EPSO AD5 2026 Reserve List and Eligibility Check: How Final Ranking Works

The EPSO AD5 2026 reserve list is the final outcome of competition EPSO/AD/427/26. It is the list from which EU institutions, bodies and agencies may recruit new AD5 administrators.

Many candidates focus only on passing each test. Passing matters, but the official notice shows a more precise sequence: Part 1 results, Part 2 scoring, preliminary ranking, EUFTE scoring, eligibility check, final ranking and then the reserve list. Understanding that sequence helps you prepare for the parts that actually affect your position.

Pass EPSO is an independent preparation platform and is not affiliated with EPSO or any EU institution. Use this guide as a preparation aid, and use the official EPSO notice and candidate messages as the binding source for instructions.

The AD5 2026 process in plain English

According to the official notice, the competition is organised in this order:

1. Application.
2. Invitation to Part 1 tests.
3. Part 1: verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning.
4. Scoring of Part 1 and notification of results.
5. Invitation to Part 2 tests for candidates who reached the required Part 1 pass scores.
6. Part 2: EU Knowledge, Digital Skills and EUFTE Written Test.
7. Scoring of EU Knowledge and Digital Skills.
8. Preliminary ranking.
9. EUFTE scoring and eligibility check for a limited number of candidates.
10. Final ranking and reserve list.

The application deadline was 10 March 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. The official deadline to upload supporting documents is 7 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time.

Minimum pass marks are only the first gate

The official pass marks are:

A candidate who fails to reach a required pass score does not continue in the competition. But a candidate who merely clears every minimum is not automatically on the reserve list. The weighted ranking still matters.

Preliminary score: the first ranking filter

After Part 2, EPSO scores the EU Knowledge test first. Then, for candidates who reached the EU Knowledge pass mark, EPSO scores the Digital Skills test. Candidates who obtained all required pass scores have their results combined into a preliminary score.

The official preliminary combined score uses these weights:

This is why AD5 preparation should not be “equal time for every section”. Verbal reasoning, EU Knowledge and Digital Skills directly shape the preliminary ranking. Numerical and abstract reasoning are still critical, but their job is to get you through the gate safely.

Eligibility check: when documents are actually compared

The official notice states that the EUFTE scripts and eligibility check are handled for a limited number of candidates taken in descending order of preliminary ranking. The eligibility check compares the declarations made in the application form with the supporting documents provided by the candidate.

That means you should avoid saying or thinking “I passed eligibility” simply because your application was submitted. The application stage is not the same as the later eligibility check. Make sure your education, nationality and language declarations can be supported with the documents EPSO asks for.

Final score: what changes after EUFTE

For candidates who pass the EUFTE and are found eligible, the final combined score uses these weights:

The reserve list is then established from candidates who have obtained the required pass scores, achieved one of the highest final combined scores among the relevant candidates, and were found eligible. Candidates tying for the last available place are added to the reserve list.

How to prepare with the reserve list in mind

• Do not train only to the minimum. Weighted sections can move your ranking.
• Protect verbal reasoning early. It remains the largest weighted component.
• Study EU Knowledge steadily. It covers the EU, its institutions, procedures and main policies.
• Take Digital Skills seriously. It is weighted equally with EU Knowledge in the preliminary score.
• Practise EUFTE before the final stretch. It is not a knowledge quiz, but written communication under time pressure needs repetition.
• Prepare documents before the deadline. The supporting-documents deadline is 7 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time.

How Pass EPSO helps

Pass EPSO is built around the AD5 test structure: timed reasoning practice, EU Knowledge questions, Digital Skills practice, EUFTE writing support, progress tracking and Ask Peter for step-by-step explanations when you need more than a static answer.

See Pass EPSO AD5 preparation options →

Source note

This article is based on the official EPSO/AD/427/26 competition notice, including the official scoring tables, testing sequence and supporting-documents deadline.