One of the exercises in the EPSO Assessment Centre for Administrators and Assistants is to complete a complex cases study task. This means that AD and AST exam candidates (including Specialists) are given a comprehensive background file which they need to quickly read through and answer 2-4 open-ended questions.
The answers need to be written on paper, or more recently, on a computer screen, and reflect the candidate's understanding of the data, issues at stake, ideas and positions that are outlined in the background file.
The main competency that is assessed in the case study is the domain-specific knowledge (which can be demonstrated by adding many references to EU institutions, procedures, technical terms, industry jargon, expressions and notions that reflect the candidate's knowledge of his or her field), along with the analysis and problem solving, prioritising and organising skills.
Communication skills are also assessed to a certain degree, given the written expression nature of the exercise.
See also:
Oral Presentation, Group Exercise, Assessment Centre, Communicating
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