AD5 deadline panic, CAST chaos, and TAO’s first outing
March - in like a lion: AD5 applications close 10 March, and EPSO has been stress-testing everyone’s patience (and apparently its own platforms) with a CAST date postponement… followed by a cancellation. Meanwhile, EPSO had it's first official big webinar about the AD5 competition.
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Quick Navigation:
- 1) Biggest headline: AD5 closing on 10 March
- 2) CAST choas: postponed, rescheduled, cancelled
- 3) “No news” watch: Data Management (LUX) competition
- 4) EPSO live webinar: what changed and what to watch
- 5) Final AD5 nudge
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1) Biggest headline: AD5 closing on 10 March
If you’re applying for AD5, the only useful mindset right now is: assume the EPSO website will wobble or crash on deadline day. We all saw what happened when applications opened.
The number doing the rounds
There’s a rumour that as of 27 February, 30,000+ candidates had validated their applications. If true, that is… a lot. Apparently, Italians are leading the pack by far, which isn’t shocking, Italians are often early movers. Plus, a little la dolce vita influence in Brussels is never a bad thing.
Please don’t do the classic mistake
Here’s your friendly-but-serious reminder:
- Do not wait for 9–10 March to validate your AD5 application.
- Do not assume “it’ll be fine, I've done it before”.
- Do validate today if you can.
- Do treat “deadline day” as “high traffic + high stress + high probability of technical issues”.
If you procrastinate and the platform melts, it won’t feel like a tragic romance. It’ll feel like an admin error you could have avoided.
2) Postponed, rescheduled, cancelled
CAST candidates have had a bit of a testing-date soap opera:
- First, EPSO postponed the 25 February CAST test date
- Then announced a new date: 4 March
- Then cancelled that date altogether
What might be happening
A sensible interpretation is: technical instability (platform, proctoring, candidate access issues, or scaling problems). It’s also consistent with an organisation trying to keep the process fair: if the delivery isn’t stable, pressing ahead creates uneven conditions.
EPSO has indicated they are still using TestWe for CAST exams until the summer. That matters because any instability around CAST delivery can spill into broader planning and scheduling, including things that candidates are anxiously waiting for.
Why CAST chaos matters beyond CAST
Two knock-on areas everyone’s watching:
- The still-missing Data Management (LUX) exam date: if scheduling is tight or platforms are being juggled, launches and test calendars can drift.
- AD5 test date planning: even if AD5 is not on TestWe (platform changes are happening), operational disruption tends to echo across the system.
Bottom line: the cancellations suggest EPSO is still wrestling with logistics and/or tech. Annoying, yes. Also a signal to candidates: be ready earlier than you think you need to be.
3) “No news” watch
There’s currently no update on the Data Management LUX competition. Unfortunately, “no news” in EPSO-land is not neutral.
A realistic risk is the pattern we’ve seen before (hello, Building Specialists):
EPSO may announce a test date with very short notice, and publish the written test documents the very same day.
What you should do now (so you’re not ambushed later)
- Assume timelines may be tight.
- Keep prep moving even without a formal date.
- Be ready to switch from “general prep” to “test-specific prep” quickly when EPSO drops the format/details.
If you want structured support, this is where our prep packages are designed to help: EPSO Data Mangement (LUX)
4) EPSO live webinar: what changed and what to watch
EPSO’s official webinar on 24 February mainly confirmed the practicalities around timing, test weighting, and remote proctoring. Here’s the distilled version.
Timing and scheduling
- Tests may be spread across 2–3 days
- Nothing before April
- No testing during summer holidays
EU knowledge and EUFTE written test
- EPSO expects to publish the EU knowledge reading pack roughly two months before testing
- It won’t be accessible during the test
- For the EUFTE written task, the source document will be available in-test, and the prompt is based on it
Reasoning and scoring
- A key shift: Verbal Reasoning is no longer “just pass/fail” - it now has meaningful weight
- Read this free article by our expert András Körizs "EPSO AD5 Verbal Reasoning Strategy: How to Boost Your Score Fast"
- EPSO positioned this as a way to assess communication skills across a broad, open-candidate pool
Remote proctoring: the “don’t get flagged” checklist
- Webcam proctoring; you must be alone
- One screen only (no dual monitors)
- Avoid leaving camera view; avoid sustained side-glances
- Be ready for room/desk checks (including under the table)
- Only basics allowed: e.g. a drink in a transparent glass; peripherals only if permitted
If tech goes wrong
- EPSO says review requests are examined closely
- If your case is justified, you may be invited to re-sit
- Provider stability is described as improved, but not perfect
Eligibility and admin points
- Languages: any combination; no quotas; no language ranking; scores only
- Age: you can apply up to 67; you’re still recruited as AD5 (step may vary with experience)
- Degree: must be obtained by 30 September 2026
- Documents: upload degree only at application stage; other paperwork may help later in recruitment
Reserve list reality check
- Valid for 18 months, not ranked
- Extensions are possible (EPSO indicated reserve lists can be extended for a long period in total)
Frequency of AD5
- EPSO hinted there may be no AD5 competition next year
- A 2–3 year cycle was mentioned as a possibility, but nothing is formally decided yet
Final nudge (because some people need it)
Whether your application for the AD5 is still in draft mode, or if you haven't even created an EU login yet, but you’re still thinking “I’ll do it later” - think again: that’s exactly how people end up watching the last minutes of the countdown to the deadline while refreshing a broken webpage. Validate today.