EPSO Digital Literacy Test: Official Format for AD5 2026

The EPSO AD5 2026 selection procedure includes an assessment of digital competence as part of the CBT (Computer-Based Tests). This reflects the EU institutions' increasing emphasis on digital skills for administrators at all levels.

Why Digital Literacy in EPSO?

EU institutions have committed to digital transformation across their operations. The European Commission's Digital Decade strategy and the institutions' internal digitalisation plans require staff to be comfortable with digital tools, data analysis, and technology-related policy topics. The EPSO digital competence assessment tests whether candidates have a baseline level of digital fluency appropriate for a modern EU civil servant.

What the Digital Competence Assessment Covers

Based on the official EPSO framework, the digital competence component assesses:

• Information and data literacy: Finding, evaluating, and managing digital information
• Digital communication and collaboration: Using digital tools to work and communicate
• Digital content creation: Creating and sharing digital content responsibly
• Safety and security: Understanding digital risks and data protection
• Problem-solving: Using digital tools to solve problems

Format of the Questions

Questions are multiple-choice and scenario-based. You may be asked to:

• Identify the correct tool or approach for a given digital task
• Interpret data presented in charts or tables from digital sources
• Evaluate the reliability of online information
• Identify best practices for data security and GDPR compliance

How to Prepare

1. Familiarise yourself with basic EU digital policy: GDPR, the Digital Services Act, the AI Act. You don't need legal expertise, but understanding the concepts matters.
2. Practice data interpretation: Reading charts, identifying trends, and drawing conclusions from datasets.
3. Understand digital security basics: Phishing, password security, two-factor authentication — at a conceptual level.
4. Review EU digital strategy documents: The European Commission's "Europe fit for the Digital Age" page covers the key policy areas.

PassEPSO includes digital reasoning practice questions aligned with the EPSO AD5 2026 format. Try the free diagnostic to see how you score across all six sections.