Preparation tools

Three brand new videos have been added to our growing collection of helpful tips and tricks about the EPSO exams. Read on to find out more!
 

In this tips and tricks article, we describe a method that is very helpful in solving timetable-type questions in EPSO AST (EU assistant) organising and prioritising tests. Let's take a look at an example where you have to not one, but two ferries to get to a meeting, and you need to figure out how long you can tay if you want to make it back home the same day. To mix things up a bit, you also need to get a cab at the ferry port to get to the meeting.

EU career candidates often wonder who the "assessors" are in their EPSO Assessment Centre and whether they really are able to provide an impartial, professional evaluation of their performance at the EPSO exam. To gain more insight into how the assessors are trained, I myself followed an intensive course in November 2012...

Last week we held a Live EPSO Questions & Answers Webcast, and we are happy to report that it was a great success! Many candidates joined in to ask about the EPSO exams and we were more than happy to answer. Time constraints made it impossible to answer every question, but here we make up for it! You can here all questions on EU careers, competitions, jobs, recruitment and exams in this latest Tips & tricks article. We've also embedded the full recording of the event for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy, share and tell your friends!

Many candidates are afraid of the structured interview in the Assessment Centre, while others approach it as "just another job interview". Both can be misleading and dangerous for your scores and the optimal performance: the structured interview is one of the most important parts of the AC and you need to "nail it" to prove you have the right competencies the EU career office is looking for. Based on more than 100 personal coaching sessions and candidate feedbacks, I collected a list of tips which, if candidates knew, would lead to a much better performance at the EPSO structured interview. Here it goes:

Those who were successful at the pre-selection tests are now facing the Assessment Centre or AC in Brussels. (The Case Studies are written on a seperate occasion usually a month before the Assessment Center). The 3 main parts of the AC are therefore: the oral presentation, the structured interview and the group exercise. Let's see how to ace them, one by one!

In this part of EU Training's methodology tips, let's look at a typical problem in EPSO numerical  tests: the use (or confusion) of percentages and percentage points... or in other words, how not to compare apples to organges?

The following is a report from a successful EU exam candidate who is now a European Commission official (Part 2/2) - this part covers the EPSO Assessment Centre.

"I have just been informed that I successfully passed the 2011 Administrator (AD5) statistics competition, so I decided to share with your readers my experience with EPSO competitions. As I am extremely pleased with the services on your website, it really makes a difference using this tool for preparation. Feel free to use my text below if you wish to publish it and please do so without mentioning my name. What matters is to share information for everyone’s benefit."

We have just received the following report from a successful EPSO candidate who decided to share his experience and tips with you. Enjoy!

"I have just been informed that I successfully passed the 2011 Administrator (AD5) statistics competition, so I decided to share with your readers my experience with EPSO competitions. As I am extremely pleased with the services on your website, it really makes a difference using this tool for preparation. Feel free to use my text below if you wish to publish it and please do so without mentioning my name. What matters is to share information for everyone’s benefit....