EPSO EU Knowledge
Institutions, treaties, and current EU policy — 30 questions, 40 minutes. Must score ≥ 50% independently (15/30) — cannot be compensated by other modules.
30
Questions
40 minutes
Time
50% (15/30)
Pass mark
30% of your final ranking score
Ranking weight
What is the EPSO EU Knowledge test?
EU Knowledge is the only module in the EPSO competition that is purely knowledge-dependent. There is no trick to reasoning your way to the correct answer — you either know the treaty milestone, the institutional role, or the legislative procedure, or you do not. The good news: the testable content is finite, well-defined, and fully predictable.
What the test actually measures
Institutional structure and roles
The composition, powers, and procedures of the European Commission, Parliament, Council of the EU, European Council, Court of Justice, European Central Bank, and European Court of Auditors. Questions test who proposes legislation, who votes, who interprets law, and how institutions interact under the ordinary legislative procedure.
Treaty milestones
The founding treaties (Rome 1957) and major amendments: Maastricht 1992, Amsterdam 1997, Nice 2001, Lisbon 2009. Each treaty introduced specific structural changes — co-decision procedure, the euro, QMV extension, the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Knowing what each treaty changed is more important than knowing dates.
Current EU policy and priorities
EU Green Deal and climate targets, Digital Single Market, the Multiannual Financial Framework, enlargement process, and the EU's response to major recent events. EPSO updates questions each competition cycle to reflect current political priorities — candidates who only study historical content underperform.
Question format
A direct factual question with four answer options. No passage or data set is provided. Questions may ask about treaty articles, voting thresholds, institutional composition, budget figures, or current policy facts. One answer is definitively correct.
Proven strategy
What consistently separates passing candidates from failing ones.
Anchor treaties to their changes
Do not memorize treaties as dates. Memorize them as events: Maastricht created the euro framework and introduced EU citizenship; Lisbon gave the Parliament co-legislative power on the budget and made the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding. A question will test the change, not the year.
Know the QMV threshold precisely
Qualified Majority Voting requires 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population. This is a common trick question — options are presented with the percentages swapped. Write it out until it is automatic.
Study current EU priorities
EPSO includes questions on live policy — the Green Deal targets (55% emissions cut by 2030), NextGenerationEU, digital regulation (DSA, DMA, AI Act). Spending 20% of your preparation time on current affairs significantly improves your score on the questions most other candidates get wrong.
Common mistakes to avoid
Confusing the Council of the EU (ministers) with the European Council (heads of state) — two completely different bodies
Stating the Commission legislates — it proposes; Parliament and Council co-legislate
Getting QMV percentages backwards (55% states / 65% population, not the reverse)
Ignoring current EU policy and focusing only on institutional history
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the EU Knowledge test.
What topics does the EPSO EU Knowledge test cover?↓
EU institutional structure and roles, treaty history (Rome through Lisbon), legislative procedures, the EU budget and Multiannual Financial Framework, enlargement, and current EU policy priorities including the Green Deal, Digital Single Market, and NextGenerationEU.
How is EU Knowledge scored in the EPSO competition?↓
EU Knowledge is scored out of 30 and must pass the Talent Gate independently at 50% (15/30 minimum). It also contributes 30% to your final ranking score alongside Digital Skills. A high EU Knowledge score has a significant impact on your overall rank.
How many questions are in the EPSO EU Knowledge test?↓
30 questions in 40 minutes for the AD5 competition — approximately 80 seconds per question. The test covers institutions, treaties, legislative procedures, budget, and current EU policy.
Are there questions about current EU events in the EU Knowledge test?↓
Yes. EPSO updates questions each competition cycle. Candidates who study only historical institutional content miss questions on current priorities like the European Green Deal, AI Act, and enlargement. Spend at least 20% of EU Knowledge preparation on recent EU developments.
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