EPSO EUFTE Sample Essay With AI Feedback — Worked Example
Practice what you're reading about
25 free questions · Exact TAO interface · No account needed
Reading about the EUFTE criteria is one thing. Seeing them applied to an actual essay is another. Below is a complete practice assignment — brief, source document excerpt, a candidate's response, and a full AI-scored breakdown — the same format used in EPSOready's EUFTE module.
This is a fictitious practice scenario, written for training purposes only, inspired by the style of real EU policy communication — not an excerpt from an actual EPSO test or real EU document.
The Assignment
Type: Note to management Target word count: 300–350 words Time limit: 40 minutes
You work in the Digital Skills Unit of a EU institution. Based on the attached briefing document, write a note to your Head of Unit summarising the key findings on the digital skills gap among EU public administrations, and recommending whether the Unit should prioritise the proposed "AI Literacy for Public Servants" programme in next year's work plan.
Source Document (Excerpt)
Briefing Note: Digital Skills Readiness in EU Public Administrations (extract)
1. A 2026 survey of digital skills readiness across EU public administrations found that 61% of respondents rated their organisation's AI literacy as "basic" or "none," compared to 34% for general digital literacy. This gap has widened since the previous survey in 2023, despite three EU-funded digital training initiatives launched in the interim.
2. The proposed "AI Literacy for Public Servants" programme would provide a modular training curriculum, developed in partnership with three member state training academies, covering practical AI tool use, ethical considerations, and data governance basics. Estimated cost: €2.4 million over two years, covering approximately 15,000 civil servants.
3. A cost-benefit analysis conducted by an external consultancy estimated productivity gains of €8-12 million annually once the trained cohort reaches full adoption, based on time-savings benchmarks from comparable private-sector AI literacy programmes. The analysis notes these estimates carry significant uncertainty given the absence of public-sector-specific benchmarking data.
4. Three member states (Estonia, Finland, Ireland) have already piloted similar national programmes independently, with reported completion rates of 68-74% and positive participant feedback, though none have yet published data on measured productivity outcomes.
5. The Unit's current work plan for next year has capacity for one major new training initiative. Alternative candidates under consideration include an expanded cybersecurity awareness programme and a data protection refresher for frontline staff.
Candidate Essay (Sample Response)
To: Head of Unit From: [Candidate] Re: AI Literacy for Public Servants — Work Plan Recommendation
This note summarises the findings of the digital skills readiness briefing and provides a recommendation on the AI Literacy programme.
The survey data shows a significant and growing gap in AI literacy across EU public administrations, with 61% of respondents rating their AI skills as basic or none. This is notably worse than general digital literacy (34% basic/none) and has worsened since 2023 despite existing training efforts. This suggests that generic digital training initiatives have not adequately addressed AI-specific skills, and a dedicated programme may be needed to close this gap.
The proposed programme would train approximately 15,000 civil servants over two years at a cost of €2.4 million, developed with three member state training academies. External analysis projects annual productivity gains of €8-12 million once the cohort reaches full adoption, though the briefing itself notes these projections carry meaningful uncertainty due to the lack of public-sector-specific data.
Three member states have already piloted comparable programmes with encouraging completion rates (68-74%) and positive feedback, though productivity outcomes have not yet been measured in any of these pilots, which somewhat limits how much confidence we can place in the projected returns.
Given that the Unit has capacity for only one major new initiative next year, and considering the alternatives of a cybersecurity programme and a data protection refresher, I recommend proceeding with the AI Literacy programme. The scale of the skills gap, its worsening trajectory, and the precedent of successful pilot completion rates in three member states support prioritising this initiative, while acknowledging that the financial return estimates should be treated as indicative rather than confirmed pending further post-implementation evaluation.
(312 words)
AI Score Breakdown
Overall: 6.6/10 — Pass
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Structured logical flow | 7/10 | Clear progression from findings → programme details → cost-benefit → recommendation. The transition into the final paragraph is slightly abrupt — it moves straight from precedent to recommendation without a one-line bridge. |
| Conciseness | 6/10 | The essay is a touch over target length for the point density; several sentences carry two qualifications each ("though... which somewhat limits...") that could be split or trimmed. |
| Clarity | 7/10 | Direct and readable throughout. The final sentence is the weakest point — it stacks three ideas (scale, trajectory, precedent) with a caveat, and asks the reader to hold too much at once. |
| Audience & purpose | 6/10 | Correctly framed as a note to a Head of Unit, but leans more descriptive ("this note summarises...") than decisive. A management note should open with the recommendation, not build up to it. |
| Use of information | 8/10 | Strong — accurately cites the specific figures (61%, 34%, €2.4M, €8-12M, 68-74%) and correctly flags the uncertainty the source itself raises, rather than overstating the case. |
Strengths
- Precise, accurate use of the source data — no invented or distorted figures
- Appropriately cautious about the productivity estimates, mirroring the source document's own caveat rather than ignoring it
- Reaches a clear recommendation rather than sitting on the fence
Improvements
- Lead with the recommendation. A note to management should state the decision in the opening line, then justify it — not summarise first and recommend last. Busy readers should get the "what" before the "why."
- Tighten the final paragraph. It's doing too much work in one sentence. Split the recommendation from its justification into two shorter sentences.
- Trim qualifier stacking. Phrases like "though the briefing itself notes these projections carry meaningful uncertainty due to the lack of public-sector-specific data" repeat a caveat already implied earlier — state it once, clearly, and move on.
Rewrite Example
Original (weakest sentence):
"The scale of the skills gap, its worsening trajectory, and the precedent of successful pilot completion rates in three member states support prioritising this initiative, while acknowledging that the financial return estimates should be treated as indicative rather than confirmed pending further post-implementation evaluation."
Rewritten:
"I recommend prioritising the AI Literacy programme. The skills gap is large, growing, and already validated by successful pilots in three member states — the projected financial returns are promising but unconfirmed, and should be revisited after implementation."
Same content, same honesty about the uncertainty — but the recommendation now leads, and the sentence no longer asks the reader to parse three clauses before reaching the point.
What This Example Shows
Notice that the essay above isn't weak writing — it's accurate, well-organised, and reaches a clear conclusion. It still lands at 6.6/10, not 9 or 10, because of specific, fixable issues: recommendation buried instead of leading, and some sentence-level over-qualifying. That's the value of scoring against the real criteria instead of general impressions — "this is well written" would have missed both of these entirely.
Want to practise on a full set of assignments like this one, with your own essay scored the same way? The Complete EPSO Pack includes 10 EUFTE assignments with AI feedback on every submission.
Related reading: The full EUFTE essay guide covers format, timing, and preparation strategy. See how the AI scoring actually works for a breakdown of all 5 criteria.
Ready to start practising?
1,500+ questions across all 5 EPSO AD5 test categories.