO worked relentlessly to address the surge of applicants and ensure a smooth operation: administering reasoning tests and the remaining tests in two separate phases, splitting the tests in different sessions over the testing week, performing repeated stress testing, increasing the number of help desk agents, upgrading some platform functionalities and more.

EPSO will now analyse individual cases and inform candidates of retest arrangements when warranted. Retesting for the candidates concerned is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2027.

We expect to communicate results for the first testing part to candidates right after the necessary retests have taken place. The next phase of testing is expected to take place in spring 2027 for those candidates who achieve the required pass marks in the reasoning tests. Exact dates will be announced in due course.