How to Decypher EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC Competitions the Right Way

Another popular function group many applicants are going for on EPSO is the EPSO AST and its close cousin, EPSO AST-SC. Suffice to say, this competition opens up multiple job opportunities that enables many people to explore various job titles.

So if your interest is peeked with this competition organized by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), then it helps to understand more about what these two competitions are about—from their similarities to their differences. And we are here to help with just that!

What are EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC?

EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC competitions give access to permanent contracts that enable you to become a member of the EU civil service. As such, they are awarded after a rigorous open competition procedure.

Both the EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC have distinct types of duties, sometimes some even overlap. Nonetheless, it is a must to learn how to separate the two in order to know which one best suits you.

EPSO AST Duties

EPSO AST are for Assistant careers and simply stands for European Personnel Selection Office Assistants. Those seeking to pass the EPSO AST competitions will be typically engaged in an executive or technical role in one or some of the following:

• Administration
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Communication
• Research
• Information Technology
• Policy Development and Implementation

Their role is vital in the internal management of the institutions, most especially in:

• Budgetary and Financial Affairs
• Personnel Work
• Computing
• Document Management
• Scientific Laboratory Work

EPSO AST-SC Duties

On the other hand, the EPSO AST-SC function group is for the open competition organized for the European Personnel Selection Office to draw up reserve lists from which the institutions of the European Union may recruit new members of the civil service as ‘secretaries/clerks’ (function group AST-SC).

Assistants-Secretaries (AST-SC) are generally employed in an office management and administrative support role and can take on a broad range of tasks within their departments. They often provide support to one or several people using IT tools such as word-processing, spreadsheets and databases. The duties include the following:

• Preparing, processing, finalising, and checking documents
• Document management and requests for action
• Assisting with the drafting of press releases, reports, and other texts for different kinds of media
• Assisting with the preparation of presentations on communication activities to internal and external audiences
• Handling budget implementation files in compliance with financial rules in force
• Handling and following-up personnel or case-files
• Finding, compiling and disseminating information
• Organising and coordinating the unit/department’s administrative activities
• Keeping and updating the unit/department diary, answering calls, taking messages

What Do the Different Grades Mean for EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC?

Applying for the EPSO AST or EPSO AST-SC competition means having to know what kind of grade you should be in beforehand. This determines the level of where you will be at in EPSO as well as the kind of duties you will be doing:

EPSO AST

The assistant career or EPSO AST ranges from grades AST 1 to AST 11.  The level of entry is at grades AST 1 or AST 3.

• AST 1 – candidates must have completed secondary education and have previous relevant experience, or have a relevant vocational qualification.
• AST 3 – candidates should have completed secondary education, a relevant vocational qualification and/or several years’ relevant experience.

EPSO AST-SC

As with the EPSO AST, EPSO AST-SC starts with AST/SC 1 but ends with AST/SC 6. New staff  enter at the grade AST/SC 1 or AST/SC 2.

• AST/SC 1 – candidates must have completed secondary education and have previous relevant experience, or have a relevant vocational qualification.
• AST/SC 2 – candidates with more experience (minimum 4 years).

General Competencies for EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC  Competitions

Those participating in the EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC competitions will be tested in seven general competencies that will determine how talented, motivated, and highly qualified they are in their field.  Below are the competencies:

• Analysis and Problem Solving – Identify the critical facts in complex issues and develop creative and practical solutions
• Communicating – Communicate clearly and precisely both orally and in writing
• Delivering Quality and Results – Take personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard of quality within set procedures
• Learning and Development – Develop and improve personal skills and knowledge of the organisation and its environment
• Prioritising and Organising – Prioritise the most important tasks, work flexibly and organise own workload efficiently
• Resilience – Remain effective under a heavy workload, handle organisational frustrations positively and adapt to a changing work environment
• Working with Others – Work cooperatively with others in teams and across organisational boundaries and respect differences between people

What Are the General Eligibility Requirements for the EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC Competitions?

Beyond the requirements that will identify what grade you will be in for the EPSO AST and EPSO AST/SC competitions, there are also some very important eligibility requirements that you must exhibit in order to qualify for the competitions.

EPSO AST

EPSO AST competitions vary greatly according to the job title you are pursuing. Hence, it is important to refer to the Notice of Competitions published in the Official Journal of the EU. It is the official and authentic document that specifies the details and conditions of the competition such as the kind of skills you should have akin to the nature of the job.

But apart from the specificities, there are some general eligibility requirements that you must meet. They are:

• Applicants must be an EU citizen.
• Applicants must not have any criminal record.
• Applicants must have the ability to speak at least 2 of the official EU languages.
• Applicants, if applicable, must have fulfilled all military service requirements.
• Applicants must meet the character requirements for the duties concerned.

EPSO AST-SC

The EPSO AST-SC also requires applicants to meet the same general eligibility requirements as the EPSO AST. Beyond that are some specific conditions regarding qualifications and work experience. Refer below:

For Grades SC 1 and SC 2

• Post-secondary education of at least 1 year attested by a diploma directly related to the nature of the duties

or

• Secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education followed by at least 3 years’ professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties

or

• Professional training (equivalent to European Qualification Framework Level 4) of at least 1 year, followed by a minimum of 3 years’ professional experience. Both the training and experience must be directly related to the nature of the duties.

For Grades SC 2 only

At least 4 years’ additional professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties.

Note: This professional experience is relevant only where it has been gained after obtaining the qualification and/or professional experience required for access to the competition

Selection Process: What Are the Exams Needed to Be Taken for the EPSO AST and EPSO AST-SC Competitions?

In order to fully identify the applicants who will best be suited for the job, EPSO will have them undergo multiple tests that will test various skills and competencies. Below are the following:

Computer-Based Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) Tests

Given that you have validated the second part of your application form in your language 2, you will then be invited to sit a series of computer-based MCQ tests in one of EPSO’s accredited centres.

The computer-based MCQ tests will be organised as follows:

Note: These tests are eliminatory and do not count towards the other tests held during the assessment phase.

Assessment Phase

Once you meet the eligibility requirements and reached the pass marks and also scored of the highest overall marks for the MCQ tests, you will then be again invited to attend an assessment phase held in your language 2.

As mentioned above, there will be seven general competencies that will be tested. It is in this part of the competition where you will thoroughly be tested by means of four tests:

• E-tray exercise
• General Competency-based Interview
• Two specific tests

Refer to the matrices below to know more:

What Are the Benefits and Salary for the EPSO AST-SC?

The basic monthly permanent official salaries for newly recruited Assistant-Secretary (AST-SC 1) range from around €2,300 per month to around €5,000  for an Assistant with the highest seniority.

Automatical salary increases happen every two years corresponding with the five seniority steps of each grade. Also, basic salaries are adjusted annually in line with inflation and purchasing power in the EU countries.

Some family-related allowances are available to permanent officials according to their family situation. These include the following:

• Household allowance
• Dependent child allowance
• Educational allowance
• Pre-school allowance