AD5 Part 1 study plan: 3 weeks to the November 2026 tests
A week-by-week plan for the AD5 reasoning tests if you're sitting them between 9 and 13 November 2026, with most of your time spent on verbal reasoning, the Part 1 score that counts towards your ranking.
EPSO says the AD5 Part 1 tests are planned to start in November 2026. Invitations arrive about 3 weeks before your test, so if you're sitting it in the week of 9 to 13 November, you have 3 weeks left to prepare.
This plan covers those 3 weeks, one at a time. Plan on 45 minutes a day.
What is in Part 1?
Verbal reasoning: 20 questions in 35 minutes. You need at least 10 correct answers.
Numerical reasoning: 10 questions in 20 minutes.
Abstract reasoning: 10 questions in 10 minutes. Numerical and abstract share one pass mark, so you need at least 10 correct answers across the two.
All three tests are in your language 1, and you take them online with remote supervision.
Which score matters most?
Your verbal mark is the only Part 1 score that counts towards your final ranking, where it makes up 35% of the total. Numerical and abstract only decide whether you get through to Part 2.
So practise enough to get numerical and abstract safely over the line, then put the rest of your time into verbal. Our AD5 exam guide explains the full scoring.
The plan
This weekend (17 and 18 October), find your weak spot: Sit one full mock exam before you feel ready. Write down your verbal score, your combined numerical and abstract score, and how many questions you didn't reach in time.
Week 1 (19 to 25 October), learn the formats: Practise each test without a timer and read every explanation, including for the questions you got right. If your combined numerical and abstract score was under 12, spend most of this week on those two. Otherwise, spend two thirds of it on verbal.
Week 2 (26 October to 1 November), add the clock: Switch to timed practice. Aim for about 1 minute 45 per verbal question, 2 minutes per numerical question and 1 minute per abstract question.
Week 3 (2 to 8 November), full mocks: Sit two full mocks in one sitting, at a clear desk, the way you will on the day. After each one, go through every wrong verbal answer and work out why the option you picked was wrong. Compare your scores with the ones from the first weekend.
Test week (9 to 13 November): Keep to short verbal sessions until your test day, and rest the day before. Get a good night's sleep.
What should I do on the day?
Check your computer, webcam and room a few days before, so you have time to fix a problem.
Answer every question. There is no negative marking, so a blank scores the same as a wrong answer.
If you are stuck on an abstract question for 90 seconds, guess and move on.
Our exam tips cover pacing and the most common traps in each test, and how the online test works explains the remote supervision.
Start this weekend with a free mock exam on Laureo. It costs nothing!