A technical problem during an EPSO test creates two jobs at once: protect the test session and build a record that another person can investigate.

“The platform froze” is not enough on its own. EPSO needs timing, context, troubleshooting, provider contact, environment details and impact. The system logs and your account should tell the same story.

This guide uses the general complaint policy and the specific rules in the consolidated EPSO/AD/427/26 notice. Your invitation may add provider-specific steps. Follow it exactly.

The AD5 two-report rule

Report the issue immediately using the process in the test invitation.
Contact EPSO through the Single Candidate Portal within three calendar days, counted from and including the day after the test.

You must contact EPSO even if the test provider already opened or resolved a ticket.

First: know what kind of complaint you have

Problem	Example	Route
Technical or organisational issue	Platform freezes, test fails to load, timer behaves incorrectly, provider interruption	Immediate invitation procedure plus candidate-account complaint
Possible error in an MCQ	No defensible answer, missing information, material translation defect	Question complaint through candidate account within the notice deadline
Force majeure	Documented power outage, emergency evacuation or serious medical event	Contact EPSO without delay and provide evidence covering the test date
Personal inconvenience	Travel, work meeting, poor time management or ordinary household distraction	Normally not accepted as circumstances beyond the candidate’s control

Do not combine every dissatisfaction into one vague message. State the category and the remedy-relevant facts.

What to do during the incident

1. Follow the invitation, not memory

Use the support channel and troubleshooting sequence stated in the personal invitation. EPSO’s complaint policy can reject complaints from candidates who skip mandatory checks or fail to troubleshoot as instructed.

2. Report immediately

If the test interface provides a permitted support route, use it. If the invitation provides a provider channel for test-time incidents, follow it. Obtain a ticket, chat reference, email or other trace where the process allows one.

3. Protect exam integrity

The clean-desk rules prohibit mobile phones, writing materials and unauthorised devices. The AD5 general rules allow disqualification for recording online tests or compromising test integrity.

Do not reach for a prohibited phone.
Do not photograph or record questions.
Do not copy test content into a private document.
Do not leave camera view unless instructions tell you to.
Do not close the test impulsively.

If an error screenshot is permitted by the provider instructions and can be captured without recording test content, preserve it. If not, rely on provider tickets, platform logs and a precise account written immediately after the session.

4. Notice the impact

The decisive fact is not merely that an error appeared. Record what it prevented:

Could not enter the test
Lost access for a measured period
Timer continued during the interruption
Could not submit a section
Could not complete one or more tests
Provider ended or restarted the session

The three-day clock

For EPSO/AD/427/26, the consolidated notice requires contact through the candidate account within three calendar days. Counting begins on the day after the test, and that day counts as day one.

Test day	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday

Submit as soon as the immediate facts are organised. Do not use day three as the drafting day. Complaints received after the deadline are inadmissible.

Build the evidence pack

A complete technical account should include:

Evidence	What to record	Why it matters
Candidate identifiers	Full name, candidate number, application number, competition reference	Connects complaint to the correct account and event
Session	Date, scheduled time, actual start time and time zone	Lets EPSO match provider logs
Test component	Check-in, verbal, numerical, abstract or submission	Locates the affected phase without reproducing questions
Timeline	Start, failure, each recovery step, provider contact and final state	Shows duration and sequence
Error	Exact message or code, if available	Supports technical diagnosis
Environment	Device, operating system, browser and version, connection type	Tests compatibility and configuration
Mandatory preparation	Prerequisite check, system check or familiarisation completion	Shows required preparation was completed
Troubleshooting	Every instructed action and its result	Shows attempt to resolve the issue
Provider contact	Channel, time, agent or ticket reference and advice received	Gives EPSO an independent trace
Impact	Lost time, unanswered items, inability to submit or inability to complete	Explains material disadvantage

A defensible incident chronology

Use short factual entries. Example:

09:52 — Completed check-in and entered verbal test.
10:07 — Interface stopped accepting answer selections. Timer continued.
10:08 — Followed invitation troubleshooting step: refreshed through permitted control. No change.
10:10 — Contacted provider through the instructed channel. Ticket ABC-123 opened.
10:16 — Provider restored interaction. Six minutes elapsed while timer continued.
10:44 — Completed remaining session. Reported impact through candidate account the same day.

Replace every example detail with the truth. Do not estimate a time if logs or messages give an exact one. If time is approximate, label it approximate.

Complaint template

Subject: Technical complaint — EPSO/AD/427/26 — [candidate number] — [test date]

Session: I was scheduled to test on [date] at [time and time zone]. The issue occurred during [check-in/test component/submission].

Issue: At [time], [precise description]. The displayed error was “[exact code or message]”, if applicable.

Actions: I followed the invitation instructions by [steps]. I contacted the provider through [channel] at [time]. The provider reference is [ticket/reference].

Environment: [device], [operating system and version], [browser and version], [connection type]. I completed the mandatory prerequisite check on [date].

Impact: The issue prevented or affected [specific consequence]. It lasted [duration].

Attachments: [provider confirmation, prerequisite result, permitted error evidence, outage certificate or other document].

Request: Please investigate the provider and platform logs and assess the appropriate remedy under the notice and complaint policy.

Do not demand a guaranteed retest. Ask for investigation and the appropriate remedy. EPSO may offer a retest or another measure where evidence shows a justified issue that materially affected test integrity or unfairly disadvantaged the candidate.

Why complaints become inadmissible

The candidate missed a mandatory prerequisite or system check.
The candidate did not troubleshoot according to instructions.
The issue was not reported immediately through the invitation process.
The EPSO complaint arrived after the deadline.
The description omitted timing, actions, error or impact.
The candidate relied only on provider contact and did not contact EPSO.
The claimed problem arose from breaking test instructions.

Complete the technical rehearsal before test day. The EPSOHQ exam builder can rehearse timed behaviour. The provider’s mandatory prerequisite check proves the actual system environment.

A technical complaint is not an MCQ complaint

If the platform worked but a question may contain an error, use the MCQ-question complaint route.

The AD5 general rules require contact through the candidate account within the same three-calendar-day counting method. Describe the question as accurately as possible and explain the alleged error. Do not publish or circulate the question.

The Selection Board may neutralise a defective item and redistribute its points among the remaining questions for candidates who received it. Disagreement with difficulty is not proof of an error.

After submission

Save the portal acknowledgement.
Save the provider reference.
Keep original evidence unchanged.
Check the candidate account for requests for more information.
Answer requests precisely and within the stated deadline.

Do not send repetitive complaints through several routes. Keep one complete record and refer to its existing number.

Evidence is not volume. It is a timeline that can be checked against independent logs.

Primary sources

Last source check: 17 August 2026. The personal invitation and binding notice govern the exact provider steps and deadlines.

When an Online Test Breaks: Build the Evidence While It Happens