The assistant and secretary competitions, explained
How AST and AST-SC are structured, and why the reasoning tests are not what ranks you
What AST and AST-SC are
These are the two assistant function groups. AST covers assistants doing executive, technical and administrative support work. AST-SC covers secretaries and clerks. Both lead to a reserve list of officials.
They are separate competitions with separate notices, and they are not interchangeable: the grade, the work and the entry requirements differ. Both open with the same reasoning tests, which is why one page covers both.
The procedure is run remotely under online proctoring. The reasoning tests come first and are eliminatory. The field-related test comes after and decides your place.
Who can apply
Lower than the AD competitions, and there are two routes in: a post-secondary qualification, or a secondary qualification plus relevant professional experience. The number of years is set by each notice.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Citizen of an EU Member State. |
| Language 1 | One official EU language at C1. This is the language you sit the reasoning tests in. |
| Language 2 | A second official EU language at B2. |
| Education, route one | Post-secondary education in a relevant field. |
| Education, route two | Secondary education giving access to post-secondary study, plus relevant professional experience. The years are set by the notice. |
The reasoning tests
The same three tests that open every other EPSO procedure, sat in your language 1. Same question counts, same clock.
Here they are a gate and nothing else. No reasoning mark is carried into the ranking.
| Test | Questions | Time | Pass mark | Counts for ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | 20 | 35 min | 10/20 | No |
| Numerical reasoning | 10 | 20 min | 10/20 combined | No |
| Abstract reasoning | 10 | 10 min | 10/20 combined | No |
Try a question now
Pick a test and answer one real reasoning question.
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Answer options
The two pass marks
Two gates, and they are independent. Verbal reasoning is scored out of 20 and needs at least 10 on its own. Numerical and abstract are added together into a single score out of 20, and that combined total needs at least 10.
They are scored separately precisely so they cannot compensate for one another. The combined gate is the one that helps you: a bad run on abstract can be carried by numerical, because only the sum of the two is checked.
Nothing here is ranked, so a mark above the gate buys you margin for error on the day and nothing else. That is worth having. It is not worth months.
The other tests, and what decides your place
After the reasoning tests, AST and AST-SC part ways. The notice for your competition sets which tests you sit, their pass marks and their weights.
Recent AST notices rank you on a field-related multiple-choice test of 30 questions in 40 minutes, sat in language 2. The pass mark is 15/30, and candidates above it are ranked by score.
For AST-SC, EPSO’s Secretaries page says you may also sit a field-related short text questionnaire, an EU knowledge test and a digital skills test.
| Test | Competition | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Field-related multiple choice | AST | 30 questions in 40 minutes on the field you applied for. This test ranks you. |
| Essay on EU matters (EUFTE) | AST | One essay in 40 minutes, pass mark 5/10. A gate, not ranked. |
| Field-related short text questionnaire | AST-SC | 10 written questions in 60 minutes on secretarial work. |
| EU knowledge | AST-SC | The EU, its institutions, procedures and main policies. |
| Digital skills | AST-SC | Everyday digital tasks across the 5 DigComp areas. |
Where AST sits among the other procedures
AST and AST-SC are the support-staff route to an official post. The entry requirement is lower than the AD competitions and does not need a degree, and the work is executive and administrative rather than policy.
AD5 is the graduate route, no experience required, with verbal reasoning ranked. The specialist AD competitions want a degree plus years in a named field. CAST is permanently open and leads to contract agent posts rather than official ones, and it is the closest neighbour to AST: several CAST function groups cover comparable work.
If you are weighing AST against CAST, the reasoning practice is identical. Nothing you do for one is wasted on the other.
What this site does not cover
Laureo practises the three reasoning tests, the EU knowledge test and the digital skills test. For AST that is the reasoning stage only. For AST-SC it also covers 2 of the tests EPSO lists for secretaries.
There is nothing here for the field-related test, the essay on EU matters or the secretaries’ questionnaire. You’ll need another source for those.
What is here is unlimited, free, and scored the way the real reasoning stage is scored: both gates, the real timings, and no daily cap.
AST questions, answered
- What is the difference between AST and AST-SC?
- AST is the assistants function group, doing executive, technical and administrative work. AST-SC is for secretaries and clerks and sits at a lower grade. They are advertised as separate competitions with their own notices and their own entry requirements, and both open with the reasoning tests as a gate. What comes after differs, and the notice sets it.
- Do I need a degree?
- No. Post-secondary education is one route in, and secondary education plus relevant professional experience is the other. The number of years of experience is set by the notice for your competition.
- Are the reasoning tests easier than in AD5?
- The format, the question counts and the timings are identical. EPSO calibrates item difficulty to the grade, so AST items sit in the middle of the range rather than at the top. You can set your target exam in settings here and the practice will serve the matching band.
- What actually decides my place on the list?
- The tests after the reasoning stage. In recent AST notices that is a field-related multiple-choice test, with an essay on EU matters as a further gate. For AST-SC, EPSO lists a field-related questionnaire, an EU knowledge test and a digital skills test. The reasoning tests only decide whether you get that far.
- What language do I sit the reasoning tests in?
- Language 1, the language you declared at C1 in your application. Practise verbal reasoning in the language you will actually be tested in.
- Should I apply for AST or CAST?
- AST leads to an official post and runs to a published timetable. CAST leads to a contract agent post, is permanently open, and you sit the tests when a department shortlists you. Many candidates do both. The reasoning preparation is the same either way, so the choice is about the job and the timetable, not about the tests.
Test counts, timings, pass marks and eligibility rules are taken from published notices of competition and from reporting on them, checked in October 2026. AST and AST-SC notices vary in the experience they require and in which tests follow the reasoning stage: the notice for your competition is the authoritative source and it overrides anything on this page.