The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO [1]) is undergoing its most radical transformation [2] yet, introducing a new model aimed at better respond[ing] to the evolving needs of the EU institutions and the realities of today’s labour market [3]. Following sustained criticism [4] (including from the Ombudsman [5] and the European Data Protection Supervisor [6]) – ranging from outdated IT infrastructure, lack of transparency to excessive delays in competitions – EPSO is implementing a revamped selection process known as EPSOlution [7]. May 2025 will be the end of the five-year roadmap [8] set out in the EPSO magement plan.
What started as a promising effort to streamline selection has quickly turned into a situation reminiscent of when “EPSOnic [4]” hit the iceberg, leaving candidates and staff asking: Is this really a solution – or just rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship?
Lessons from the Past: What Went Wrong?
EPSO’s history is riddled with operational challenges, with the most notable issues arising from:
- IT and Contract Failures: EPSO’s reliance on an external contractor for online invigilating led to major disruptions and data transfer infringements. After numerous complaints and technical issues, the contract was terminated early. One of the providers of remote-proctoring testing was not allowed to operate in in France after a national court found it to be ‘unreasonable and invasive’. [9]
- COVID-19 Disruptions: The shift from in-person to online testing overwhelmed EPSO’s outdated systems and led to a delayed and then hasty adaptation of in-person tests to online ones.
- Legal Challenges and Candidate Complaints: Irregularities in competitions caused high complaint rates, including the infamous cancellation and re-run of [10]the EPSO/AST/154/22. Several cases were registered with the Ombudsman [5] and another with the European Data Protection Supervisor [6].
- Speculation over EPSO’s Future: With the selection phase now split from recruitment, concerns grew that EPSO might lose relevance altogether. (Read more about this shift in our article The Lifeboats Are Full: Recruitment Handed to the Old Guard [11].) Some institutions even launched their own external competitions, byassing EPSO altogether, such as the European Parliament [12].
Key Reforms: EPSOlution – Real Change or Window Dressing?
EPSO has branded its transformation as EPSOlution, promising to modernise selection processes without losing sight of quality.[1] But how much of this is a real reform, and how much is simply putting a new label on old problems?
A Shorter, Leaner Selection Process
- Timelines Reduced: From the current average of 13 months to just 6 months – or even less.
- One-Day Testing Sessions: All written tests are completed in one day; oral tests are scrapped at the competition phase and deferred to recruitment interviews conducted by hiring DGs.
More Inclusive and Modern Testing System
- EU Knowledge Test: Candidates will now be tested on meaningful EU-related questions, with access to the online sources used to create the test.
- Digital Skills Test: Introduced for some competitions to meet the evolving needs of EU institutions. (The EPSO competency framework [13] was updated in 2023 to include digital competencies.) Though success in many EPSO tests can be (unintentionally [14]?) influenced by your IT-setup.
Remote-Invigilated Testing: Innovation or Disaster?
Remote-invigilated tests are here to stay, despite past complaints relating to an unequal access to quality living spaces and hardware and high retesting rates. While it offers cost savings and aligns with the Commission’s “greening” initiatives, it also raises serious concerns about fairness and accessibility. The Ombudsman’s [5] recent investigation highlighted how EPSO mishandled complaints during remote testing, calling it maladministration.
Candidates can be excluded from a test after revision of the recording of that test, meaning that you have no chance to correct any perceived failing the moment it is pointed out. Some candidates have been exluded on the basis that they used a second screen during testing, something they deny, they now have difficulties to find someone able to respond to their request for evidence. If you have a similar story, please let us know [15] how you’re getting on.
What’s Next?
The stakes are high for EPSO’s future. The upcoming competitions will serve as a litmus test for these reforms. Candidates, institutions, member states and staff representatives will be watching closely to see whether EPSOlution can deliver on its promise of a faster, fairer, and more efficient selection process – or become another chapter in EPSO’s troubled history. We are watching for the next EPSO magement plan five-year roadmap [8], to see what lessons have been learned and what’s been put in place to avoid any repetition.
Interested in preparing for the changed competitions? Join our EPSO training sessions! Click here [16] to learn more and register.
Upcoming EPSO Competitions
EPSO has announced its as-yet-incomplete 2025 competition calendar [17], which is intended to include the following, though they are not yet present:
- AD5 Generalist Competition [18] (June 2025): Expected to be one of the largest in years.
- Annual Translator & Linguist Competitions: Covering eight languages per year over a three-year cycle.
- Luxembourg-Specific Competition: To address recruitment challenges for roles in Luxembourg (watch out for mobility restrictions [19] for future recruitment).
- CAST Reform [20]: Transitioning towards continuous selection for Contract Agents for better access to pre-tested candidates.
In other news, we encourage you to check out the new internal competitions which will be cross-function group [21]. Check what you’re eligible for!
Vote for transparency. Vote for fairness. Vote Generation 2004!
[1] ‘Emergency plan to tackle backlog of competitions, competition model, competition flow and management, strategic planning, competency framework, attractiveness of EU career and IT infrastructure.’ EPSOlution [7].