Internal Competitions

Competitions Under Pressure: Delays, Overload and Structural Challenges

Recent developments in both internal and external competitions highlight growing pressure on the system and raise important questions about its capacity, reliability and fairness. 

While some progress has been made, particularly with the launch of the AD7 internal competition, many of the structural challenges previously identified remain unresolved. At the same time, it is important to underline that AST/SC colleagues still do not have access to AD competitions, meaning that the move towards inclusiveness remains partial and that significant gaps persist. 

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Free conference: AD7 internal competition

Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos,  is happy to invite you to a free info session for the AD7 internal competition.  You will get tips and tricks on how to fill in the application, as well as advice on how to tackle the different parts of the exam (cognitive reasoning assessment; EU knowledge, written test). There will be a Q&A session at the end of the conference. Continue reading Free conference: AD7 internal competition

Lunchtime event: EPSO competitions: where are we?

*update 29.10.2025: here are the recording and the slides. Generation 2004 is always watching what’s happening in terms of recruitment, particularly in Luxembourg. We give you an outline of the current status of EPSO competitions, together with some of the most recent challenges. While internal competitions are not the focus of this event, they are part of the process and the context, so will not be ignored. Generation 2004, we’re here for you! Continue reading Lunchtime event: EPSO competitions: where are we?

Internal Competitions 2025: A Missed Promise of Inclusion 

Many of you contacted us about the publication of the second of the promised internal competitions: the specialist AD7/AD9 financial risk management. We agree, we too were disappointed: this was not the new approach for internal competitions announced in February 2025, that of internal competitions being open to colleagues from other function groups (yes, the Parliament’s been doing this for years, but at the Commission it’s new).  Continue reading Internal Competitions 2025: A Missed Promise of Inclusion 

Preparing for Competitions: Generation 2004’s Guide to Resources

Generation 2004 regularly organises, free workshops to help you prepare for EPSO and internal competitions. Our main partner is  Yasemos Europeos, and together we provide high-quality, accessible learning resources. We are also happy to share additional curated materials that can further support your preparation.
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Training offer: EEAS Internal competitions – AD6 – AST2 – AST-SC2

*Update 10.09.2025, these internal competitions are now closed to new applications.*

Original article: Our Training partner Yasemos Europeos, has a special  offer with a discount rate for our members. The package contains EEAS Internal competitions – AD6 – AST2 – AST-SC2: Self-study MCQ test on knowledge on the EU and its institutions.  The content is in English.

Continue reading Training offer: EEAS Internal competitions – AD6 – AST2 – AST-SC2

EEAS: Internal Competitions – Free workshop

Update 23.06.2025: Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, this workshop has to be cancelled.  We apologise for any inconvenience. You may want to review the recording of a previous session which is still valid.  Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to offer you a free online Webinar in English on the EEAS internal competitions.  The session will address the tests (MCQ and written) of this competition.

Continue reading EEAS: Internal Competitions – Free workshop

Training offer: EESC Internal competitions

Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to offer you online training in English for the European Economic and Social Committee/Comité économique et social européen (EESC/CESE) internal competitions with a special discount rate for our members ONLY. The internal-competitions training is via self study and covers the free-text essay on EU Matters (EESC Internal competitions: AD7/AD5/AST3/AST1/ASTSC2/ASTSC1) Continue reading Training offer: EESC Internal competitions

Internal & External Competitions – Contesting the Results : Conference

*Update 06.10.2025 the court case querying the legality of nationality-specific competitions is ongoing.*

*Update 26.08.2025 the updated time estimates are available under ‘planning’: please note some will take place SOONER than originally stated: don’t miss your chance!*

Original article: We have received an overwhelming number of complaints from colleagues about serious irregularities in recent internal and external competitions: technical failures of the testing platform, problems with the Single Candidate Portal, and questionable content in the knowledge tests based on non-official sources such as the Draghi Report.
Continue reading Internal & External Competitions – Contesting the Results : Conference

Internal Competitions: A Fair Shot for Everyone?

*Update 02.10.2025, we’ve seen the publication of the first of the promised internal competitions: the specialist AD7/AD9 financial risk management. It’s disappointing that it does not include ASTs in spite of the statement  in the planning that some internal competitions would include ASTs. We are looking at it.*

Continue reading Internal Competitions: A Fair Shot for Everyone?