You do not need an imaginary twenty-hour study week. You need a repeatable week that improves the three tests EPSO will actually deliver first.
AD5 Part 1 contains verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. EPSO expects testing to begin around October/November 2026. All three tests will take place in one session on one day, and rescheduling will not be possible.
This guide provides three eight-week plans. Choose the one you can complete during a bad week, not the one that looks impressive on a Sunday evening.
Official Part 1 structure
- Verbal: 20 questions, 35 minutes, pass mark 10/20
- Numerical: 10 questions, 20 minutes
- Abstract: 10 questions, 10 minutes
- Combined numerical and abstract pass mark: 10/20
- Part 2 moves to 2027
First choose the right plan
| Plan | Best for | Weekly promise | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | Full-time work, care duties, irregular weeks | Four short contacts with the material | Less question volume; review must be disciplined |
| 6 hours | Most candidates with two weekday evenings and weekend time | All three skills plus one mixed session | Requires protected weekend review |
| 10 hours | Candidates with weak baseline, language challenge or short preparation history | Higher repetition and two deep-review blocks | Fatigue and low-quality volume become real risks |
If you are uncertain, start with six hours for one week. Record actual time, not planned time. Move down if you complete less than 80% of the schedule. Move up only when completion and review quality remain stable.
Week 1: establish a truthful baseline
Do not start by reading every guide. Start by measuring performance under time.
- Build a mixed reasoning session in the EPSOHQ exam builder.
- Use the official test proportions: 20 verbal, 10 numerical and 10 abstract questions.
- Use the official time limits.
- Do not pause to study during the diagnostic.
- Review every wrong answer and every correct guess.
Your baseline sheet needs six numbers:
| Skill | Correct | Unanswered | Correct guesses | Average time | Main error family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal | __/20 | __ | __ | __ | Scope / inference / quantifier / timing |
| Numerical | __/10 | __ | __ | __ | Reading / setup / calculation / unit |
| Abstract | __/10 | __ | __ | __ | Shape / count / movement / combination |
A correct guess is not secure mastery. An unanswered question is not the same failure as a wrong method. Keep them separate.
The eight-week progression
| Week | Training objective | Evidence that you can move on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline and error classification | Every miss has a reason; no “careless” bucket |
| 2 | Untimed method repair | You can explain the correct method before checking the solution |
| 3 | Short timed sets by skill | Accuracy survives mild time pressure |
| 4 | Interleaving and switching | You recover quickly when question type changes |
| 5 | Full official timings | You finish each section without a late guessing cascade |
| 6 | One-session endurance | Third-section performance matches first-section performance |
| 7 | Pressure rehearsal and recovery | One difficult question does not damage the next three |
| 8 | Taper, confidence and technical readiness | Stable results; no new method introduced |
Plan A: 3 hours per week
| Day | Minutes | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 45 | Verbal method or timed set |
| Thursday | 45 | Alternate numerical and abstract focus each week |
| Saturday | 75 | Mixed timed practice plus immediate review |
| Sunday | 15 | Error-log update and next-week choice |
Total: 180 minutes.
This plan works only if Saturday includes review. Sixty new questions with no diagnosis will not outperform twenty questions studied properly.
How to rotate the Thursday block
- Week 1: Numerical
- Week 2: Abstract
- Week 3: Weaker of the two
- Week 4: Stronger skill under strict time
- Repeat using new diagnostic evidence
Plan B: 6 hours per week
| Day | Minutes | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 60 | Verbal technique and proof discipline |
| Tuesday | 45 | Numerical templates and calculation accuracy |
| Wednesday | 30 | Abstract pattern recognition |
| Thursday | 60 | Timed verbal set and deep review |
| Saturday | 105 | Mixed session using official order and timings |
| Sunday | 60 | Error correction and weak-skill drill |
Total: 360 minutes.
This is the default plan for most candidates. It gives verbal two dedicated contacts, protects both gate skills and still rehearses the complete event.
Plan C: 10 hours per week
| Day | Minutes | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75 | Verbal method, then a short timed set |
| Tuesday | 60 | Numerical method and worked corrections |
| Wednesday | 45 | Abstract families and recognition speed |
| Thursday | 75 | Timed verbal and distractor analysis |
| Friday | 45 | Current weakest skill only |
| Saturday | 180 | Full session, break, then full review |
| Sunday | 120 | Error-log repair, targeted drill and next-week plan |
Total: 600 minutes.
Do not spend all ten hours answering new questions. At least one third should be explanation, correction and retesting of failed methods.
What to study inside each skill
Verbal reasoning
Train proof from the passage, not general knowledge. Build an error vocabulary around scope, quantifiers, chronology, cause, comparison and unsupported motive. The verbal reasoning guide provides the full method.
Numerical reasoning
Separate reading errors from arithmetic errors. Rehearse percentages, percentage points, ratios, weighted averages, rates, indexes and units. The numerical reasoning guide includes worked examples and exact data tables.
Abstract reasoning
Classify the rule before choosing the option. Track changes in shape, colour, orientation, number, position and size. Use the abstract reasoning library to mix pattern families instead of memorising one visual trick.
The review loop that makes all three plans work
For each missed question, write five short entries:
- Signal: What should have attracted attention?
- Wrong move: What did you do?
- Correct rule: What should you do next time?
- Distractor: Why did the wrong option look plausible?
- Retest: When will you solve a similar item again?
Ban the word “careless” unless you name the actual behaviour: skipped unit, reversed denominator, imported outside knowledge, missed negation or guessed after a time overrun.
Adjustment rules after every Saturday
| Evidence | Next-week change |
|---|---|
| Below a required pass mark | Move one session from the strongest skill to the failing skill |
| Pass mark reached only through guesses | Treat result as unstable; repair method before increasing speed |
| Accuracy good, many unanswered | Add short timed sets and decision cut-offs |
| Speed good, accuracy weak | Remove time pressure for one method session |
| Third test collapses | Increase complete-session rehearsal, not isolated drills |
| Two stable weeks above both gates | Keep maintenance; target ranking value through stronger verbal performance |
Keep Part 2 alive without stealing Part 1 time
EU Knowledge, Digital Skills and EUFTE move to 2027. Exact dates are unknown. A full Part 2 programme now can dilute the immediate reasoning goal.
Use one optional maintenance block every two weeks:
- Twenty minutes of EU Knowledge flashcards
- Twenty minutes of Digital Skills flashcards
- Twenty minutes outlining one EUFTE response
Skip this block if either Part 1 gate remains unstable.
The final eight days
- Run one full reasoning event near the start of the period.
- Review it completely.
- Use short confidence sets after that.
- Do not adopt a new grand strategy.
- Complete the official technical prerequisite check.
- Protect sleep and the exact test time.
- Stop heavy practice the day before.
Preparation volume matters. Corrected repetitions matter more.
Build your version in the EPSOHQ training planner. Use the schedule as a starting allocation. Let diagnostics change where the minutes go.
Primary sources
- EU Careers — EPSO/AD/427/26 Graduate administrators
- EU Careers — AD5 testing split into two parts
- Consolidated notice of competition, information copy
Last source check: 17 August 2026. Follow the exact date, time and technical instructions in your personal invitation.
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