EU Knowledge, Digital Skills & EUFTE: What to Study for EPSO AD5

In addition to the three reasoning tests, the EPSO AD5 competition includes three further tests: EU Knowledge, Digital Skills, and the EUFTE (a written essay on EU matters). These are all taken in Language 2. Unlike the reasoning tests, the knowledge tests can be prepared for by studying specific content — making them a reliable source of points if you invest the time.

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EU Knowledge Test

Format

• 30 questions in 40 minutes
• Multiple choice (A–E)
• Taken in Language 2
• Pass score: 15/30
• Weight in final combined score: 25%

What Is Tested?

The EU Knowledge test covers the history, institutions, decision-making processes, and policies of the European Union. The main topic areas are:

EU Institutions and Bodies

• The European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, European Council
• The Court of Justice of the EU, the Court of Auditors, the European Central Bank
• Roles, composition, and how they interact

EU Decision-Making

• The ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision)
• Special legislative procedures
• How a regulation, directive, or decision becomes law

EU Treaties

• Treaty of Rome (1957) — founding the EEC
• Single European Act (1986)
• Maastricht Treaty (1992) — creating the EU and introducing the euro
• Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
• Treaty of Nice (2001)
• Treaty of Lisbon (2007) — the current constitutional framework

EU History and Enlargement

• The six founding members and successive enlargements
• Key milestones in European integration
• The role of founding figures (Schuman, Monnet, Adenauer, De Gasperi)

EU Policies

• The internal market and four freedoms (goods, services, capital, people)
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• Cohesion and structural funds
• The Eurozone and monetary union
• Key current priorities: Green Deal, Digital Single Market, enlargement

The EU Budget

• Revenue sources (own resources)
• The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
• Main spending areas

How to Study

1. Read the EPSO practice material — EPSO publishes sample questions and references to the sources used
2. Use a structured summary — focus on a condensed version covering key articles and changes
3. Focus on institutions first — institutional questions appear in almost every competition
4. Test yourself regularly — passive reading is not enough; practice questions expose gaps

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Digital Skills Test

Format

• 40 questions in 30 minutes
• Multiple choice (A–E)
• Taken in Language 2
• Pass score: 20/40
• Weight in final combined score: 25%

What Is Tested?

The Digital Skills test is aligned with the DigComp framework — the European Commission's official framework for digital competencies. It covers five broad areas:

1. Information and Data Literacy

• Searching and evaluating online information
• Managing digital data and files
• Understanding metadata and data formats

2. Communication and Collaboration

• Digital communication tools and etiquette
• Online collaboration platforms
• Sharing, co-editing, and managing digital identities

3. Digital Content Creation

• Creating and editing digital documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
• Understanding copyright and Creative Commons licences
• Basic concepts of coding and algorithms

4. Safety

• Password management and authentication (2FA, MFA)
• Recognising phishing, malware, and social engineering
• Data protection principles (GDPR)
• Cybersecurity best practices
• Privacy settings and personal data management

5. Problem Solving

• Choosing the right digital tool for a task
• Troubleshooting basic technical issues
• Understanding how to keep software and devices updated

How to Study

1. Read the DigComp summary — the European Commission publishes a readable overview
2. Focus on safety/security questions — these appear most frequently (phishing, 2FA, GDPR basics)
3. Know common software — standard Office suite tools, cloud storage, video conferencing
4. Practice scenario questions — 40 questions in 30 minutes is fast; timing practice is essential

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The EUFTE (Written Essay on EU Matters)

Format

• Written assignment in Language 2
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Pass score: 5/10
• Weight in final combined score: 15%

What Is the EUFTE?

The EUFTE (Free-Text Essay on EU Matters) is a written exercise based on documentation related to EU topics. The documentation is published on the EPSO website ahead of the test date and is also provided to candidates during the test.

The EUFTE is not a language test and not a factual knowledge test. It assesses written communication skills — your ability to organise and present ideas clearly in writing.

Who Takes the EUFTE?

The EUFTE is not scored for all candidates. Only the top-ranked candidates from the multiple-choice tests have their EUFTE scripts scored. EPSO processes EUFTE scripts for a number of candidates that in principle does not exceed 1.5 times the number of successful candidates sought (approximately 2,235 candidates for this competition).

This means you first need to score well enough in the multiple-choice tests to have your essay evaluated.

How to Prepare

1. Read EPSO's published anchors — EPSO publishes the assessment criteria ("anchors") for the EUFTE on the eu-careers website
2. Practice structured writing — clear introduction, logical development, concise conclusion
3. Read EU documents — Commission communications, policy summaries, EU institutional reports
4. Practice writing under time pressure — 40 minutes for a structured essay requires planning

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Study Plan: Combining All Three Tests

A reasonable study allocation:

• EU Knowledge: 20–30 hours for someone with limited EU background; 10–15 hours for someone with relevant experience
• Digital Skills: 5–10 hours — 40 questions in 30 minutes requires both knowledge and speed practice
• EUFTE: 5–10 hours — focus on structure and practising timed writing, not memorising facts

Important: These three tests together account for 65% of your final combined score (EU Knowledge 25% + Digital Skills 25% + EUFTE 15%). The reasoning tests contribute 35% (verbal only — numerical and abstract are pass/fail only). This means the knowledge-based tests are collectively the largest driver of your final ranking.

Take all three seriously.