If pre-selected by a recruiting service for the tests (see useful information here), you will receive the invitation to attend the CAST Permanent reasoning tests in your EPSO account around 10 days before the tests take place.

Non, les candidats ne sont plus tenus de réserver une date pour leurs tests à l’avance. Avec le nouveau prestataire externe d’EPSO, tous les candidats seront invités à passer leurs tests le même jour et en même temps.

La date et l’heure exactes des tests sont publiées sur la page correspondante du concours dès qu’elles sont disponibles. Veuillez noter qu’il n’est pas possible de modifier la date ou l’heure de vos tests.

Non, vous devez soumettre une candidature par profil et/ou groupe de fonctions. 

Pour en savoir plus sur les profils et les groupes de fonctions, veuillez consulter: Agents contractuels (procédure CAST permanente) EU Careers (europa.eu)

Les candidats aux procédures de sélection pour agent contractuel (CAST/P) ne peuvent pas lier des pièces justificatives à leur(s) candidature(s) CAST/P dans leur compte EPSO. Les pièces justificatives seront présentées aux services recruteurs au stade des tests de recrutement et/ou avant le recrutement.

Les candidats doivent être en mesure de prouver, par des pièces justificatives, les affirmations figurant dans leur acte de candidature (en ce qui concerne leurs qualifications, leur expérience, leurs connaissances linguistiques, etc.). Ils seront informés par les services recruteurs des documents (copies ou originaux) qu’ils devront présenter et du moment auquel ils devront le faire.

EPSO ne peut pas fournir d’informations sur les règles appliquées par les différents services recruteurs en ce qui concerne les pièces justificatives. Les informations suivantes ne devraient être considérées que comme une illustration non contraignante des exigences qui peuvent s’appliquer:

1. Entre autres documents, les candidats devront présenter une carte d’identité ou un passeport en cours de validité.
    
2. Pour attester leur niveau d’études et leur formation, les candidats devront fournir:
   
   a) une copie de leur(s) diplôme(s) et/ou certificat(s) de formation attestant leurs qualifications;
   b) dans le cas de diplômes/certificats délivrés dans un pays tiers, une déclaration d’équivalence délivrée par une autorité compétente d’un État membre de l’UE.
    
3. Toutes les périodes d’activité professionnelle doivent être attestées par des originaux ou des copies certifiées conformes des justificatifs suivants:
   
   a) des documents des anciens employeurs et/ou de l’employeur actuel: contrat(s) de travail précisant les dates de début et de fin de l’activité et/ou première et dernière fiches de salaire. La nature et le niveau des fonctions exercées devront être précisés dans ces documents, qui détailleront également lesdites fonctions; de même, les documents devront porter l’en-tête officiel et le cachet de l’employeur, ainsi que le nom et la signature de la personne responsable;
   
   b) pour les activités professionnelles non salariées, par exemple pour les indépendants ou professions libérales: des factures ou des bons de commande détaillant le travail réalisé, ou toute autre pièce justificative officielle pertinente précisant la nature des fonctions exercées ou des services fournis, ainsi que la période concernée;
   
   c) pour les traducteurs indépendants: des documents attestant les périodes travaillées et le nombre de pages traduites;
   
   d) pour les interprètes indépendants: des documents attestant le nombre de jours travaillés, ainsi que les langues sources et cibles interprétées.

The Call for expression of interest (see Section 3) defines only the basic requirements for qualification and experience, that can also be found in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants. The specific requirements will be defined by the recruiting services in accordance with their needs and vacancies. The recruiting services will assess the candidates’ eligibility based on information provided in the application form and supporting documents that they will ask the candidate to provide. This may be done at the stage of recruitment tests and/or before recruitment.

EPSO cannot provide information on the rules applicable in various recruiting services when assessing the qualifications and/or experience of candidates. The following should be considered only as non-binding illustration of requirements that may apply.

Educational qualifications

Degrees, diplomas and/or certificates, whether issued in EU or non-EU countries, must be recognised by a competent authority of an EU Member State.

Professional experience

1.  To be taken into account, professional experience must normally meet the following general conditions:
   
   a) It must be acquired after obtaining the required minimum educational qualification indicated in the notice of competition;
   b) It must constitute genuine and effective work;
   c) It has to be remunerated;
   d) It must involve a professional relationship, i.e. being part of an organisational structure or supplying a service;
   e) It must comply with the relevance criteria defined in the notice of competition.
2. Professional experience listed below may also be considered in the light of specific rules, for example:
   
   a) In case of voluntary work, ‘remuneration’ is to be understood as any financial contribution received, including cost reimbursement and insurance coverage. Furthermore, voluntary work must involve weekly hours and duration similar to a regular job.
   
   b) In case of traineeships, ‘remuneration’ is to be understood as any financial contribution received, including cost reimbursement and insurance coverage. A compulsory traineeship which is part of a studies programme, may be taken into account provided that (i) the traineeship is undertaken after achieving the minimum educational qualification indicated in the notice of competition, and that (ii) the traineeship is remunerated.
   
   c) A compulsory traineeship which is part of a programme leading to, or which is a pre-condition for, registration with a professional association in order to obtain a right to practise a profession (for example, admission to the lawyers’ bar association) may be taken into account irrespective of whether the work was remunerated. However, where the work was not remunerated, the traineeship period may only be considered provided that the programme was successfully completed and the right to practise obtained. In all cases, only the minimum compulsory duration will be taken into account.
   
   d) Compulsory military service that occurred before or after obtaining the required minimum educational qualification indicated in the notice of competition will be taken into account, including if it does not meet the relevance criteria defined in the notice of competition, but only for a period not exceeding the obligatory duration in the relevant Member State.
   
   e) Maternity, paternity, adoption, or parental leave may be taken into account if covered by an employment contract.
   
   f) In the case of doctorate studies, the period taken into account shall not exceed three years, provided the doctorate was obtained, and irrespective of whether the work was remunerated.
   
   g) The period taken into account in cases of part-time work shall be calculated pro rata, e.g. half-time work for six months will count as three months.

Veuillez vous reporter à l'avis de concours ou à l’appel à manifestation d’intérêt pour connaître le nombre de questions, la durée des tests et les notes minimales requises.

Tous les tests EPSO sont organisés en ligne. Vérifiez les spécifications informatiques et techniques pour les tests de sélection en ligne avec le nouveau contractant externe d’EPSO. Des informations spécifiques sur l’utilisation des ordinateurs professionnels pour les tests en ligne sont également disponibles. Des instructions détaillées pour les tests en ligne seront envoyées avec la convocation aux tests dans le compte EPSO des candidats. Elles seront également envoyées ultérieurement par le contractant externe par courrier électronique.

Contract staff positions are available for a wide range of jobs, requiring different levels of qualifications. They are divided into four function groups:

• I. manual and administrative support-service tasks
• II. clerical or secretarial tasks, office management and other equivalent tasks
• III. executive tasks, drafting, accountancy and other equivalent technical tasks
• IV. administrative, advisory, linguistic and equivalent technical tasks.

The specific duties will depend on the profile you are interested in. See Annex I to the Call for Expressions of Interest for detailed examples of duties per profile.

Contract staff are employed for a limited period, with an initial contract of 6-12 months.

In some EU bodies, it may be possible for the contract to be renewed for an indefinite duration.

Toutes les candidatures pour la procédure EPSO/CAST/P/1-4/2015 (CAST pour les agences exécutives) validées au plus tard le 25.11.2016 (à midi, heure de Bruxelles) ont été automatiquement transférées vers la procédure CAST permanente (EPSO/CAST/P/1-4/2017).

Si vous avez déjà réussi les tests de sélection organisés par EPSO pour la procédure EPSO/CAST/P/1-4/2015, vos résultats restent valables.

With the exception of the CAST Permanent for contract agents (see more information about this selection procedure), once validated, you can no longer modify the content of your application, as EPSO will immediately process the data.

For CAST Permanent:

You can modify the content of your application(s) for the CAST Permanent selection procedure and upload or update your CV within your EPSO Account at any time.

Don’t forget to update your application(s) at least every six months if you wish to remain visible to the recruiting services. This applies regardless of whether you passed or failed the tests.

Le dépôt de votre candidature dans le cadre de la procédure de sélection CAST permanente ne signifie pas automatiquement que vous serez invité(e) à passer les tests de sélection. Seuls les candidats présélectionnés par les services recruteurs pourront être invités à présenter les tests en fonction des besoins.

La procédure de sélection comprend les étapes suivantes:

1. Les candidats complètent et valident leur(s) acte(s) de candidature et les/l’actualisent au moins tous les six mois pour confirmer leur intérêt et rester visibles dans la base de données.
2. En cas de besoin, les services recruteurs présélectionnent, dans la base de données de toutes les candidatures validées et visibles, un certain nombre de candidats dont les profils correspondent à leurs exigences.
3. Les candidats présélectionnés reçoivent une convocation pour les tests de sélection organisés par EPSO environ 10 jours avant la tenue des tests, qui se présentent sous la forme de questionnaires à choix multiple. En savoir plus sur les spécifications informatiques et techniques pour les tests de sélection en ligne.
4. Les candidats qui réussissent les tests de sélection sont invités à des épreuves de recrutement organisées par les services recruteurs. Ces épreuves peuvent comporter un entretien et d’autres formes d’évaluation.
5. Les candidats qui réussissent les épreuves de recrutement peuvent se voir proposer un poste.

Les services recruteurs consulteront la base de données recensant tous les candidats inscrits et présélectionneront un certain nombre de candidats qui correspondent aux besoins spécifiques du poste qu’ils cherchent à pourvoir. Veillez à mettre à jour votre candidature tous les six mois, afin de rester visible dans la base de données.

Seuls les candidats présélectionnés seront invités, par l’intermédiaire de leur compte EPSO, à passer un test de sélection organisé par EPSO.

Consultez votre compte EPSO au moins tous les trois jours (calendrier). Si vous êtes présélectionné(e), vous recevrez une invitation précisant la date de votre test.

Les dates indicatives des périodes de test sont publiées sur les pages de notre site web consacrées aux profils. 

Veuillez noter qu’il n’est pas possible de modifier la date et l’heure de vos tests. Tous les candidats passeront les tests en même temps. 

Candidates shortlisted by the recruiting services will be invited to sit a series of reasoning tests in a multiple-choice question format. Candidates will take these tests in their language 1. See more information on the IT and technical requirements for online testing.

Should you be successful in the tests organised by EPSO, the recruiting service may ask you to sit further tests that it considers relevant for the job, such as a drafting test, a driving test, a language test, etc. All the information about these tests will be provided by the recruiting services.

Please check our sample tests (‘Contract Agents’) for further information.

Vous recevrez les résultats de vos tests de sélection par l’intermédiaire de votre compte EPSO, environ deux semaines après la fin de la période de test.

Ils sont vérifiés, approuvés et validés avant d’être publiés. Une fois les résultats communiqués, l’exactitude des questions ne peut plus être contestée.

Des périodes de test sont organisées régulièrement tout au long de l’année. Veuillez consulter le calendrier disponible sur la page consacrée au profil concerné.

CAST Permanent selection procedure attracts a high number of applications. However, the recruiting services only pre-select and shortlist a certain number of candidates whose profiles fit their needs.

No. The recruiting services can only see if a candidate has passed or failed the tests.

Your score will only be visible to you, via your EPSO Account.

If you pass the selection tests organised by EPSO (the reasoning tests) you will be invited for an interview and/or further tests by the recruiting service.

The validity of the reasoning tests results (from the date when the results have been published in your EPSO Account) is 10 years.

The results are always valid for the function group for which you were tested and for any lower function group.

If you fail the reasoning test, you cannot be invited to take another reasoning test for the same or higher function group for the next 4 months. However, you can still be invited to take reasoning tests for lower function groups.

The 4-month period is counted from the day on which the test was taken.

Please note that the recruiting services are not obliged to invite you for re-testing, after the 4-month period is over.

Note: the above 4-months period applies to candidates who took their tests from January 2025 on. Candidates who took their tests before cannot be re-invited for 6 months as in the previous version call for expression of interest.

The recruiting services may invite several candidates for recruitment tests for each vacant position. It is up to the recruiting services to provide feedback on the outcome of those tests to the candidates concerned.

However, should you not be successful on that occasion, your EPSO tests results will remain valid for 10 years (*), counting from the date when they are published in your EPSO Account.

Therefore, you may be invited to other interviews and/or recruitment tests by the same or another recruiter.

Don’t forget to update your application(s) at least every six months if you wish to remain visible to the recruiting services.

(*) This only applies to CAST/P procedures. Note that your tests results in the CAST/P selection procedure are not valid for other selection procedures.

If pre-selected and successful in the tests, the recruiting services interested in your profile will contact you (via the e-mail address in your EPSO Account) and invite you for a competency test comprising interviews and/or other tests organised by the recruiting services.

EPSO does not provide information to candidates on which recruiting service is interested in them at any stage of the selection procedure.

You can find more information about the employment conditions in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants and in the Staff Regulations, as well as the latest information on salaries for officials and contract staff (annual update).

Only candidates pre-selected (shortlisted) by the recruiting services will be invited to sit the selection tests organised by EPSO.

If shortlisted, you will receive in your EPSO account an invitation to test. This invitation is usually published at least 2 weeks before the test date in your EPSO account. Please check your EPSO account at least every three calendar days. You must sit your test within the given timeframes.

The tests are computer-based multiple-choice tests. See more information on the IT and technical requirements for online testing

The type of contract will depend on many elements including on the recruiting service.

For more information about the contractual arrangements, please refer to Chapter 5. Recruitment of the Call for expression of interest.

Yes, you can be pre-selected (shortlisted) for more than one profile and/or function group.

If pre-selected more than once (by more than one recruiter) for the same profile in the same function group, you will only take the tests once.

If pre-selected for different profiles/function groups, you will be invited to sit the tests for these profiles/function groups in the order in which the requests were sent to EPSO by the recruiting services.

Neither the recruiter nor the candidates or EPSO can influence the order of test requests being processed.

Si vous ne souhaitez plus participer aux épreuves, vous pouvez simplement choisir de ne pas y participer.

Si vous décidez de ne pas passer les épreuves, cela n’affectera pas votre admissibilité et ne bloquera pas votre candidature.

Vous pourrez encore être présélectionné(e) pour des épreuves par d’autres services recruteurs à l’avenir.

If you are no longer interested in being tested and/or recruited for a specific profile/function group, you can simply stop confirming your interest via your EPSO account. Six months after the last confirmation of interest or update to your application for that profile/function group, the application will become invisible to recruiters.

You will be able to reactivate your application at any time in the future.

Should you have a serious doubt about the content of a test question please contact EPSO's Candidate Contact Service within one (1) calendar day (that is, by the end of the day which follows the day of the tests) clearly stating the circumstances and your candidate number (see the procedure in the Call for Expression of Interest).

If an identified item does not comply with the EPSO's quality criteria, the following corrective measures will be applied:
- The item will be corrected or taken out of the database;
- Corrective measures may be taken in instances where EPSO finds that a candidate was negatively impacted. In such cases, EPSO will grant to that candidate an additional point for each annulled question, up to a maximum of one point per question in total.

Candidates whose test results cannot be impacted by the outcome of their complaint - either because they achieved the pass scores or because they would not reach the pass score(s) even if their complaint were upheld - will not have corrective measures applied.

Complaints submitted after the deadline or complaints which do not clearly describe the contested question(s) and/or alleged error(s) will not be considered. Complaints merely pointing out alleged issues of translation, without specifying the problem, will not be considered.

EPSO tests will only assess your knowledge of language 1 (L1), which can be any of the 24 official EU languages. It will be tested through the verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning tests in a form of multiple-choice questions. Your knowledge of L1 needs to be at least at level C1 (proficient user).

Your knowledge of language 2 (L2) (to be chosen from amongst English, French and German, but different from L1) will be tested by the recruiting services. Your knowledge of L2 needs to be at least at level B2 (independent user).

Further information on the above tests is published on our sample tests’ page.

Recruiting services may organise additional language tests.

No. Creating more than one application for the same profile, including with different target languages is not permitted.

You can declare all your languages under ‘Linguistic skills’ in the application form if you have a working knowledge of more than two official languages. This will allow the recruiting services to find your application according to their specific language needs.

You can request special adjustments of selection tests for the CAST Permanent procedure in your application form by ticking the box ‘special requirements’. You will also need to fill in a detailed information form on your special needs and send us relevant supporting documents.

Should you be granted reasonable accommodations for the tests organised by EPSO, you will be informed on the details before your test date. In some cases, defining and putting in place the necessary adjustments may take some time, and therefore you might be invited to take the tests during the next testing period. Should this be the case we will inform you as soon as possible.

EPSO will make sure that all pre-selected (shortlisted) candidates are invited and tested in the best possible conditions.

Please note that other (recruitment) tests are organised directly by the recruiting services. Should you need special adjustments at the stage of the recruitment tests, please inform the recruiter as soon as you have received an invitation for the recruitment tests. Please note that EPSO will not share any information regarding your condition or special needs with the recruiters.

You can find more information about the employment conditions in the "Conditions of Employment of Other Servants" section in the Staff Regulations, as well as the latest information on salaries for officials and contract staff (annual update applicable from 14.12.2022).

Further information about the rules applicable to contract agents in the European Commission is available in the Commission decision C(2017)6760
For further information about the employment conditions in other EU institutions and bodies, we invite you to get in touch directly with their Human Resources services.

Candidates to contract agent selection procedures (CAST/P) cannot link supporting documents to their CAST/P application(s). Candidates will be notified by the recruiting services as to when they must provide documents supporting the declarations made in their application form. The recruiting services will determine which documents are acceptable.