EPSO Competition Calendar 2026: What's Open, What's Coming, and How to Prepare

2026 is the biggest year for EU recruitment in over a decade

When EPSO published its 2026 competition calendar in December 2025, it was the most ambitious list in years. The reason: the EU institutions are undergoing a generational shift. Many senior officials are approaching retirement, the Commission is expanding its digital and security capabilities, and there is strong political will to bring fresh talent into the European civil service.

This means more competitions, more profiles, and more reserve list places than candidates have seen in a long time. Here is the complete picture of what is available and what is coming.

Current status: October 2026

Last updated 7 October 2026 — statuses checked against EPSO's pages for upcoming and ongoing competitions, the AD5 competition page and the Notices of Competition in force; the phases of each profile are tracked in our specialist competitions guide.

AD5 Graduate Administrators — Applications closed

The AD5 generalist competition — the main entry route to becoming a permanent EU administrator — attracted a historic 174,727 applicants. EPSO has split testing into two parts. Part 1, the reasoning tests, is planned to start in November 2026: about three weeks before the first session, candidates receive an invitation letter in their Single Candidate Portal account giving the week of their test, and the exact date and time appear on the testing platform at least two weeks in advance. To reach Part 2 you need at least 10/20 in verbal reasoning and a combined 10/20 in numerical and abstract reasoning. Part 2 — EU knowledge, digital skills and the written test (EUFTE essay) — takes place in 2027 on dates still to be announced; EPSO will publish the sources for the EU knowledge test about two months before it.

The two-part structure comes from the amendment to the Notice of Competition (NoC) of 30 June 2026, which also sets the exact question counts and timing.

What to do now: Part 1 is only weeks away, so put reasoning first. Verbal reasoning is both a pass mark and 35% of your final score; numerical and abstract reasoning do not count towards the ranking, but you need a combined 10/20 to stay in. EU knowledge and digital skills (25% each) and the EUFTE (15%) only come in 2027, so they can take second place until your reasoning session is behind you. The complete preparation guide covers every component, and we track test-date news in when is the AD5 2026 exam?

CAST Permanent — Always open

CAST (Contract Agents Selection Tool) Permanent is the EU's continuous recruitment system for contract staff. Unlike competitions, there is no application deadline — you register your profile and institutions search the database when they have vacancies.

When shortlisted, you are invited to take reasoning tests (verbal, numerical, abstract). If you pass, you go on a list from which institutions can recruit directly.

Why consider CAST: It is the fastest path into an EU institution — the CAST 2026 complete guide covers the tests, the 10-year validity rule and the strategy in full. Contract agent positions are available across all institutions and agencies, in Brussels, Luxembourg, and other EU locations. Many contract agents later move to permanent positions through internal competitions or new external competitions.

What to do now: Register your profile on the EU Careers portal. Make sure your qualifications, languages, and field of expertise are accurately described — institutions search by these criteria.

Coming in 2026: the specialist competitions

EPSO has announced the following competitions for publication during 2026. Exact dates are subject to change as EPSO completes the transition to its new testing platform (OAT). Several profiles have since moved to EPSO's 2027 planning, as the status column shows.

Profiles worth watching

Lawyer-Linguists are among the most unique EU profiles — you need both a law degree and near-native proficiency in an EU language, plus thorough knowledge of a second. These competitions typically have fewer applicants relative to places, making them a strong opportunity for qualified candidates.

ICT Experts at AST grade are now planned for November 2027, with fields and grades still to be confirmed; EPSO's earlier planning named three: IT infrastructure and cloud/networks, software development, and user support. These are technical roles and the tests will include domain-specific questions. If you have IT experience, this is a direct path into EU service.

Auditors typically work at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg and other institutions. The audit competition, EPSO/AD/428/26 with 448 reserve-list places, closed applications on 19 May 2026 and is now in progress — the audit specialist guide covers eligibility and the FRMCQ syllabus. Expect domain-specific questions on financial management, internal controls, and EU budget procedures.

Data Management Experts reflect the EU's growing investment in digital transformation. These roles are increasingly central to policy-making and institutional operations. At assistant level the profile is now open: EPSO/AST/158/26 (AST 3) recruits in data processing, analytics and statistics, librarianship and information science, and records and archives management, with applications until 11 November 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time.

How to prepare when you do not know the exact date

Several dates in EPSO's planning are still marked "to be confirmed", and that is actually an advantage for proactive candidates. Here is why: when a competition is published, EPSO typically gives 4-6 weeks for applications, and the tests come months later — AD5 closed for applications in March 2026 and its first tests are planned for November. Candidates who start preparing now will have a significant head start.

You can get ahead by focusing on what is common across all competitions:

Reasoning skills — Verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning appear in every EPSO competition. Time invested in these skills applies to any competition you enter.

EU knowledge fundamentals — The institutions, treaties, decision-making procedures, and key policy areas are tested across multiple competition types. This knowledge is universal.

Language proficiency — All competitions require at least two EU languages. Strengthening your second language (or third) is always a productive investment.

Domain-specific knowledge — If you are targeting a specialist competition (law, audit, IT, data), start reviewing the relevant EU legislation and frameworks now. You will have a significant head start when the notice of competition is published.

Three smart moves to make this month

1. Register for CAST Permanent if you have not already. It costs nothing, takes 30 minutes, and puts you in the database immediately. Some institutions recruit from CAST every month.

2. Start reasoning practice. Whether you are targeting AD5, AST, or a specialist competition, reasoning tests are the common denominator. Building this skill now pays dividends no matter which competition you enter.

3. Monitor eu-careers.europa.eu regularly. EPSO updates its upcoming opportunities page when new competitions are confirmed. Setting a weekly check takes two minutes and ensures you never miss an application window.

This is a generation-defining moment for EU careers

The combination of a seven-year gap in AD5 recruitment, an expanding institutional mandate, and a wave of upcoming retirements means that 2026 offers more entry points into the EU institutions than any year in recent memory. Whether you are a recent graduate, a mid-career professional, or someone with specialist expertise, there is likely a competition that matches your profile.

Your next opportunity could open any day. Be ready. Join the EU-Now waitlist for competition tracking, adaptive preparation across all test types, and instant alerts when new EPSO competitions are published.