Run a TAO Dress Rehearsal Before EPSO Runs You

Remote testing removes the journey to an assessment centre. It does not remove the operational test around the test.

EPSO/AD/427/26 currently names TAO by Open Assessment Technology as its provider. The formal invitation and the provider instructions sent to your account remain authoritative. This rehearsal does not replace the mandatory prerequisite check.

It gives you one controlled run through the device, browser, room, identity and recovery decisions before they carry consequences.

Before the timer starts

Use the exact device, desk, chair, camera, microphone, keyboard, mouse and internet connection intended for test day.

Do not use a corporate computer unless your invitation and employer configuration clearly allow every requirement. EPSO notes that administrator rights are needed and that corporate devices are usually unsuitable.

Do not download a testing extension from a link shared in a forum, group chat or unofficial guide. Use only the link in your candidate communication or the official EPSO testing page.

The 45-minute rehearsal

Minutes 0–5: source and account check

1. Open the Single Candidate Portal from your own bookmark.
2. Confirm the email linked to EU Login remains accessible.
3. Locate the competition page and the official Online Testing — What you must know page.
4. Create a local folder for the invitation, prerequisite confirmation and support references.

Do not rely on email alone. The consolidated AD5 notice tells candidates to check their candidate account at least every three calendar days.

Minutes 5–12: device ownership and operating system

Check:

• You have administrator rights.
• The operating system is supported.
• Chrome or Edge is available in a supported version.
• The computer is a desktop or laptop, not a phone or tablet.
• System date, time and time zone are correct.
• Automatic restart and operating-system update prompts are controlled.

The official TAO summary currently lists Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+ and Ubuntu 18.04+, with Chrome or Edge. Check the current invitation because provider requirements can change.

Minutes 12–20: peripherals and connection

1. Connect the charger.
2. Test the camera.
3. Test the microphone.
4. Test the mouse and keyboard.
5. Disconnect docking stations and additional screens.
6. Confirm no VPN is active.
7. Run a connection test using the intended Wi-Fi or wired network.

EPSO requires a camera and microphone and permits a single screen. A stable connection matters more than an impressive peak speed. Repeat the connection check at the same time of day as the likely test if household network traffic changes.

Minutes 20–27: clean-desk conversion

Remove everything that would be prohibited:

• Mobile phone
• Docking station
• Second monitor
• Headphones and earbuds
• Paper, pens and writing materials
• Books and notes
• Smartwatch or other unauthorised device

EPSO currently permits a laptop with charger, one screen, mouse, keyboard, ID, mousepad, tissues and a drink without a label.

Close the door. Tell household members that entry is prohibited. Pets count as other occupants under the official clean-desk policy.

Minutes 27–33: camera and identity rehearsal

1. Sit in the final chair position.
2. Check that your face remains visible under normal movement.
3. Remove strong backlighting.
4. Place the valid ID beside the computer.
5. Confirm name and photograph are clearly legible on the same side.
6. Check that the room can be shown during an environment scan without revealing unrelated sensitive material.

If your ID does not show name and photograph on the same side, follow EPSO’s specific account-upload instructions before test day. Do not invent a workaround during check-in.

Minutes 33–40: behaviour rehearsal

Run a seven-minute timed set in the EPSOHQ exam builder while following remote-test behaviour:

• Keep your face in view.
• Do not read aloud.
• Do not look repeatedly away from the screen.
• Use only the permitted mouse and keyboard.
• Do not reach for paper.

The practice content is secondary. The objective is to notice physical habits. Some candidates whisper passages, cover their mouth while thinking or lean out of view when stressed. Correct those behaviours now.

Minutes 40–45: recovery drill

Answer these questions without searching:

1. Where is the provider support method in the invitation?
2. What must you do immediately if the platform fails?
3. Where will you submit the separate EPSO complaint?
4. What is the complaint deadline for this competition?
5. Where will you store the support ticket and prerequisite confirmation?

For AD5, a technical problem during testing must be reported immediately by following the invitation instructions. You must also contact EPSO through the candidate account within three calendar days, counted from and including the day after the test. Provider contact alone is not enough.

What not to simulate casually

The EPSO summary says antivirus and firewall controls may need to be disabled for TAO. Security settings deserve caution.

• Do not weaken security based on a blog article.
• Wait for the verified provider instructions.
• Record the original settings before any authorised change.
• Use a clean personal device where possible.
• Restore protection after the testing requirement ends.

If the prerequisite check fails, contact the provider through the official channel early. A last-minute compatibility problem is harder to investigate and may weaken a later complaint.

Your rehearsal scorecard

Repeat at three moments

Now

Resolve device, room, account and ID problems. These may require another person, another computer or an official replacement document.

When the invitation arrives

Repeat the rehearsal using exact provider instructions. Complete every mandatory prerequisite check within its deadline. Save confirmation.

The day before

Run only the quick checks: power, connection, updates, camera, microphone, room and ID. Avoid major system changes.

The full Part 1 event is longer

This 45-minute drill rehearses the operating environment. It does not rehearse cognitive endurance.

AD5 Part 1 contains 65 minutes of test time across verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, before any provider check-in time. Run complete timed practice separately. The training planner can schedule those full sessions without turning every weekday into an exam day.

Technical readiness is not confidence that your laptop usually works. It is evidence that this device, room and process work together.

Primary sources

• EU Careers — Online Testing: What you must know
• EU Careers — EPSO/AD/427/26 Graduate administrators
• Consolidated AD5 notice, information copy
• EU Careers — Instructions and policies for candidates

Last source check: 17 August 2026. Your invitation letter and provider instructions override any general checklist.