EU knowledge reference material
The official publications to read for the EU knowledge test, and when EPSO publishes its own list
When EPSO publishes its list
EPSO publishes references to the sources it used to write the EU knowledge test about 2 months before the test date. It announces them on its website and in your candidate account.
We will update this page when the list for the 2026 AD5 competition is out.
The publications to start with
The Publications Office keeps a collection of EU publications for candidates preparing for EPSO tests. EPSO says they are for guidance only and are not the official source texts, but they cover the same ground.
- How the EU works: A short guide to the EU
- The Council and the European Council: The European Council and the Council of the European Union: the house of the Member States, and History of the Council of the European Union and of the European Council
- The Court of Justice: The Court of Justice of the European Union: ensuring the protection of EU law
- The Court of Auditors: European Court of Auditors: guardians of the EU's finances
- EU law: The ABC of EU law, and 70 years of EU law: a Union for its citizens
- The euro: Understanding the Economic and Monetary Union
- Free movement: Schengen: your gateway to free movement in Europe
- Current priorities: Highlights from the first year in office: the von der Leyen Commission 2024-2029, State of the Union 2025, and The EU in 2024: general report on the activities of the European Union
- History: EU pioneers: the trailblazers who helped build today's Europe
How to use them
Read A short guide to the EU first, then the publications on the institutions and on EU law, as most questions are about who does what and how a law is adopted.
Practise questions as you read, so you learn the exact names and dates the test asks about.