*Note that the article below predates the cancellation of EPSO/AST/154/22). We have not yet agreed on collective or Common Front action on the cancellation itself.

Original article:

Of the Dear future EPSO[1] candidate,

You envisage a career in the European Commission and you started preparing for an EPSO competition.

Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a ride in the rollercoaster prepared for you by EPSO in collaboration with Prometric:

• You need to do more than study and iron you best shirt or skirt to look elegant at the test centre. Oops, 2 weeks after the closing of applications you find out that there’s much more to it than this: you will have to carry out a little adaptation work at your place and purchase some IT hardware, if not ⇒ you are OUT.
• You are trying to book a test slot, make sure you plan a day off as the process may take hours. You clicked too fast? Sorry, you slot will be at 3 am ⇒ you don’t like it? ⇒ sorry you are OUT
• You booked your exam to take place in English, but you find out that no hablas Espanol, lo siento, if you don’t continue in Spanish, then only other option is … Spanish, or you are OUT
• You have heard about data protection and sending an image of your ID card data to the United States does not seem like a good idea, if you don’t agree ⇒ you are OUT
• During exam, you need to carry out some calculations, but a clever software which you have to use leaves with you 2 options: either you see the figures or the calculator. The choice is yours. If you use a piece of paper ⇒ you are OUT
• You have recently had a tattoo, but everyone seems to have ignored it until now. Bingo, the Prometric proctor will finally ask you to show it. Yes, you will be asked to show more than just your head and shoulders and will also be asked to show the room and under your table, just in case …
• You locked your lovely dog out in order to follow the rules, bad idea. The beast managed to open the door to your home test centre, result? You are OUT
• You have 20 min break and you want to fetch a glass of water, bad idea: ask permission otherwise ⇒ you are OUT!
• Your test pauses in the middle for no good reason and you spend the evening and night trying to get help and waiting in front of the screen. You must wait and hope, otherwise ⇒ you are OUT!

Do these stories seem exaggerated to you?

Unfortunately they did happen.

Life can be surprising, and life in the Commission can be surprising too. If you have encountered an eyebrow-raising situation, please share it with us!

If still possible, we will try to help otherwise, we will anonymise the events and publish the story (we are also very happy to receive stories where you overcame all obstacles: tell us how you did it!).

So, if you are tempted to share your story, please write to us with the title ‘it happened to me’!

Keep calm, take notes and write to us!

Your Generation 2004 team

If anything goes wrong with your test please contact EPSO as quickly as you can. Follow the COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES section in the notice of your specific competition (e.g. here it is in annex III). The deadlines are very tight, please don’t wait! If, after this, you still have no success please get in touch with us.

[1] Not to be confused with the internal competitions, which are not organised by EPSO.