The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at the European Union (EU).
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If you are aiming to apply to the EU or have an EU assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to startNot sure if you should practice to prepare for the EU assessments? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude tests results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.
A recent study (Bradley et al, 2019) found that candidates who do not practise assessments, tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study looked at the Top 100 global employers.
In a nutshell:
How to prepare for the EU assessment process and tests to get the job?
The EU uses a variety of aptitude assessment tests. These include:
You may get rejected already after these aptitude tests; these tests sift out 50-80% candidates at this stage. The only proven way to get to the next round is practice.
You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.
Prepare for an online video interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For the EU interview practice, use:
Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
Continue reading to get answers to critical questions:
Looking into assessments with the EU, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!
If you decide to apply for the EU, you can practice online aptitude tests with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.
The European Union (EU), is a political and economic union located primarily in Europe. With an overall population of over 510 million, the EU has developed an internal single market to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital.
Career opportunities at the EU reflect the vast areas under which the EU operates, and thus offer excellent jobs for people in almost any field or specialisation. However, competition for jobs at EU is also very tough, with the EU application process sifting through large numbers of candidates.
You need to make sure you know what to expect in order to excel in any of the EU’s recruitment assessments. Luckily, our experts have worked in recruitment for many years, and now want to share the best step-by-step tips and practices for getting your dream job first time!
Due to a large number of positions and fields, the precise recruitment process may vary ever so slightly. However, all jobs will tend to assess skills and competencies using the following process.
EU Job Application and Assessment Stages:
Once you have decided on the position you want to apply for, you will need to fill in the online application form. You will be required to provide details of your education history and academic results, relevant work experience and possibly answer some short competency questions.
In your responses, try to refer to the following key values that EU recruiters look for in their candidates:
Always aim to apply as early as possible. Candidates are often reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying early could significantly increase your chances. Remember to double-check the application form for any mistakes.
EU use EPSO Online Aptitude Tests to sift through a large number of candidates. These tests examine particular skills, such as: numeracy, verbal reasoning, or abstract thinking.
Depending on the business area and position you apply for, you may be asked to complete a combination of the following tests:
In this aptitude test, you will be given a few passages with tables, charts and other types of data presentation. Your task will be to quickly analyse the information and answer a series of questions.
Do not worry if Maths is not your strong suit! All you will need is a quick recap of basic GCSE Maths calculations, such as ratios, percentages and reading data off charts. EPSO’s Numerical Reasoning Test is difficult – not because of the knowledge tested – but because of the time pressure and stress involved.
You need to be able to control your stress and time pressure. The only way to achieve this is through numerical test practice in a safe environment, before your real aptitude assessment.
Learn more about numerical reasoning tests
If you are looking for an EPSO-style numerical reasoning practice test with answers, worked-solutions, progress tracking and professional score reports, including personalised tips based on your performance – then Graduates First has it covered. Take a test now!
Check if you got the correct answer at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to EPSO assessment tests, register with Graduates First and take your FREE numerical reasoning test now!
This test will not examine any particular area of your knowledge. This time, you will be presented with 5 diagrams with varying shapes and spatial arrangements, and then will be asked to identify the right pattern to determine what comes next in the sequence.
The main difficulty with the EPSO Abstract Reasoning Test is that there is no pre-requisite knowledge required, and that there is no limit to how abstract these patterns and trends can be. Both two- and three-dimensional shapes will differ in: size, arrangement, movements and colours.
However, is does not have to be as difficult as it seems. By having a look at EPSO-style Abstract Reasoning Tests offered by Graduates First, you will get familiar with the format of the questions, and the level of difficulty involved. A lot of patterns are repetitive and follow similar logic, so by practicing you will grow in confidence and be better-suited to take your real test.
If you are looking for an EPSO-style abstract reasoning test with answers, worked-solutions, progress tracking and professional score reports including personalised tips based on your performance, then Graduates First has it covered.
Learn more about Abstract/Logical Reasoning Tests
For more hints on how to pass an Abstract/Logical Reasoning Test, visit our YouTube channel
In the example above, you will have ONLY around 45 seconds to notice that:
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to EPSO aptitude tests, register with Graduates First and take your FREE Abstract/Logical/ Reasoning Test now!
EPSO’s Verbal Reasoning Test identifies a candidate’s ability to accurately extract the relevant information from a previously unseen passage of text, in order for them to critically analyse statements and decide which of them are true, false, or impossible to say – based on the information contained in the passage of text.
EPSO’s Verbal Reasoning Test tends to be more difficult for non-native English speakers. However, by practicing Verbal Reasoning Test questions beforehand, you can begin to understand the specific ways in which texts are structured, and precisely what the questions are asking for.
Learn more about verbal reasoning tests
Remember, you will have around 45 seconds to answer questions like the following:
Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to EPSO online aptitude tests, register with Graduates First and take your FREE verbal reasoning test now!
The EPSO Situational Judgement Test will examine your main characteristics and skills in dealing with unknown life situations, that you are likely to encounter when working for the EU. This test is designed to check if you suit the core values that EU recruiters are looking for. We covered the core values earlier in the first section of this article.
This test is especially difficult because all answers will seem like appropriate options; they will all have some good qualities. You need to make sure you differentiate between answers to decide on those which are practical and desired by EU recruiters.
Learn more about situational judgement tests
For more questions similar to the EPSO-style Situational Judgment Test, register with Graduates First.
If you have successfully passed the online aptitude tests stage, you will be invited to a first-round interview .
Your interview will be competency based (CBI). Be prepared to talk about specific times when you proved to possess certain skills, such as: determination, teamwork, leadership skills, etc. Think about your previous projects and experiences – these could be from your professional, academic, or private life.
In an interview, each of your answers should follow a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model, in which you need to refer to each of the four points mentioned above; explain what the particular situation was, what task you were faced with, what action you took and what the result was. Before your interview, think of a few situations from your personal, professional or student life that can be presented using a full STAR model.
It is crucial to present a number of different examples from your experiences. Do not get hooked on only one situation- instead prove that you are a well-rounded individual who always tried to get involved and learn more about something new.
Do you want more EPSO-style interview questions and answers? Prepare some answer ideas before your interview, by analysing the most common types of interview questions.
This will also be a chance for you to ask questions and experience what working for the EU might be like. Therefore, come equipped with some interesting thought-provoking questions, which you are likely to be able to ask at the end of your interview. You should always use this opportunity to engage in a conversation with a senior member of the team, to demonstrate your motivations and enthusiasm. Do not be afraid to ask your interviewer about their personal experiences with the company, and their career path.
Want to know what questions could come up in your interview? Graduates First can help with our proprietary Question Identifier Tool (QIT). You can find it here.
Do you want to pass your EU assessments first time? Sign up for tools offered by Graduates First, the only aptitude practice test experts that provide tests to over 70 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.
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Correct answers to example questions:
Numerical Reasoning Test D
Logical Reasoning Test C
Verbal Reasoning Test B
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