The recruitment process to the EU Institutions

Whenever there are new permanent positions to be filled in the EU, a recruitment competition (also widely know by its French name "concours") is held. Examination centres are frequently set up in each member state - sometimes more than one centre in larger countries - but the interviews are generally held in Brussels or Luxembourg.

There are usually 3 stages to each competition:

• Pre-selection Tests
• Written Tests
• Interviews

Pre-selection tests

In the pre-selection tests you will face multi-choice answer tests. Normally you have a choice of four answers to every question. Each test often comprises around fourty questions: the overall time for the tests is about two and a half hours.

The three subjects of the pre-selection tests are:

1. The Specialized Field Test (e.g. law, energy, economics, human rights, etc.) of usually fourty questions. This test is sometimes combined with the EU Knowledge test (see below). This test is usually taken in your second language.
2. EU Knowledge test. This requires an extremely thorough knowledge of the EU, its history, its institutions and their powers, important treaties and influential people. Again normally there are fourty questions, usually in your second language.
3. Verbal and Numerical Understanding. This is generally a combination of verbal (two-thirds) and numerical (one-third) of fourty questions in all.

Verbal questions: You must pick answers which best summarise or match a selected part of a given text.

Numerical questions: Testing your ability to interpret simple graphs and charts, and to carry out mental arithmetic. Some numerical questions are pure "word problems" where no graphic is involved. Usually taken in your second language.

Only those who pass each multi-choice test and achieve a satisfactory overall mark can proceed to the next level (written tests) of the competition.

Written Tests

The written tests often take the form of one or two essays, where the subject matter relates directly to the field of the competition and the dossier you have been given. When the dossier test is not used, you are given some questions, on which to write one or two essays. You can be given a choice of questions, or you can be asked to write a summary of one of your essays in your second language.

The best candidates scoring the best on the written test admitted to the next stage - the interview. But sometimes the Recruitment Board simply picks the candidates, who produce the best results in their essay(s), or their mark in this Written Test is added to their mark in the Specialised Field Test, and those with the best aggregate marks get invited to the interview.

The Interview

The interview is usually held at the institution itself. You could easily find yourself faced with an interview panel from three to eight people, of which some may not even ask questions. Interviews can last up to 45 minutes and, though they are mainly in your mother tongue, you will generally be asked to speak for a few minutes in your second language (or any additional languages you may have chosen).

Further Information

To read more specifically about EU careers, the UK Government’s Cabinet Office has a working for Europe website which is full of detailled information on career structures and recruitment in the EU institutions.

These texts intend to help candidates compete effectively in European Union recruitment competitions, or concours. It explains how the EU institutions recruit their staff and how to increase your chances of being recruited.

• Recruitment to the institutions of the European Union - a candidate's guide
• The preselection tests - supplement to a candidate's guide
• How to pass the written tests - supplement to a candidate's guide
• How to pass the interview - supplement to a candidate's guide

See also this FAQ about the on-line competitions.

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