EU competitions are split into two main stages, namely the pre-selection part and the Assessment Centre part. For certain Specialist exams, the two stages may be held in one single day or two consecutive days, but whenever there are lots (more than 600) applicants, the pre-selection takes places shortly after the application closes, and there is a 2-3 month gap between the pre-selection test and the Assessment Centre.
The timeline usually goes as follows:
- Exam announced on day X (published in the Official Journal of the European Union)
- Applications can be done online via the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) website until 20-30 days after day X
- The pre-selection exam (if there is one) can be taken in the period that starts about 45 days after day X and lasts around 4-6 weeks (estimated dates, may vary for each exam)
- The Assessment Centre is held in the period that starts about 6 months after day X and lasts about 2 months, depending on the number of candidates
- The reserve list (names of candidates who have passed the exam and are recruitable) comes out in about 9 months after day X - Please note that the times may vary according to the exam type, but this is a general overview of the EU exam timeline.
See also:
Pre-Selection Tests, Notice of Competition, Official Journal