EPSO has opened a major specialist competition for technologists. EPSO/AD/429/26 (notice published 6 May 2026) recruits administrators at grade AD 7 across four ICT fields, for a combined reserve list of 782 successful candidates. The application deadline is 10 June 2026 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time, so the window is short and the clock is already running.

The four fields

The competition covers four distinct ICT fields, and you may apply for one field only. Choose carefully: each field has its own reserve list and its own field-specific test.

• ICT infrastructure. 204 successful candidates sought.
• ICT project management. 228 successful candidates sought.
• Clouds and networks. 166 successful candidates sought.
• Data science. 184 successful candidates sought.

Successful candidates go onto a reserve list from which the EU institutions, bodies and agencies recruit permanent administrators. AD 7 is a mid-level grade: it expects both a relevant qualification and real professional experience, not just a diploma.

Are you eligible?

Beyond the general conditions (EU citizenship, full rights, language obligations), there are two specific requirements:

• Languages. You need knowledge of at least two official EU languages. The field-specific test is taken in your second language.
• Education and experience. Each field sets its own minimum qualification plus relevant professional experience acquired after that qualification. Check the exact thresholds for your field in the notice before you apply.

How the competition is scored

The procedure runs in clear phases: application, testing, scoring and eligibility check, then the reserve lists. The testing phase has three parts:

• Reasoning tests. The familiar verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, scored first. You must pass these before anything else is even looked at.
• Field-related MCQ test. 30 questions in 40 minutes, in your second language, scored 0 to 30 with a pass mark of 15/30. This is the test that decides your place: the reserve list is built from the highest field-MCQ scores among candidates who passed the reasoning tests.
• EUFTE. A free-text essay on EU matters, based on documentation released before the test. It is not a language test or a memory test; it is graded against EPSO's published assessment anchors for structure, reasoning and use of the source.

Read that order again, because it is where candidates lose time: reasoning is the gate, the field MCQ is the ranking, and the EUFTE is the part most candidates underestimate.

How to prepare with EPSOHQ

Every scored element of this competition is trainable, and our platform is built around them:

• Reasoning. Timed verbal, numerical and abstract practice that mirrors the real format, so the gate stage becomes routine rather than a gamble.
• EU knowledge and the written test. Our EUFTE trainer and evaluator is a timed Free-Text Essay simulator with a rigorous automated grader that scores your reasoning, structure and use of the source the way a selection board does. For a competition that includes the EUFTE, that is exactly the rehearsal most candidates never get.

The field-specific ICT MCQ rests on your own expertise, but everything around it (reasoning, timing instincts, essay technique) is won through practice, not luck.

The deadline is close

Applications close on 10 June 2026 at midday, Brussels time, and there are no extensions. If ICT infrastructure, ICT project management, clouds and networks, or data science is your field, register on the EU Careers portal, then start training while it still counts.

Sharpen your reasoning and rehearse the EUFTE with EPSOHQ today, and walk into EPSO/AD/429/26 knowing exactly what to expect.