ORSEU - EPSO Competitions Training

ORSEU - EPSO Competitions Training For 20 years, we have been the specialists in preparing candidates for their EPSO EU competition tes

EU Essentials Series – Week 7: Working for the European UnionHave you ever wondered what it means to work for the Europe...
17/08/2026

EU Essentials Series – Week 7: Working for the European Union
Have you ever wondered what it means to work for the European Union?
The EU is not a single employer. It is a network of institutions, bodies and agencies employing thousands of people across Europe and beyond.
In this week's carousel, we explore:
🌍 The EU as an employer
Discover the scale of EU employment: the number of staff working for the EU, the different institutions, bodies and agencies, and where EU staff are based.
🚀 The different career paths
From EU officials to Contract Agents, Temporary Agents, Seconded National Experts and traineeships.
📝 How EU recruitment works
Understand the role of EPSO, selection procedures, testing and recruitment processes.
🎯 The skills the EU looks for
Explore the competencies that help candidates perform effectively in EU institutions and agencies.
📚 Useful resources to go further:
▶️ Our YouTube playlist: The Guide to the Diverse Routes to Become Part of the EU Institutions — an introduction to the different career paths available: https://shorturl.at/Eax0L
🌐 EU Careers website — the official source for open competitions, selection procedures, testing and recruitment information. https://eu-careers.europa.eu/en
📄 EU Competency Framework — the key competencies expected to perform effectively in an EU institution or agency. https://shorturl.at/jXzYW

Join us next week as we wrap up the final session in our EU Essentials Series.

EU Essentials Series – Week 6: Key EU Policies Everyone Should KnowIf you are preparing for an EU competition such as AD...
10/08/2026

EU Essentials Series – Week 6: Key EU Policies Everyone Should Know
If you are preparing for an EU competition such as AD5, or simply want to understand how the European Union works, knowing the EU’s main policies is essential.
The EU is more than its institutions and treaties: it is also built around common policies that shape the daily lives of over 450 million citizens.
Here are the key areas you should know:
🟦 The Single Market
The foundation of EU economic integration. It aims to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people across EU Member States while ensuring common rules and standards.
🟩 Schengen
A system that enables passport-free travel across participating countries, supported by common rules on external borders, security cooperation and migration management.
💶 The Euro
The EU’s common currency, used by the euro area countries. It supports economic integration, price stability and easier trade and travel within the monetary union.
🌱 The European Green Deal
The EU’s strategy to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050, combining climate action with energy transition, sustainable industry and environmental protection.
💻 Digital Europe
A policy area focused on strengthening Europe’s digital transformation, including digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data governance and digital skills.
🌍 External Relations and Trade
The EU acts as a global economic and diplomatic actor through trade agreements, development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and partnerships with countries around the world.
🛡️ Security and Migration
A growing area of EU action covering border management, asylum policies, internal security cooperation and responses to shared challenges.
📚 For EU competitions, the key is not memorising every detail. Focus on:
✔ the purpose of each policy
✔ the main challenges it addresses
✔ the role of EU institutions
✔ the official sources where you can develop your knowledge
Useful starting points:
🔹 European Commission policy pages
🔹 EUR-Lex (EU legislation)
🔹 European Parliament background information
🔹 EU official publications
To explore each policy in more detail, see the suggested links in below:
🟦The Single Market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nfEIMkh_NM
🟩Schengen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u47iAJuRJdI
💶The Euro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NNK5yi2E0Q
🌱The European Green Deal : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-OiG6p2dHQ
💻Digital Europe: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-decade-policy-programme
🌍The EU’s external relations: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/chapter/213/the-eu-s-external-relations
🛡️Security and Migration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og-SgW0V7cY
Understanding these policies helps you see the bigger picture: how the EU translates its objectives into concrete action.
Next week, we'll explore opportunities to work for the EU.

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union5️⃣ Episode 5: The EU Budget – Who Pays and Where Does the Money...
03/08/2026

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union
5️⃣ Episode 5: The EU Budget – Who Pays and Where Does the Money Go?
The European Union carries out many policies and programmes—but where does the money come from, and how is it decided how to spend it?
Unlike national governments, the EU has a relatively small budget, representing around 1% of the EU's Gross National Income (GNI). Yet it finances projects and policies that benefit millions of people across Europe.
📌 How is the EU budget financed?
The EU budget is mainly funded through its own resources, including:
• Contributions from Member States based largely on their Gross National Income (GNI).
• A share of national Value Added Tax (VAT) revenues.
• Customs duties collected on imports entering the EU.
• Other revenues, such as fines, taxes on EU staff salaries and miscellaneous income.
📊 How is spending planned?
The EU budget is organised through the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), a long-term financial plan covering seven years.
The MFF:
➡️ Sets maximum spending limits.
➡️ Defines the EU's long-term priorities.
➡️ Provides stability and predictability for governments, businesses and beneficiaries.
The current MFF covers the period 2021–2027.
💶 Where does the money go?
The largest areas of EU spending include:
• Cohesion Policy – Reducing economic and social disparities between regions and supporting investment and jobs.
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – Supporting farmers, ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agriculture.
• Research and Innovation – Through programmes such as Horizon Europe, helping Europe remain competitive.
• Erasmus+ – Funding education, training, youth and mobility opportunities across Europe.
• External Action – Supporting humanitarian aid, neighbourhood cooperation and the EU's role on the global stage.
📚 This week's official resources:
• EU Budget explained (European Commission)
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget_en
• Multiannual Financial Framework 2021–2027 (European Commission)
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/long-term-eu-budget/2021-2027_en
• EU Budget – Council of the European Union
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-budget/
📅 Next week: Key EU Policies Everyone Should Know – From the Single Market to the Green Deal, Schengen and the Euro.

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union4️⃣ Episode 4: What Can the EU Do?Have you ever wondered why the...
30/07/2026

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union
4️⃣ Episode 4: What Can the EU Do?

Have you ever wondered why the European Union can make rules in some areas, but not in others?

The EU cannot act whenever it wants. It can only exercise the powers that the Member States have conferred upon it through the EU Treaties. These powers are known as EU competences, and they determine who is responsible for taking action.

📌 The EU has three main types of competences:

• Exclusive competences – Only the EU can legislate and adopt legally binding acts (e.g. the Customs Union or the Common Commercial Policy).

• Shared competences – Both the EU and the Member States may legislate. Member States exercise their competence where the EU has not exercised its own (e.g. environment, agriculture, energy).

• Supporting competences – The EU supports, coordinates or complements the actions of Member States, without harmonising national laws (e.g. education, culture and sport).

⚖️ How does the EU decide whether it should act?

EU action is guided by two key principles:

➡️ Subsidiarity – The EU should act only if the objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States acting alone and can be better achieved at EU level.

➡️ Proportionality – Any EU action must not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties.

💡 One simple way to remember it:

🔒 Exclusive → Only the EU acts.

🤝 Shared → The EU and the Member States can both act.

🌍 Supporting → The EU helps Member States without replacing them.

📚 This week's official resources:

• Competences of the European Union (European Commission)
https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/what-european-commission-does/law/areas-eu-action_en
• Summaries of EU legislation – Division of competences
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/division-of-competences-within-the-european-union.html
• Treaty on European Union – Article 5 (Subsidiarity and Proportionality)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/teu_2012/art_5/oj

📅 Next week: Understanding the EU Budget – Where does the money come from and how is it spent?

🚨 EPSO has announced the indicative testing period for the AD7 Auditors competition (EPSO AD/428/26).The tests are expec...
29/07/2026

🚨 EPSO has announced the indicative testing period for the AD7 Auditors competition (EPSO AD/428/26).
The tests are expected to take place at the end of September 2026.

While this date is indicative and candidates will receive an individual invitation in due course, our advice is simple: don't wait for your invitation to start preparing.
Why?

📊 Around 7,000 candidates applied for this competition, but only 448 candidates will be placed on the reserve list.
That means only about 1 candidate out of 16 will succeed.

Preparing for EPSO tests requires time, consistency and a structured approach. Waiting until your test invitation arrives leaves very little time to improve your reasoning skills and maximise your chances.

Start by reading our blog post ‘How to Prepare for Specialist EU Competitions and the Field-Related Test’: https://shorturl.at/jCryb

All our products are available on our website www.orseu-concours.com

💬 Are you preparing for the AD7 Auditors competition? Let us know in the comments where you are in your preparation.

Reasoning Test Series (3/3): Abstract ReasoningThe biggest mistake in abstract reasoning? Spending too long waiting for ...
27/07/2026

Reasoning Test Series (3/3): Abstract Reasoning
The biggest mistake in abstract reasoning? Spending too long waiting for the pattern to appear.
In some questions, the solution is immediately visible. Experienced candidates can often recognise simple patterns quickly.
The problem starts when nothing obvious appears.
With around one minute per question, spending too much time searching for a hidden pattern can become costly.
A more effective approach is to switch quickly to a structured analysis.
Ask yourself:
• Is the number of shapes changing?
• Is there a rotation?
• Is the position of elements changing?
• Is there a colour or shading pattern?
• Is there symmetry?
• Is there a movement or transformation?
Test each possibility and eliminate the rules that do not explain the sequence.
Abstract reasoning is not only about “seeing” the answer.
It is about knowing how to analyse the information efficiently when intuition is not enough.
Many mistakes do not come from being unable to find a pattern. They come from spending too much time exploring possibilities without a clear method.
A structured approach helps you identify the relevant features faster and make more reliable decisions under time pressure.
The underlying rule may not always be obvious.
The key is identifying the meaningful changes and analysing them in the right order.
To learn a structured approach and sharpen your visual reasoning skills, you can order the book: https://shorturl.at/U3Kkm
To practise under realistic EPSO conditions, try it here: https://shorturl.at/bMaCR

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union3️⃣ Episode 3: How EU Laws Are MadeHave you ever wondered who ac...
23/07/2026

EU Essentials – 8 Weeks to Understand the European Union

3️⃣ Episode 3: How EU Laws Are Made

Have you ever wondered who actually makes EU laws?
Contrary to popular belief, no single institution decides on its own. EU legislation is the result of cooperation between several institutions, each with a specific role.

📜 The EU adopts different types of legal acts:
• Regulations – directly applicable in all Member States.
• Directives – set objectives that each Member State must achieve through national legislation.
• Decisions – legally binding on those to whom they are addressed.
• Recommendations and Opinions – provide guidance but are not legally binding.

⚖️ How are most EU laws adopted?
The majority of legislation follows the Ordinary Legislative Procedure:
➡️ The European Commission proposes new legislation.
➡️ The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union examine, amend and adopt it together.
➡️ Once adopted, the legislation is implemented by the Member States, while the European Commission monitors its application.
Some areas instead follow Special Legislative Procedures, depending on what the EU Treaties provide.

💡 One simple way to remember the process:
📝 The Commission proposes.
🤝 The Parliament and the Council decide.
✅ The Commission and the Member States implement.

📚 This week's official resources:
• EUR-Lex – Types of EU legal acts
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/glossary/legal-acts.html
• How EU policy decided
https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/law/how-eu-policy-decided_en
• The Ordinary Legislative Procedure (European Parliament)
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/6/the-ordinary-legislative-procedure

📅 Next week: Understanding the European Union's competences – What Can the EU Do?

EPSO Updates | July 2026EPSO has published several important updates that may affect your preparation and planning.To he...
21/07/2026

EPSO Updates | July 2026

EPSO has published several important updates that may affect your preparation and planning.
To help you stay up to date, we've summarised the key announcements in this carousel.

Here's what's new:

🔹 AD5 Graduates – Updated testing procedure

The AD5 competition will now be organised in two separate stages. Candidates will first sit the reasoning tests, expected to take place from October/November 2026. Those who successfully pass this first stage will then be invited to complete the remaining tests (EU Knowledge, Digital Skills and the EUFTE) in 2027.

📖 Read our blog article, "AD5 Competition: Everything You Need to Know to Prepare Successfully", for a detailed explanation of the new testing procedure:
https://www.orseu-concours.com/gb/blog/ad5-competition-everything-you-need-to-know-to-prepare-successfully-n57

🔹 AD7 Buildings

EPSO has confirmed an additional testing session on 3 September 2026 for a limited number of candidates who were unable to attend the April testing session. The competition procedure will continue once this session has been completed.

🔹 CAST

The timetable for the upcoming CAST testing sessions has been updated. If you're preparing to take part in the CAST selection process, make sure you check the new testing dates.

🔹 Upcoming competitions

EPSO has also announced the timetable for several competitions scheduled for the remainder of 2026, including:

• ICT Experts (AD8)

• Data Management Experts (AST3)

• Lawyer-Linguists

• Lawyers (AD7)

If you're planning to apply for one of these competitions, now is the ideal time to start preparing.

👉 Swipe through the carousel for a quick overview of the latest EPSO updates.

💬 Which EPSO competition are you currently preparing for? Let us know in the comments!

Reasoning Test Series (2/3): Verbal ReasoningThe biggest misconception about verbal reasoning? Thinking it's a reading t...
20/07/2026

Reasoning Test Series (2/3): Verbal Reasoning
The biggest misconception about verbal reasoning? Thinking it's a reading test.
Candidates often understand the text.
The real challenge is not reading comprehension alone. It is the ability to reason accurately from written information under significant time pressure.
In verbal reasoning, the answer is rarely copied directly from the passage.
Candidates need to:
• identify the relevant information;
• connect different elements of the text;
• understand how small words can change meaning;
• recognise what is logically implied;
• reach the correct conclusion quickly.
A single word can make a difference.
Words such as may, must, only, some, or all can completely change the meaning of a statement. Verb tenses and conjunctions can also influence what can—or cannot—be concluded from the text.
This is why verbal reasoning is often more demanding than it first appears.
The challenge is not understanding English (or French).
The challenge is analysing written information with enough precision to avoid drawing conclusions that go beyond what the text supports.
For candidates preparing the EPSO AD5 competition, verbal reasoning is particularly important, as performance in this test contributes significantly to the overall result. A strong score requires both accuracy and speed.
This is why practice is essential.
Regular practice helps develop the automatisms needed to:
✅ identify key information faster;
✅ recognise important wording details;
✅ avoid common reasoning traps;
✅ reach accurate conclusions under time pressure.
The goal is not simply to read faster.
The goal is to reason more efficiently from the information provided.
If you'd like to review the method for tackling verbal reasoning questions, we recommend our book (available in English, French or Italian): https://shorturl.at/nA65r
If you'd like to practise under realistic EPSO conditions (available in English, French and some in Italian), you can try here: https://www.orseu-concours.com/gb/17-epso-test-verbal-reasoning
Coming up next week: Abstract Reasoning

🧠 40 new Verbal Reasoning questions are now available!Practise with 40 brand-new questions, assess your performance, and...
16/07/2026

🧠 40 new Verbal Reasoning questions are now available!

Practise with 40 brand-new questions, assess your performance, and boost your verbal reasoning score with targeted preparation.

📘Verbal Reasoning Practice Book: https://shorturl.at/FPCjM
💻 Online Verbal Reasoning Test: https://shorturl.at/dQ4Hp

Both resources are available in 🇬🇧 English, 🇫🇷 French, and 🇮🇹 Italian, so you can prepare in the language that suits you best.

Start practising today and take one step closer to success in your EU competition!

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