You can request a review of any decision of the Selection Board or EPSO, that affects your progress at any stage of the selection procedure, if you consider that there has been a material error or a breach of the rules of the competition procedure.
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There was a problem with one of the Multiple-Choice-questions for my open competition, what can I do?
Should you have a serious doubt about the content of a test question, please contact us only via the EPSO website (Candidate Contact Service) within 3 calendar days of the date of your MCQ tests, by describing what the question was about (content) in order to identify the question(s) concerned and explain the nature of the alleged error as clearly as possible. Please also mention your candidate number (see the respective Annex of the Notice of competition).
If an identified question does not comply with EPSO´s strict quality criteria despite thorough quality controls in place, the corrective measures are as follows:
- The question will be corrected or taken out of the database
- The question will be cancelled (“neutralised”) and the points are redistributed among the remaining questions of the test
- Only those candidates who received the question(s) concerned will be affected by the recalculation.
- The scoring of the tests remains as indicated in the relevant sections of the notice of competition.
You will receive a reply to your complaint about the test content shortly before the publication of the test results in the candidates’ EPSO accounts.
I think i should have been admitted on the basis of my qualifications and/or my professional experience
Your personal conviction as to how your own qualifications/experience should have been evaluated is subjective and cannot replace the Selection Board's assessment. It does not constitute irrefutable evidence of manifest error committed by the Board.
The Selection Board's evaluation criteria usually include a list of what it considers to be relevant with regard to subjects studied, diplomas obtained, the level of the diploma, the relevance, level and duration of the work experience.
Different elements can explain the Selection Board's decision to exclude you based on the pre-established selection criteria:
Your diploma is not sufficiently related to the field of the competition
Your diploma is not of the right level/duration
Your experience is not sufficiently related to the field
Your experience in the field is too short
You have insufficient relevant experience since obtaining the diploma requested for this competition
I believe there is a material error in the scoring of my test (e.g. I received another candidate's score/my complete test may not have been marked)
Before communicating results, the Selection Board will have verified, approved and validated them.
I am an experienced translator, my score should be higher
Your test result is based on your performance on the day of the test and you cannot invoke your professional experience or your qualifications in order to successfully challenge the Selection Board's decision on your performance.
Can I request a copy of evaluation criteria or marking grids or marked scripts or details of the marking?
No. These are covered by the secrecy of the Board proceedings under the Staff Regulations.
Can I request a copy of my unmarked written/ practical tests?
Yes, except in cases where test content is intended to be reused. In such cases, you will be informed about this in advance, through the notice of competition and/or the invitation letter to the tests in question.
What happens if a candidate knows one of the Selection Board members?
The candidate should immediately inform EPSO so that the necessary measures can be taken in order to avoid any kind of conflict of interests.
Can I lodge an administrative complaint (article 90) before receiving my review reply (on the same subject)?
No. If deemed necessary, it should be done after receipt of the review reply. The article 90 administrative complaint has to be based on a decision which negatively affects your legal status as a candidate, i.e. in this case based on the Selection Board's negative reply to a review. The deadline for submitting an article 90 complaint is within 3 months from the notification of the decision you wish to contest.
Can I bring a case before the European Court of Justice?
Each candidate can bring a case before the Court against a decision taken by the Selection Board or the Appointing Authority which negatively affects his/her legal status as a candidate.
The Appeal must be sent to the Court within three months and ten days from the notification of the decision he/she wishes to contest.
A challenged decision can be annulled but not amended by the Court.
Can I submit a complaint to the European Ombudsman?
Each candidate can submit a complaint to the European Ombudsman within two years from the date when the facts or acts of an alleged maladministration occurred.
Which type of complaint is relevant in my case?
If you are a candidate who has a validated application for one of EPSO's open competitions or selection procedures, you are entitled to make any one of the types of complaint.
Please also refer to the notice of competition for a full overview of the different ways in which you may submit a complaint.
What should I do if I feel that I was not treated fairly during my competition due to my difference(s)?
EPSO places great importance on equality, diversity and inclusion, and makes every effort to respect equal opportunities, equal treatment and equal access for all its applicants.
If you feel that you have been treated in an unfair or discriminatory way, due to one or more of the following characteristics: sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, please contact us straight away to share your observations and feelings.
We pay a lot of attention to feedback from applicants, who are at the heart of our policies and practices on equality, diversity and inclusion management. For more information on how we put these policies into practice, please see How EPSO ensure equal opportunities.
I have submitted a request for review and have not received a reply, should I send a reminder?
If you received an acknowledgment of receipt after you sent your initial complaint, you should not send a reminder unless a significant time has passed since you wrote.
The replies to review can take several weeks to prepare. The Selection Board must meet to decide, and only after that are the replies prepared and sent.
What happens if I am readmitted after review but the competition has already progressed to the next step?
If the Selection Board were to readmit you following review, you would re-enter the process at the step where you had been excluded, regardless of how far the competition has progressed in the meantime.
There was a problem with a specific part of the written test or the field-related MCQ, what can I do?
Should you have a serious doubt about the content of a test (WT or FRMCQ), please contact us only via the contact form for questions in your Single Candidate Portal account, within 3 calendar days of the date of your tests, by describing what the question or test part was about (content) in order to identify the question or part concerned and explain the nature of the alleged error as clearly as possible. Please also mention your candidate number (see the respective Annex of the Notice of Competition).
If the identified test content does not comply with EPSO´s strict quality criteria despite thorough quality controls in place, corrective measures will be taken.
You will receive a reply to your complaint about the test content shortly before the publication of the test results in your candidate account.
Will I receive a reply after submitting a technical complaint about the reasoning tests for contract staff selection?
Not always. It depends on your test result.
- If your technical complaint is accepted and you passed the reasoning tests:
You will only receive your test results in your EPSO account.
You will not get a separate reply about your technical complaint. - If your technical complaint is accepted and you failed the reasoning tests:
You will receive a message inviting you to retake the reasoning tests at one of the next testing sessions.