EPSO reasoning tests
Almost every EPSO competition opens with the same three tests
Which one are you sitting?
AD5 graduate administrators
Part 1 is the three reasoning tests. Your verbal score is also ranked.
Verbal ranked, numerical and abstract pass or fail
Specialist AD competitions
AD6 and AD7 profiles sit the same three tests, then a field test in language 2.
All three pass or fail
Assistants and secretaries
AST and AST-SC sit the same three tests. A field-related test decides the ranking.
All three pass or fail
CAST contract agents
The reasoning tests are the whole psychometric stage. Applications are open all year and a pass lasts 10 years.
All three pass or fail
The same three tests in every competition
EPSO uses one family of reasoning questions across every selection procedure. AD5 graduate administrators, AD6 and AD7 specialist competitions, assistant and secretary competitions and CAST all open with the same three tests, in the same order, with the same number of questions and the same clock.
Your practice does not depend on which competition you entered.
| Test | Questions | Time | Roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | 20 | 35 min | 1 min 45 per question |
| Numerical reasoning | 10 | 20 min | 2 min 00 per question |
| Abstract reasoning | 10 | 10 min | 1 min 00 per question |
The two pass marks
Verbal reasoning is scored out of 20 and needs at least 10 on its own. Numerical and abstract are added into a single score out of 20, and that total needs at least 10.
The two gates are independent, so a strong verbal score cannot rescue a weak numerical and abstract total. Inside the combined gate a weak abstract score can be carried by numerical, as only the sum is checked.
Where the competitions differ
Three things change between procedures.
First, what the score is for. In AD5 your verbal mark is ranked and carries a large share of your final position. Everywhere else the three tests are pass or fail, and your mark is never looked at again.
Second, the difficulty. EPSO tunes it to the grade and, in CAST, to the function group. We ask which exam you are targeting so we can serve you the matching band.
Third, what else is in the paper.
- AD5 adds an EU knowledge test, a digital skills test and a free-text essay on EU matters, all in your second language.
- Specialist AD competitions add a field-related multiple-choice test and the same essay.
- AST adds a field-related multiple-choice test and an essay on EU matters, and the field test decides the ranking.
- CAST adds a competency or field test set by the recruiting service.
What language you sit them in
You sit the reasoning tests in your language 1, the one you declared at C1 level in your application. Practise in that language.
The tests that follow are usually in your language 2.
What we cover
We cover the three reasoning tests and nothing else. You get unlimited verbal, numerical and abstract questions, and a full mock that runs all three back to back on the real timings and scores you against both gates.
We also cover the EU knowledge and digital skills tests. We do not cover the free-text essay or field-related tests. For AD5, the specialist and the assistant competitions you will need something else for those parts.
Common questions
- Are the AD5 and CAST reasoning tests the same?
- The format, the number of questions, the timings and the two pass marks are the same. The difficulty differs, and so does the use of the score: in AD5 your verbal mark is ranked and counts towards your place on the reserve list, while in CAST all three are pass or fail.
- I am sitting AD5 in 2026. Is this the right practice?
- For Part 1, yes. Part 1 is verbal 20 questions in 35 minutes, numerical 10 in 20 minutes and abstract 10 in 10 minutes, with a 10/20 verbal gate and a 10/20 combined gate. Our free mock runs exactly that. From Part 2 we cover EU knowledge and digital skills, but not the essay.
- Which EPSO competitions use these three tests?
- All of them. AD5 graduate administrators, specialist AD6 and AD7 competitions, assistant and secretary competitions, and CAST for contract agents. Your notice of competition is always the authoritative source.
- Do I need to score highly, or just pass?
- It depends on your competition. In AD5 a higher verbal mark is worth more, as verbal carries a large share of the ranking. Numerical and abstract only need to clear 10/20 combined. In CAST and the assistant competitions all three are gates, so anything above the pass mark only buys you margin for error.
- Is Laureo affiliated with EPSO?
- No. We are an independent study tool with no connection to EPSO or any EU institution. We write or procedurally generate every question here, built to the format EPSO publishes.