Guides to the EU knowledge test
How the test works, how to prepare and what to read. Every fact is sourced to an official EU text.
- AD6 and AST2 2026, stage by stageAD6 and AST2 close on 30 October 2026. The cognitive gate, the 30-question knowledge test, the written test and the oral, each fact labelled. Try a free mock.8 min read
- Scoring and the 2.5x ruleOne point per right answer, no penalty, pass at 15/30. But only the top 2.5 times the places get their written test marked. What that means for your target.5 min read
- The content cut-offOnly public official sources dated before your application period opened can be asked. The cut-off for each 2026 competition, what falls between them, and why.6 min read
- AD vs AST timingAD grades get 30 minutes for 30 questions, AST grades 40, and EPSO Part 2 also 40 with flag and return. Seconds per question, pacing plans and the right timer.4 min read
- What to read, rankedThere is no official reading list. Our ranking of 30 official sources: about 15.5 hours, Treaty articles first, then the priorities. Read, then test yourself.10 min read
- Common traps720 MEPs, not 751. 1.26% of GNI is the 2028-2034 proposal. EUR 37.5 billion, not 37.8. Twelve traps, each with the right fact and its official source.8 min read
- "Which is NOT" questionsNOT questions hide one false option among three true ones. Read the stem twice, mark each option true or false, pick the false one. Two worked examples inside.6 min read
- Forward-only tacticsNo going back, no blanks, no penalty. 60 seconds a question at AD, 80 at AST: decide, answer, move on. Pacing, elimination and what to do if the screen freezes.7 min read
- 4-week study planAbout an hour a day for four weeks: a diagnostic mock, then official reading in ranked order, daily drills with spaced re-asks, and full timed mocks in week 4.7 min read
- EPSO AD5 Part 2: the knowledge testIn EPSO/AD/427/26 the EU knowledge test is 30 questions in 40 minutes, pass 15/30, worth 25% of the final score, in 2027. What it covers and what to read first.6 min read
- EU history timelineEvery EU treaty from Paris (1951) to Lisbon, with the day it was signed and the day it came into force, plus enlargements and milestones, from official texts.7 min read
- The test in FrenchFrench speakers sit the internal test in English or German; if French is your language 2, learn the official terms. The rule, 30 sourced terms, a free test.9 min read
- Delegated and implementing actsDelegated acts amend or supplement a law under Article 290 TFEU; implementing acts set uniform rules under Article 291. Who controls each, and the deadlines.10 min read
- Better regulation numbersPublic consultations run 12 weeks and call-for-evidence feedback 4. Since COM(2026) 380 the 12 can be cut by up to six. Every figure, dated to your cut-off.9 min read
- Staff Regulations and HRAD has 12 grades, AST 11 and AST/SC 6; contract staff sit in function groups I to IV. The Staff Regulations, CEOS and HR strategy, quoted from the 2026 text.9 min read
- Institutions in numbers720 MEPs for 2024-2029 (Germany 96), 27 Commissioners, every term and majority, each from the Treaties or an official decision. The 751 trap explained.8 min read