Candidates who are unable to attend their scheduled online test due to a medical issue, or an emergency event affecting a close relative, may request a new testing date by submitting valid supporting documents.

Health-related emergency cases typically involve unforeseen and unavoidable medical emergencies that prevent a candidate from attending their test. 

Below is a list of the most common medical conditions and emergencies that may justify absence from EPSO tests.

Medical cases 

• Severe acute illnesses (e.g. high fever from viral or bacterial infection, flu, Covid-19)
  • Acute gastroenteritis 
    • Severe allergic reactions or asthma attacks, respiratory distress 
      • Stroke or heart attack, hypertensive crisis
      • Vertigo or acute balance disorders, 
      • Seizures, migraines, panic attacks, 
      • Post-operative recovery or immobilization, 
      • Hospitalization due to a sudden illness, accident (acute injury), or emergency surgery
      • Complications during pregnancy (e.g. emergency labour, miscarriage) 
      • Other conditions requiring urgent medical intervention* that incapacitate the candidate.

Please note: This list is indicative and not exhaustive. Each request is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and EPSO may request additional clarification or medical documentation if necessary.

Family-related emergencies

• Serious medical emergency affecting a close relative, requiring urgent hospitalization or life-saving medical intervention on the day of the test, or the day immediately preceding it.
• Hospitalization or intensive care of a close family member due to a critical condition on the day of the test, or the day immediately preceding it.
• Death of a close relative on the day of the test, or the day immediately preceding it.
• Funeral of a close relative on the day of the test.

How to Submit a Rescheduling Request

In case of inability to attend, candidates must submit supporting documents via the contact form, as early as possible before the test date and no later than the technical complaint submission deadline stipulated in the Notice of Competition or Call for Expression of Interest.

In case of a proven inability to provide supporting documents within the technical complaint submission deadline mentioned above (e.g. due to an accident and/or hospitalisation), the candidate must submit the supporting documents as soon as possible. In this case, the period covered by the supporting documents must include the test date as well as the time elapsed between the complaint submission deadline and the date of the submission of the supporting documents. 

Medical certificate for medical conditions must:

• confirm that the candidate was examined by a physician before or on the day of the missed test,
• explicitly cover the test date, certificates covering a vague period will not be accepted.
• explicitly state that the candidate was medically unfit to take the test on the scheduled date and must clearly state the reason for the candidate’s incapacity, vague statements or sick leave notes not making the necessary reference to the incapacity of the candidate to sit the test will not be accepted.

In case of close relative’s medical emergency or death the supporting documents:

• may include a hospital report, death certificate, or any official document confirming the event.
• must clearly show that the event occurred on the test date, or the day immediately preceding the test date.
• must prove the legal family relationship between the candidate and the person who has been hospitalised, ill or deceased.

The supporting documents must be issued in one of the 24 official languages of the European Union; otherwise, they must be accompanied by a translation into one of those languages. 

EPSO will make every effort to confirm the acceptance of supporting documents submitted before the test date by email, as promptly as possible. However, if the supporting documents are submitted shortly before the scheduled test time, a timely confirmation cannot always be guaranteed.

A candidate who attends a test despite having submitted supporting documents will be deemed fit to take the test. Consequently, no retake will be granted on the basis that the illness or other emergency situation may have impacted their performance.

EPSO is responsible for verifying the validity of all submitted documents. The verification process includes checking compliance with all the mandatory submission requirements specified above. 

If the documents lack key information, EPSO may request additional details before making a final decision.

Communicating decisions:

• Approved rescheduling requests are documented, and the candidate is informed about the next available testing session to which they will be invited.
• If the request is not accepted, the candidate is notified with an explanation.

Testing after a justified rescheduling request 

In addition to the main test session, EPSO may offer two further testing opportunities to candidates who have submitted a justified rescheduling request:

• a contingency session, which is typically held within 3–4 weeks of the main test session and takes place on a pre-scheduled date; and 

• a retest session, primarily intended for candidates facing exceptional circumstances (e.g. serious technical disruptions, pregnancy close to term, or ongoing medical incapacity during main test and contingency).

  Retest dates are scheduled based on EPSO’s operational availability and the availability of test content. EPSO is not in the position to take into account the candidate’s personal availability when scheduling a retest session, as retesting may impact several candidates at the same time.

Candidates who are unable to attend the main test session, and whose medical certificate or emergency event claim is accepted, are offered participation in the contingency test session. 
The rescheduling is recorded, and the candidate is informed of the new testing date.

Candidates who are unable to attend both the main test session and the contingency session, due to 

• repeated, justified rescheduling requests on medical or emergency grounds covering both dates, or
• a justified long-term medical condition covering both dates,

are offered participation in the retest session. The rescheduling is recorded, and the candidate is informed of the new testing date.

In case a candidate is unable to take part in either of the three test sessions offered (main, contingency, and retest), their participation in the competition will be considered to have come to an end. 

EPSO is under no obligation to offer further testing opportunities beyond the retest session.

In respect of the principles of proportionality and good administration, EPSO must find the right balance between protecting the interests of the candidates affected by unforeseen events (such as illness or emergency) on the one hand, and the interest of the service to provide laureates to the EU institutions in a timely manner, as well as the legitimate expectations of the other candidates to be selected fairly, promptly and without undue delay, on the other hand. Consequently, EPSO must find arrangements that adequately protect the interests of the candidates affected by the unforeseen events without causing disproportionate delays and disruptions in the schedule of the competition.

Termination of participation due to absence from testing is without prejudice to the candidate’s participation in other (simultaneous or future) competitions.

Data privacy and record-keeping

All cases of rescheduling requests due to a medical condition or family-related emergency will be documented, and the documentation will be securely stored, in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. The collected information will be used solely for processing the rescheduling requests and ensuring compliance with the established procedures. 

All procedures will be implemented in full alignment with relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Candidates' personal data will be processed in accordance with EPSO’s Data Privacy Statements (DPR-EC-01159 and DPR.EC-30388), which outline the applicable data protection principles, retention periods, and rights of data subjects.