Which EPSO exam are you sitting?
Four procedures, one set of reasoning tests, and four quite different things they are used for
The four procedures
AD5 graduate administrators
The generalist entry competition for officials. A degree, no experience needed, and by far the largest field.
Verbal ranked, numerical and abstract pass or fail
Specialist AD competitions
AD6 and AD7 profiles for a named field. A degree plus years of experience, and a field test that decides your place.
All three reasoning tests pass or fail
AST and AST-SC
Assistants, secretaries and clerks. No degree needed, and two professional-skills tests carry the ranking.
All three reasoning tests pass or fail
CAST contract agents
Permanently open, four function groups, and a pass valid for ten years. The reasoning tests are the whole psychometric stage.
All three reasoning tests pass or fail
What actually differs between them
The reasoning tests are the same in all four. Twenty verbal questions in thirty-five minutes, ten numerical in twenty, ten abstract in ten, against a 10/20 verbal gate and a 10/20 combined gate. That is true whichever of these you applied for.
Three other things do differ, and they are what should decide where your preparation goes.
| AD5 | Specialist AD | AST and AST-SC | CAST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leads to | Official post | Official post | Official post | Contract agent post |
| Grade | AD5 | AD6 or AD7 | AST or AST-SC | FG I to FG IV |
| Degree needed | Yes | Yes, in the field | No | FG IV only |
| Experience needed | No | Yes, years set by the notice | Only on the secondary-education route | FG II and III, on the secondary route |
| Reasoning marks ranked | Verbal only | No | No | No |
| What ranks you | Verbal plus the Part 2 tests | The field-related test | Accuracy and prioritising | The recruiting service |
| Timetable | Annual cycle | Per notice | Per notice | Permanently open |
The one difference that changes how you prepare
In AD5, your verbal reasoning mark is not only a gate. It is carried forward as a ranked component and weighted more heavily than anything else in the competition, so every extra point is worth something.
In the other three, all three reasoning tests are pass or fail. Clear 10 out of 20 in verbal and 10 out of 20 across numerical and abstract, and the marks are never looked at again. Anything above the gate buys you margin for error on the day and nothing more.
So if you are sitting AD5, push verbal as high as it will go. If you are sitting anything else, get comfortably clear of both gates and spend the rest of your time on the stage that actually ranks you.
Difficulty is calibrated, the format is not
EPSO tunes the difficulty of the items to the grade, and in CAST to the function group. The question types do not change and the timings do not change. The questions get harder.
AD5 and the specialist AD competitions sit at the top of the range, alongside CAST FG IV. AST sits in the middle, with CAST FG III. CAST FG II sits below that.
This site asks which exam you are targeting and serves the matching band, so you are not practising against questions that are easier or harder than the ones you will see.
Can I apply for more than one?
Yes, and many candidates do. A CAST profile costs you nothing to keep in the database while you wait for a competition notice, and the two do not compete with each other.
The reasoning preparation is shared across all four. Practice done for one is practice done for every one of them, which is the useful part of EPSO using a single family of tests everywhere.
What this site covers
Laureo practises the three reasoning tests and nothing else. Unlimited verbal, numerical and abstract questions, free, and a full mock that runs all three back to back with the real timings and scores you against both gates.
It does not cover EU knowledge, digital competence, the free-text essay, field-related tests, or the accuracy and prioritising tests in the assistant competitions. Those matter, and for most of these procedures they are what decides your ranking, so it is better to hear that here than to find out in October.
Common questions
- Which EPSO exam should I apply for?
- Start from what you have. A degree and no experience points at AD5. A degree plus years in a named field points at a specialist AD competition. No degree points at AST or at CAST FG II or III. If you want to start immediately rather than wait for a notice, CAST is the one that is always open.
- Are the reasoning tests really identical across all four?
- The format, the number of questions, the timings and the two pass marks are identical. The calibrated difficulty of the items differs by grade and function group, and what the marks are used for differs: in AD5 verbal is ranked, everywhere else all three are pass or fail.
- Is CAST easier than an open competition?
- The tests are not easier; difficulty follows the function group, and FG IV sits alongside AD5. What differs is the rest of the procedure. CAST has no knowledge test, no essay and no professional-skills tests at the central stage, so the reasoning tests are more of what stands between you and the pool.
- How long is a pass valid?
- A CAST pass is valid for ten years. For the open competitions, you go onto a reserve list whose validity is set by the notice and is typically extended year to year while the list is still in use.
- Is Laureo affiliated with EPSO?
- No. It is an independent study tool with no connection to EPSO or any EU institution. Every question here is originally written or procedurally generated, built to the format EPSO publishes.
Formats, pass marks and eligibility rules are taken from published notices of competition, the CAST Permanent Call for Expressions of Interest and the EU Careers requirements, checked in September 2026. Notices vary, and the one for your own procedure is the authoritative source.