On test day the questions are only part of the risk. EPSO’s online tests run under automated proctoring, and a few ordinary actions can end a session for good. This checklist puts EPSO’s rules in the order you will need them. Read EPSO’s own instructions too: they are attached to your invitation.
The day before
- Use the computer, browser, room and internet connection you used for the technical check. Changing any of them is the commonest way to meet a problem nobody has tested.
- Save the platform helpdesk’s number in your phone: it is in EPSO’s instructions. It answers in English and French, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.
- Have your passport or ID card ready, with your name and photo on the same side.
- Clear the room of notes, books, paper and pens, and of anything that shows the camera your religion, politics or private life.
- Tell everyone at home that nobody, pets included, may come into the room during your test.
An hour before
- Plug in the charger now. Plugging it in once the test has started can make the computer show a pop-up, and that can end the test.
- Connect to one network and stay on it, wired if you can. If your computer jumps between known Wi-Fi networks, remove the others: a change of network during the test can end it.
- Switch off antivirus, firewall, VPN and any proxy. Close every other program and tab, and silence notifications.
- Stop downloads and streaming on your network, and ask others at home not to stream during your slot.
- Put your phone on silent, in the room but out of reach: you may need it to call the helpdesk.
- On the desk, only the computer, a mouse, a keyboard, a numeric keypad, a USB adapter, two tissues and one clear drink in a container without a label. No food, no headphones or earplugs, no smartwatch.
- Sign in a few minutes before your slot: the link in your invitation, then EU Login, then My sessions.
During the test
- Stay seated, with your face in the camera’s view the whole time. Do not rest your hand over your mouth while you think.
- Read silently. Saying or reading questions or answers aloud counts as misconduct.
- Work only on screen. Pen and paper are forbidden: use the scratchpad and the calculator, which takes a dot as the decimal separator.
- Never close or reload the test tab, or open another one, even if the page seems stuck. Do not leave full screen, for example by clicking the X of a pop-up.
- Watch the small clock at the top of the screen: it gives no warning before it runs out.
- If the connection drops, the proctoring extension allows two minutes. After that, the session can end.
If something goes wrong
- If the test closes, go back to the platform’s main page. If a Continue testing button is active, use it; if not, call the helpdesk and ask to be let back in.
- To call the helpdesk you may stand up to fetch your phone. Then stay seated in front of the camera for the whole call, and put the phone away afterwards.
- Take a photo of the call in your phone’s call log: it is the proof EPSO asks for.
- If you have tests left, start each of them. A problem in one test does not excuse the others.
- Send a complaint through the Single Candidate Portal within 3 calendar days, marked clearly as a complaint, with a description and your proof. It is considered only if you did the technical check, called the helpdesk at the time and followed the set-up rules. A retest is never automatic, and taking one cancels the result of the affected session.
After the test
- Your answers are saved as you go.
- Sign in again with EU Login and open Finished sessions to download a certificate of attendance as a PDF.
- An optional survey about the test stays open for 72 hours.
Practise the way you will sit it
With no paper allowed, do all your practice from now on with an on-screen calculator and scratchpad, silently, on a laptop or desktop screen. Our free test is a full Part 1 on a screen built to behave like EPSO’s public sample, with those tools and the three real clocks. The rules behind this checklist are explained in our TAO platform guide.
Free
Try a free practice test
A full-length Part 1, 40 questions in 65 minutes on three clocks, with your marks and a worked answer for every question at the end. No card needed.
Questions
Can I use a pen and paper in the EPSO online test?
No. Writing materials are forbidden. Use the on-screen scratchpad and calculator.
What happens if my internet drops during the EPSO test?
If the connection to the proctoring extension is lost for more than two minutes, or the computer switches to another network, the session can end. Go back to the platform and use Continue testing if it is active; otherwise call the helpdesk.
Can I plug in my laptop charger during the EPSO test?
Plug it in before you start. EPSO warns that plugging it in during the test can show a pop-up that ends the session.
Can I drink water during the EPSO test?
Yes: one clear drink in a transparent container without a label. Food is not allowed.
Sources
Every fact about the competition in this guide comes from these pages. Check them for changes before you rely on a date.