Introduction

to the world of open competitions

Interactive Tests & Preparatory Material for Open Competitions

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 Contents

1. Notice of open competition

2. Selection procedure

3. Rules of the open competition

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 1. Notice of open competition

 Organised by: “European Personnel Selection Office”

(http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm)

 Published in the Official Journal

 For example: EPSO/AD/25-29/05: Various fields

 European public administration/human resources
 Law
 Audit
 Management of financial resources
 Economics/statistics
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 2. Selection procedure

 Reserve list

 Staff regulation

 Appointment and salary

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 2. Selection procedure
2.1. Reserve list

 The list of successful candidates in the Official Journal

 According to fields and (usually max 4) merit
groups, in alphabetical order
 Condition but not guarantee of recruitment (Notices
of open competition: “Recruitment will depend on
vacant posts and funds becoming available”)
 Valid usually for 1.5-2 years, often extended

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 2. Selection procedure
2.2. Staff regulation

 Rules applicable to EU officials

 Council Regulation 259/1968 as modified

 Contains conditions of recruitment: nationality of

a Member State, having performed all military
duties, open competition, physical aptitude,
knowledge of at least one official language
 May be asked in open competition questions!
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 2. Selection procedure
2.3. Appointment and salary

 According to “Category”, “Grade” and “Step”

 Categories: AD (administrator), AD linguists (linguist
administrators, AST (assistants)
 Grades (within categories): 1 (lowest) to 16
(highest)
 Steps (within grades): 1 (lowest) to 8 (highest)
 For example, open Competition AD/25-29/05:
Grade AD5
 Grade AD5, first step: EUR 3837,37 7
 3. Rules of the open competition

 General rules

 Rules on how to fill out the tests

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 3. Rules of the open competition
3.1. General rules
 To bring with you: invitation, ID
 Not allowed with you: mobile phone/PDA/ calculator,
bags, agenda/newspaper, dictionary/book, correctors
 Forbidden to: smoke, talk, leave during the tests
 no breaks between pre-selection tests a) and b)
 short break between pre-selection test b) and c)
 lunch break between pre-selection test c) and
written test
 Practice:
 No clocks, but warning 15 minutes prior to end
 Invigilators 9
 3. Rules of the open competition
3.2. Rules on how to fill out the tests

 Pens are provided

 Pre-selection tests: optical reader sheets - ticking
boxes (but may be via computer!)
 There is only one correct answer
 All answers have the same weighting
 No penalties for incorrect or no answer
 Correction is not allowed
 Written test: lined papers to write on
 Corrections allowed
 Anonim tests: any distinctive marks are prohibited
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