The 2026 AD5 graduate competition, test by test
6 min read · updated October 2026
EPSO/AD/427/26 is the generalist entry competition for administrators. The notice sets out six tests in two parts.
| Test | Questions | Time | Pass mark | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | 20 | 35 min | 10/20 | Language 1 |
| Numerical reasoning | 10 | 20 min | 10/20 combined | Language 1 |
| Abstract reasoning | 10 | 10 min | Language 1 | |
| EU knowledge | 30 | 40 min | 15/30 | Language 2 |
| Digital skills | 40 | 30 min | 20/40 | Language 2 |
| EUFTE (written) | 1 assignment | 40 min | 5/10 | Language 2 |
Part 1: reasoning (autumn 2026)
Numerical and abstract reasoning are scored together. With only ten items each, every question is worth five percent of the combined mark, so a single careless error in abstract reasoning costs as much as a hard numerical item. Train both under the clock: our reasoning simulation runs the two parts back to back with the official timings.
Part 2: knowledge and skills (2027)
The EU knowledge test covers the institutions, decision-making procedures and the main policy areas; EPSO publishes the sources it used about two months before the test. The digital skills test follows the five DigComp areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem solving. The EUFTE is a short free-text essay on an EU topic, assessed for written communication rather than factual knowledge.
Languages
Language 1 can be any of the 24 official languages (C1). Language 2 must be different and at B2, and is used for part 2. Choose language 1 as the language in which you read fastest: verbal reasoning is a reading-speed test as much as a logic test.