Specialist competitions
A specialist competition does not test whether you are generally capable. It tests whether you know a specific body of law and practice — the Financial Regulation, NIS2, Regulation 223/2009, the procurement directives — well enough to answer thirty questions on it under time pressure.
That is what separates these guides from the general preparation material. Each one starts from the notice of competition and the legal acts named in it, then sets out what the field-related MCQ has historically asked, which article answers which family of questions, and where candidates confuse two rulebooks that look alike.
Some fields have an open competition right now; others have not had one in years and are tested inside broader profiles or through CAST Permanent. Each guide says which situation applies in its first paragraph, because preparing for a competition that does not exist is the most expensive mistake in this space.
EPSO Budget & Financial Management: What the FRMCQ Tests
No open Budget Notice today — which makes it the right moment to build. The MFF, own resources, NextGenerationEU and the Article 314 procedure, with the numbers that actually appear in questions.
EPSO Competition Policy: Articles 101-109 TFEU for the FRMCQ
Antitrust, mergers and State aid as EPSO tests them. Article 101 and its four exemption conditions, the EUR 5 000 million threshold, the standstill clause — with the Treaty text the questions are written from.
EPSO Finance: Prudential Rules, Markets and the Single Rulebook
The finance syllabus has two layers — the EU's own money, and the EU's rules for everyone else's. CRR, CRD IV, MiFID II and the supervisory architecture, quoted from the instruments.
EPSO Public Procurement: The Two Rulebooks You Must Not Mix
EU institutions do not procure under Directive 2014/24/EU — they procure under the Financial Regulation. Procedures, exclusion, EDES, framework contracts and abnormally low tenders, quoted from both rulebooks.
EPSO Security: The Cyber Rulebook Behind the Questions
NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Cybersecurity Act, CER and DORA — the deadlines, the definitions and the overlaps that EU security questions are built from.
EPSO Statistics: What Regulation 223/2009 Actually Asks You
The EU statistics syllabus is governance before methodology. The ESS, professional independence, the five quality criteria and statistical confidentiality — quoted from the framework regulation questions are built from.
Mastering the EPSO Data Protection Specialist Competition
Expert guide for the Data Protection specialist competition, covering GDPR, EUDPR and FRMCQ preparation.
EPSO Specialist Competitions 2026: Complete Guide
Every open and announced EPSO specialist competition for 2026. IT, Law, Audit, Economics, EEAS, Building, Communication, HR — places, eligibility, links.
EPSO Audit Competition 2026: 448 Places, AD7 Guide
EPSO/AD/428/26 — the largest Audit competition ever, 448 places vs 60 in 2022. Eligibility, FRMCQ syllabus, scoring, AD vs AST audit roles.
EPSO Building Management 2026: 411 Places, 4 Fields
EPSO/AD/425/25 — 411 AD7 places in Project Mgmt, Architecture, Electrical, HVAC. Eligibility, 2,000 m² floor, FRMCQ, scoring, AD vs AST.
EPSO Communication Specialist (AST3): Graphic, Social & Web Routes
EPSO/AST/157/25 — 435 AST3 places across Graphic Design, Social Media, Webmaster. Eligibility, FRMCQ, EUFTE, why no AD parallel exists.
EPSO Economist Competition: AD6 Cycle & ECB Alternative
EPSO/AD/402/23 — 970 economist places across 3 fields. Eligibility, FRMCQ, eight recruiting DGs, and how ECB Graduate Programme differs.
EPSO External Relations & EEAS Careers: AD7 Routes
No standalone diplomat competition — EU diplomats via specialist NoCs and Member State secondments. EPSO/AD/382/20, mobility, AD vs AST.
EPSO HR Recruitment: 2016 AST Legacy & CAST FG IV Path
No EPSO AD HR competition exists. Last specialist: EPSO/AST/139/16 (2016, 51 places). Current routes: CAST FG IV, AD5 generalist, TA roles.
EPSO IT Specialist Competitions 2026: AD7 Routes & Tests
EPSO is recruiting 1,020+ IT and data professionals in 2025-26. Eligibility, FRMCQ test structure, scoring, and how AD7 ICT differs from AST.
EPSO Law Specialist 2026: AD7 Lawyer Routes & 6 Fields
First substantive EPSO Law NoCs since 2019. AI Law, Criminal Law, Energy Law and three classic fields. Eligibility, FRMCQ structure, AD vs AST.
EPSO Specialist Competitions: What They Are, Who They're For, and How to Prepare
EPSO specialist competitions recruit experts in fields like law, economics, IT, and audit. Learn how they differ from generalist exams, what the field-related MCQs test, and how to build a targeted preparation strategy.