2017 EPSO Competition for FINANCIAL ECONOMICS / MACROECONOMICS Now Open

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) opened the competition for Administrators (AD7) in the field of FINANCIAL ECONOMICS and MACROECONOMICS (EPSO/AD/339/17).

While this notice covers two fields, you can only apply to ONE. It is important to note that you will not be able to change your choice once you have confirmed and validated your online application form.

Below we will explore the specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.

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Snapshot of the 2017 EPSO FINANCIAL ECONOMICS / MACROECONOMICS Competition

The deadline for registrations 19 December 2017 at 12.00 (midday) CET, giving you a little more than one month to apply.

Successful candidates will be placed on reserve lists from which European Union institutions may recruit new members for civil service as 'administrators' (function group AD).

The tasks expected to be performed for both profiles as administrators (AD7) is focusing on multilateral and country surveillance, and on policy analysis, design and assessment. Please make sure to read ANNEX I of the notice for detailed information about the typical duties to be performed.

The number of successful candidates sought for Financial Economics is 55 and for Macroeconomics is 32.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will need to satisfy the following:

Have EU citizenship
Fulfilled any military service requirements
Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned
Have knowledge of at least 2 of the EU’s official languages
- One language at minimum C1 level (thorough knowledge)
- One language at minimum B2 level (good command)
- Scroll down for more important information on choosing your languages
Qualifications & Work Experience for Financial Economics:
- A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in economics, maths, statistics, econometrics or finance, followed by at least 6 years' professional experience in financial or economic matters, or in analysis, relevant to the nature of the duties
- OR a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in economics, maths, statistics, econometrics or finance, followed by at least 7 years’ professional experience in financial or economic matters, or in analysis, relevant to the nature of the duties.
Qualifications & Work Experience for Macroeconomics:
- A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in economics, maths, statistics, followed by at least 6 years' professional experience in the field of macroeconomics or macroeconomics statistics
- OR a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in economics, maths, statistics, followed by at least 7 years’ professional experience in the field of macroeconomics or macroeconomics statistics

Determining Language 1 / Language 2

You must have knowledge of at least 2 official EU languages. You should have thorough knowledge of one of the languages, minimum C1 level, and good command of the the other, minimum B2 level.

How to choose your Language 1 and your Language 2

Language 1: This will be the language used for the computer-based Multiple-Choice Question tests

Language 2: This is the language used to fill out your application, the assessment centre and for communication with EPSO. This must be different from your Language 1.

PLEASE NOTE: Your chosen Language 2 must be one of the following - English, German or French. The reason for this being these are the three languages used to communicate in financial services for the institutions concerned (based in Brussels and Luxembourg). Therefore having satisfactory knowledge of one of these three languages is essential.

Selection Process

1. ONLINE APPLICATION

To apply you will have to prove your eligibility and you will be asked to provide further information relevant to the competition (e.g. diplomas and work experience information)

On the application form you will have to select your language 1 (one of the 24 official EU languages) and your language 2 (English, German or French). PLEASE NOTE: You will have to fill out the application form in your chosen language 2.

2. MCQ TESTS

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and competency-based tests that will include the following:

Tests	Language	Questions	Duration	Pass mark
Verbal reasoning	Language 1	20 questions	35 min	Verbal + abstract combined: 15/30
Numerical reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	20 min	Numerical 6/10
Abstract reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	10 min	Verbal + abstract combined: 15/3

Please note that these tests are eliminatory and do not count towards the other tests held at the Assessment Centre.

It is also important to know that if the number of candidates exceeds the threshold for each field (determined by the director of EPSO, but not published at this point) then all candidates who completed their applications by the given deadline will be invited to this next computer-based testing phase. You are required to book an appointment according to the instructions you will receive from EPSO. Keep in mind that the booking and testing periods are limited.

However, if the number of candidates comes in below the threshold, then this phase of testing will be held at the Assessment Centre (see point 4 below).

3. ELIGIBILITY CHECKS

The eligibility requirements will be checked against the data you provided in your application form.

PLEASE NOTE: There are two possibilities at this point

If the computer-based MCQ tests are organised up-front, candidate's files will be checked for eligibility in descending order of the marks obtained on these tests until the number of eligible candidates hits a certain threshold for each field. From that point the other candidates' files will not be checked and they will not be considered eligible
If these computer-based MCQ tests are held at the assessment centre instead, the files of all the candidates with validated applications will be checked for eligibility

4. TALENT SCREENER

During the application process, you will be required to complete a Talent Screener.

Be careful how you fill this section out as your responses will be awarded points! Therefore, what you include in the Talent Screener may help you greatly in the selection process, when your qualifications are being assessed against other candidates.

You may be interested in reading this short Tips & Tricks article to get better acquainted with the specifics of the Talent Screener and how to maximise your score - How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener.

5. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

A maximum of three times the number of successful candidates sought for each field will be invited to the Assessment Centre.

Tests taken at the Assessment Centre will need to be completed in your chosen Language 2.

If the computer-based tests were not done upfront, you will have to sit them at the Assessment Centre.

Eight general competencies and other specific competencies will be tested through four tests:

Competency-based Interview
Group Exercise
Case Study
Specific competency-based interview

5. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ eligibility against their supporting documents, the selection board will create a Reserve List for each field, consisting of those candidates who have obtained all pass marks AND the highest overall marks following the assessment phase, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

How to Apply

Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and to fully understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on the this competition and the selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying.

To start the application process, click on your profile below:

Financial Economics

Macroeconomics