Today my EPSO invitation landed, and if yours has too, you're looking at the same thing I am: a testing week roughly three weeks away. The waiting is over. Part 1 of EPSO/AD/427/26, the Verbal, Numerical and Abstract Reasoning tests, is actually happening in November.
Here is what the invitation process looks like, what you must do before test day, and how to spend the three weeks you have left.
What we know, and what we don't
- Part 1 testing starts in November 2026, remote and computer-based on the TAO platform with Proctorio proctoring.
- The invitation arrives through your Single Candidate Portal about three weeks before the first sitting and tells you your testing week.
- Your exact date and time shows up on the testing platform at least two weeks before your test, so don't panic if the invitation names only a week.
- Pass marks: Verbal Reasoning at least 10/20 on its own; Numerical + Abstract Reasoning at least 10/20 combined. You need both to reach Part 2 in 2027.
One honest caveat: the invitation itself is the authority on your dates, your language and your session details. Where anything in this post differs from your letter, follow your letter.
Do this in the first week: the prerequisite tests
EPSO's online testing instructions are blunt about this: complete the prerequisite tests, and if you skip them, any later technical complaint will be dismissed. They run once per competition, on the same computer, desk and network you'll use on test day. No score is recorded, but they check:
- System diagnostics: webcam, microphone, screen-sharing permission, internet connection.
- Webcam image test: your face must be centred and well lit, with no window behind you.
- ID check: a photo of a valid passport or ID card. Name and photo must be on the same side. If they aren't, you must prepare one PDF with both sides and notify EPSO through the portal by 23:59 CET on the day after the tests.
- Room and desk scan: a 20–60 second slow sweep of the room, desk, under the desk and behind the screen.
Test-day rules that can end your attempt
Proctorio records audio, video and screen, and humans review the recordings. These are the points that catch candidates out:
- Forbidden: phone on or near the desk, second screen, docking station, headphones or earplugs, pens and paper, external calculator, other people or pets in the room.
- Allowed: laptop plugged in, mouse, keyboard, numeric keypad, up to two tissues, one clear drink in an unlabelled container.
- Plug in your charger before the test starts. Connecting it afterwards can trigger a pop-up that terminates the session.
- Don't close or reload the test tab, change network, exit full screen or revoke camera or microphone permission.
- Stay seated with your face visible, and don't read questions aloud.
- Technical support (English and French) answers 9:00–18:00 CET, Monday to Friday. Save the number now.
The TAO interface gives you an on-screen calculator, scratchpad, highlighter and an answer-elimination tool. Learn them on the public TAO practice sessions, because you can't use paper.
Rehearse the real interface
Timed Practice Tests with a cross-out tool, a TAO-style mock exam, and a study plan that adapts to your testing week. Join 300+ members preparing for EPSO/AD/427/26.
Start Free →A three-week plan
| When | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 (now) | Prerequisite tests and tech setup. Then a full timed mock of all three tests to find your weakest section against the two pass marks. |
| Week 2 | Technique work on that weakest section, then daily timed sets. Verbal Reasoning first, since it has its own threshold and no compensation. |
| Week 3 | One last full mock in test-day conditions, review your error log, then taper. Rest properly for the two days before. |
Reports from the Audit AD7 test day on 30 September suggest the reasoning tests felt harder than many practice sets, with numerical and abstract singled out. That is candidate feedback, not an official assessment, but it is one more reason to train on hard material.
Frequently asked this week
My invitation only gives a week. When do I get the exact time?
EPSO says your individual appointment appears on the testing platform at least two weeks before your test. Log in regularly and check your spam folder.
Can I move my date?
Treat it as fixed. EPSO's force majeure policy covers unforeseeable events with documentation, but work or travel commitments don't count.
Sources: EU Training, EPSO Rundown October 2026 · EPSO, Instructions for online testing (TAO). Always check the latest version linked in your own invitation.