The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released their EPSO/AST/135/15 Notice of Competition. The deadline for registration is 12 May 2015, giving applicants just over one month to apply.
The European External Action Service, responsible for running 139 EU Delegations and Offices around the world, is recruiting for Heads of Administration (function group AST) as permanent staff to assist Heads of EU Delegations.
A reserve list of 30 places has been advertised. While the exact locations of these positions are not stated, they will be based at EU Delegations around the world. New staff will be provided with support and assistance to relocate and offered a comprehensive remuneration package, including pension and health insurance.
Candidates who progress to the Assessment Centre stage to compete for a place on the reserve list will be selected based on their qualifications, eligibility criteria and how well they perform in the computer base pre-selection exam.
Required Qualifications
To apply for this position candidates should have:
- Post-secondary education attested by a diploma in business administration, human resources management, finance or accounting, followed by at least 6 years' relevant professional experience.
OR
- Secondary education followed by at least 9 years' relevant professional experience.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates will need to have:
- EU citizenship.
- A thorough knowledge of an official EU language (C1).
- A satisfactory knowledge of English or French (B2).
Pre-Selection Exam
The computer based multiple-choice question tests will contain the following:
| Tests | Language | Question | Duration | Pass mark |
| Verbal Reasoning | Language 1 | 20 questions | 35 min | 10/20 |
| Numerical Reasoning | Language 1 | 10 questions | 20 min | Numerical and Abstract Reasoing marks are combined: |
| Abstract Reasoning | Language 1 | 10 questions | 10 min | 10/20 |
Naturally, candidates need to do much better than a pass mark in the pre-selection exam stage if they wish to progress to the next stage of the competition – the Assessment Centre. So plan your preparation and start practicing right now!
Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on the profiles and the selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying.
Online EU Training offers a wealth of practice materials for all stages and levels of the EU institutions’ selection exams, as well as FREE E-books, webinars and e-learning materials to help you excel. If at any point you have a question or need additional help in understanding the EPSO processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Want to see what these EPSO exams look like? Try our free EPSO AST Exam Demo.
Useful reading:
The classical way of singling out wrong answers: Abstract reasoning - finding the wrong answer
The visual way of singling out wrong answers: Abstract reasoning - finding the flow
How to solve those abstract reasoning nightmare questions: Abstract Reasoning - Visual Overload
The magic of rounding and estimating: One Numerical Reasoning Tip That Will Save You 20 Seconds per Question
Download FREE E-books on reasoning tests of the AD exams.