EPSO AD5 2026 preparation: how to train for the autumn tests

The EPSO AD5 2026 competition (EPSO/AD/427/26) made history: 174,922 candidates for just 1,490 places on the reserve list, a success rate below 1%. If you are one of them, one thing is certain: "studying" is not enough. You need to train the right way, and to start now.

Applications closed in March 2026 and the tests begin in autumn. That means you still have a few months ahead of you — and this is exactly the period when preparation is built (or lost). Here is how to use it well.

Why the success rate is so low

With fewer than 1% of candidates admitted, EPSO selection does not reward whoever "knows more" in an academic sense. It rewards those with trained reflexes on the specific test format: verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, EU knowledge and the situational tests. These are timed exercises, where speed, stress management and familiarity with the question type make the difference.

The consequence is simple: you can be an excellent candidate and still fail just because you did not train on the format. And that is good news, because the format can be trained.

The 3 most common preparation mistakes

1. Studying theory instead of practising. Many candidates read manuals and handouts for weeks. But the EPSO test does not ask you to recite knowledge: it asks you to solve questions under pressure. Active practice is worth ten times passive reading.

2. Ignoring the "why" behind wrong answers. Getting a question wrong is useless if you don't understand why. Real learning happens in the explanation of the correct answer — that is where you fix the reasoning that, repeated on exam day, would cost you points.

3. Starting too late. "I'll prepare in September" is the sentence that precedes most failures. With the tests in autumn, every week of training from now on is a concrete advantage over other candidates.

How to structure your preparation between now and autumn

An effective method in three phases:

1. Diagnosis. Do a first block of questions by topic and identify your weak points. Don't spread your energy over what you already master.

2. Targeted training. Work topic by topic, always with questions accompanied by explained solutions. The goal is not just the right answer, but understanding the logic that leads to it.

3. Timed simulation. In the final weeks, reproduce exam conditions: a timer, no breaks, long sequences. That is how you train mental stamina.

One important detail: at the AD5 stage you sit the tests in the languages you chose as Language 1 and Language 2 (selected from the official EU languages). English is one of the most common choices and the working language of the institutions, so practising on the real format in English is a realistic way to prepare — just make sure it matches the languages you registered with.

Train with 500 questions by topic, with explained answers

To put all of this into practice, Qweega offers 500 EPSO AD5 questions organised by topic, each with the correct answer and a full explanation — in English, one of the most common exam languages. It is built precisely for the three steps above: diagnosis, targeted training and simulation.

The cost is €39, one time: less than a coffee a day between now and the tests, to arrive in autumn trained rather than unprepared.

The tests are close and the places are very few. The difference between those who pass and those who don't is built over the coming months. Start your preparation today.

👉 Discover the 500 EPSO AD5 questions on qweega.eu