Current EPSO position — official context
The current EPSO model does not use the former Assessment Centre oral presentation as a standard stage of new competitions. The test combination depends on the Notice of Competition. After a reserve list is established, a recruiting institution may invite shortlisted candidates to its own interview or related recruitment exercise.
This guide is relevant only when your invitation, vacancy notice, internal-competition notice, agency call, or recruiting service explicitly includes an oral case, presentation, or case-based interview.
Do not prepare for a remembered EPSO format. Prepare for the instructions in front of you.
Copy the rules onto one page
Before studying technique, complete this table from the official documents for your procedure.
| Question | Your procedure |
|---|---|
| Who runs the exercise: EPSO, an institution, an agency, or another body? | |
| Is this selection-stage testing or recruitment after a reserve list? | |
| What role will you play in the case? | |
| Who is the audience? | |
| How much preparation time do you have? | |
| How long is the presentation? | |
| How long is the Q&A? | |
| Which notes, documents, or visual aids are allowed? | |
| Must you use only the supplied dossier? | |
| Which competencies or criteria are named? | |
| Which language must you use? |
If one row is unclear, check the invitation first. Ask the organising service only when the official material does not answer it.
Choose the right route through this guide
| Your exercise | Start here | Then practise |
|---|---|---|
| Dossier handed to you with 30-60 minutes to prepare | Chapters 3-8 and 17 | Case 3, then Case 1 |
| Dossier or several versions released in advance | Chapters 3-7, 12 and 17 | Cold version-selection drills and Case 1 |
| Short recruitment presentation with no case dossier | Chapters 4, 11-16 | Record a five-minute role-relevant briefing |
| Case-based interview with no opening presentation | Chapters 7-10 and 14-16 | Use the Q&A banks from all three cases |
| Competency or motivation interview | Chapter 16 and Appendix D | Build a verified personal evidence bank and run follow-up questions |
Dossier-only or knowledge-based?
Many case exercises require you to use only the supplied material. Others test field knowledge as well. The distinction changes what counts as evidence.
| Information | Dossier-only exercise | Field-knowledge exercise |
|---|---|---|
| Fact stated in the supplied documents | Use it | Use it |
| Inference that follows without adding a new fact | Use it, and show your reasoning | Use it, and show your reasoning |
| Fact recalled from your professional knowledge | Do not use unless allowed | Use carefully and accurately |
| Missing legal, financial, or technical point | Turn it into a verification action | Explain it if certain; otherwise verify |
When outside knowledge is prohibited, say: "I would ask Finance and Legal Service to confirm that point before implementation." Do not quietly import a rule that the other candidates were not given.