When the AD5 notice was first published, candidates would have learned their test results only at the end of the whole competition. The amendment of 30 June 2026 changed that: the reasoning tests are scored after Part 1, and candidates are notified of their results. Here is what happens between your last click and that notification, what the result means, and what you can still do about it.
The minutes after you submit
- Your answers are already saved. TAO saves them continuously during the test.
- Download your certificate. Log in to TAO again with EU Login and open Finished sessions: you can download a PDF certificate of attendance for each test you completed. Keep it.
- ID check. If your ID document does not show your name and photo on the same side, upload a single PDF of both sides and notify EPSO through the Single Candidate Portal by 23:59 CET on the calendar day after the test.
- The survey is optional. A short satisfaction survey stays open for 72 hours. It is feedback, not a complaint: anything you want EPSO to act on must go through the routes below.
Three days to raise a problem
This deadline is easy to miss, because it runs from the test, not from the results.
| Problem | Deadline | How |
|---|---|---|
| A question you believe contains an error | 3 calendar days, counted from the day after the test | Through your candidate account: identify the question as precisely as you can and explain the error. A complaint that only says “translation problem” without specifying it is not taken into account. |
| A technical problem during the test | Report it at once to TAO support, then in writing within 3 calendar days, counted from the day after the test | Through your candidate account, stating that it is a complaint, with a detailed description and evidence such as a photo of the call log or an extract of your phone bill. |
| An unforeseeable event that stopped you sitting the test | At once, and no later than the complaint deadline | Through the Single Candidate Portal, with your application number and evidence covering the test date. |
An example: if you sit the test on Wednesday 11 November, the three days are 12, 13 and 14 November, so the last day is Saturday 14 November.
Two rules make these windows final. A technical complaint is admissible only if you completed the pre-requisite test, contacted TAO support at the time of the test and followed the instructions on equipment and set-up. And a problem with a question or a technical issue that was not reported in time cannot be raised later in an administrative complaint.
If the selection board accepts a complaint about a question, it can neutralise it: the question is cancelled and its points are shared out over the remaining questions of that test, only for the candidates who received it. A technical complaint does not automatically lead to a new test. If EPSO grants one, taking it cancels the result of the session that went wrong.
How Part 1 is scored
| Test | Scored | Pass mark | Counts later? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | 0 to 20 | 10/20 | Yes: 40% of the preliminary score and 35% of the final score |
| Numerical reasoning | 0 to 10 | 10/20 for the two together | No |
| Abstract reasoning | 0 to 10 | No |
You need both pass marks. A strong verbal score does not make up for a combined numerical and abstract score below 10, and the reverse is also true. If you miss either one, your participation in the competition ends and your other answers are not processed further. Once both are cleared, numerical and abstract stop mattering, while your verbal score stays in your total until the reserve list is drawn up.
When results arrive
EPSO has not announced a date or said how long scoring will take. Results reach you through your candidate account, which the general rules ask you to check at least every three calendar days. The notice speaks of results, not only of a pass or a fail, but it does not describe the format of the notification, so we do not either.
Can a result be reviewed?
- No request for review of the scores. The general rules allow a request for review of selection board decisions within 5 calendar days, but they exclude it for multiple-choice test results. Part 1 consists only of multiple-choice tests, so the way to contest a question is the three-day complaint above, before the results.
- Administrative complaint. If you consider that the rules of the procedure were broken, you can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations within 3 months of the decision being notified. The Director of EPSO cannot overturn a selection board’s value judgement. If a procedural mistake or a manifest error is found, the case goes back to the board.
- Court and Ombudsman. A judicial appeal to the General Court is possible; against decisions taken by EPSO rather than the board, only after an administrative complaint. A complaint to the European Ombudsman is possible after EPSO’s internal routes, and it does not stop any deadline from running.
If you pass
You will be invited to Part 2 in 2027: EU knowledge, digital skills and the EUFTE essay, all in your language 2. The format, the pass marks and what to prepare before the dates are announced are in AD5 Part 2: what we know.
If you do not pass
Your participation in EPSO/AD/427/26 ends there. It does not end your options:
- Other competitions. EPSO’s planner for 2027 lists specialist competitions in law, parliamentary work, security and defence, languages, finance and IT, and no graduate AD 5 competition so far. See EPSO competitions in 2027.
- Contract staff and other routes. The CAST Permanent pool and jobs without a competition run on their own calendars.
- The skill you built. Reasoning tests appear in other EPSO competitions too. Our advice: keep some verbal practice going, so you start the next one from where you are now rather than from zero.
Keep your reasoning in shape
Timed EPSO-style verbal, numerical and abstract questions, with a worked explanation for every answer.
Start practising → First 25 questions free · no account needed to tryFrequently asked questions
When will the AD5 Part 1 results be published?
EPSO has not announced a date. Under the notice as amended on 30 June 2026, the reasoning tests are scored after Part 1 and candidates are notified of their results in their candidate account, before the Part 2 invitations.
What score do I need to pass AD5 Part 1?
At least 10 out of 20 in verbal reasoning, and at least 10 out of 20 for numerical and abstract reasoning combined. You need both. Missing either one ends your participation in the competition.
Can I ask EPSO to review my reasoning test score?
No. EPSO’s general rules exclude requests for review of multiple-choice test results. If you believe a question contained an error, the route is a complaint through your candidate account within 3 calendar days, counted from the day after the test. An administrative complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations remains possible if you consider the rules of the procedure were broken.
How do I complain about an EPSO test question?
Through your candidate account, within 3 calendar days counted from the day after you sat the test. Describe the question as precisely as you can and explain the error. Complaints that only mention a translation issue without specifying it are not taken into account. If the complaint is accepted, the question can be cancelled and its points shared out over the other questions.
Do numerical and abstract scores count after Part 1?
No. They are only a combined pass mark of 10 out of 20. Your verbal reasoning score carries forward: 40% of the preliminary score and 35% of the final score.
What happens if I fail AD5 Part 1?
Your participation in EPSO/AD/427/26 ends and you are not invited to Part 2. You can apply to future EPSO competitions, and other routes such as CAST Permanent for contract staff remain open.
Based on the notice of competition EPSO/AD/427/26 as amended on 30 June 2026, including its general rules (Annex I), and EPSO’s instructions for online testing (TAO) for this competition, October 2026 edition, read on 19 October 2026. Advice marked as ours is exactly that.