Selection tests now available in all 24 EU official languages

Do you have experience in the fields of microeconomics/macroeconomics, financial economics or industrial economics? Would you like to start an international career within a multicultural and diverse team? If the answer is yes, you have another chance to apply for the competition for Administrators in the field of economics.

In the framework of open competition EPSO/AD/402/23, the online testing held on 2-4 October 2023 encountered serious technical issues. As a result, a high number of candidates were unable to sit the tests under appropriate conditions or to complete them. This led to a pause in testing for all competitions, including the suspension of this competition, while EPSO started looking for alternative options for a better test delivery system.

The identified solution entails online exam-taking with automated proctoring, but under different testing modalities. To ensure that all candidates are treated equally, the testing phase will be re-opened, requiring all candidates, including those who previously completed the tests, to undergo testing anew. This has been communicated to existing candidates in writing.

The competition is now open to both existing candidates and new candidates interested in applying.

This presents an opportunity to align the EPSO/AD/402/23 competition with a full “24-language regime”, enabling current and potential new candidates to freely select any two of the 24 EU official languages for testing. As part of this alignment, adjustments will include replacing the case study with a written test focusing on written communication skills, assessed under a specific set of new anchors.

Consequently, as decided by the competition’s Selection Board, the test events conducted on 2, 3, and 4 October 2023 are annulled. Candidates’ performance records and/or test scripts resulting from these test events will not undergo full processing, and no individual test results will be generated.

• Candidates who have already submitted applications must review and revalidate them to continue participating in this competition. They will have the opportunity to reconsider their test language choices and to add new information to their applications, as relevant. Further information has been provided individually to such candidates via their EPSO Accounts.

For information on the precise amendments to the initial Notice of competition EPSO/AD/402/23, please refer to the Notice amending the notice of open competition – EPSO/AD/402/23.

Upon successful completion of the competition, the candidates will be recruited as administratorsin the fields of microeconomics/macroeconomics, financial economics and industrial economics. Recruited officials (grade AD 6) will work mostly in the European Commission.

Once on a reserve list, successful candidates may be contacted by the recruiting services of the EU institutions and bodies interested in their profile, for targeted recruitment interviews. Such interviews, and any other related procedures, are outside the selection process conducted by EPSO. Recruitment interviews are conducted by the relevant recruiting services usually in English and/or French. Other languages may also be used during the interviews, based on the needs of the recruiting services and the knowledge expressed by candidates in their applications.

As an administrator in the field of economics, your main tasks will vary depending on the chosen field. Please note that you may only apply for one of the fields below:

• Field 1 – Microeconomics/macroeconomics
• Field 2 - Financial economics
• Field 3 - Industrial economics

The typical duties that the successful candidates can expect to perform are detailed in the Notice of Competition.

As an employer, the institutions and agencies of the EU offer a community of expertise with a wide range of opportunities to broaden your personal and professional development. The multicultural, international and diverse teams that make up the institutions work together to benefit the lives of approximately 450 million EU citizens and beyond.

Respect for cultural diversity and promotion of equal opportunities are founding principles of the EU, and the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) endeavours to ensure equal opportunities and access to all candidates. You can find out more about our equal opportunities policy and how to request specific adjustments for selection tests on our dedicated page.

Do you have what it takes?

To apply, you must be an EU national and enjoy the full rights of an EU citizen.

You must have a thorough knowledge of one official EU language and a satisfactory knowledge of a different official EU language.

You must also have:

For field 1 – Microeconomics/macroeconomics:

• a university degree of at least 4 years, followed by at least 3 years of relevant professional experience - or a university degree of at least 3 years, followed by at least 4 years of relevant professional experience, in one of the following fields: economics (including areas such as econometrics, applied economics, and business engineering), finance, mathematics, statistics, physics, or engineering. 

For field 2 – Financial economics:

• a university degree of at least 4 years, followed by at least 3 years of relevant professional experience - or a university degree of at least 3 years, followed by at least 4 years of relevant professional experience, in one of the following fields: economics (including areas such as econometrics, applied economics and business engineering), mathematics, statistics, business, finance, accounting, financial engineering, and/or actuarial sciences.

or

• a university degree of at least 4 years, followed by at least 5 years of relevant professional experience - or a university degree of at least 3 years, followed by at least 6 years of relevant professional experience, in a field other than those mentioned above.

For field 3 – Industrial economics:

• a university degree of at least 4 years, followed by at least 3 years of relevant professional experience - or a university degree of at least 3 years, followed by at least 4 years of relevant professional experience, in the field of economics (including such areas as econometrics, applied economics, and business engineering) or statistics.

For detailed information on requirements, please read the Notice of Competition and its amending notice on the apply page below.

The new application period opens on 28 May 2024 and ends on 9 July 2024, at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.