EPSO Situational Judgement Test (EU institutions)

During a review of agricultural subsidy payments, you detect a recurring discrepancy between the self-reported crop areas from a member state and the official satellite validation data. How should you address this issue?

• AFlag the discrepancy to your supervisor and compile a detailed comparative report to shar…
• BImmediately suspend all agricultural subsidy payments to the member state until they expl…
• CAdjust the figures in the database to match the satellite validation data without notifyi…
• DDisregard the validation data since the self-reported figures are historically accepted a…

You are drafting a briefing note for a Commissioner's upcoming speech. You find that two internal reports show conflicting figures on regional youth unemployment rates. What is the best way to handle this?

• AUse the more optimistic figures to make the speech sound more positive and progress-orien…
• BIdentify the primary data source and methodologies used in both reports, and consult the…
• CInclude both sets of numbers in the speech and leave it to the Commissioner to choose whi…
• DPostpone the speech indefinitely until a new external audit can verify the exact unemploy…

A new circular economy initiative requires input from both the DG Environment and the DG Internal Market. However, the two DGs have overlapping mandates, leading to confusion about task ownership. What should you do?

• AClaim sole ownership of all tasks for your DG and proceed with work to avoid delays.
• BWait for senior directors of both DGs to notice the overlap and issue a formal division o…
• CSchedule a meeting with representatives from both DGs to map out tasks, identify overlaps…
• DStop working on the initiative entirely until the mandate conflict is officially resolved…

You are tasked with drafting options for a new environmental regulation. Some member states favor strict binding targets, while others prefer voluntary guidelines. How should you structure your policy recommendation?

• ARecommend only strict binding targets, as voluntary guidelines are historically ineffecti…
• BRecommend only voluntary guidelines to ensure all member states can agree easily.
• CSubmit a proposal that chooses one side and ignores the other to prevent compromise from…
• DAnalyze the impact of both binding and voluntary options, and present a balanced recommen…

An EU public portal promoting consumer rights experiences a sudden, unexplained 40% drop in weekly traffic. As the web manager, what is your first step to investigate this?

• AReview the technical logs, analytics data, and search engine visibility to pinpoint where…
• BImmediately launch a costly marketing campaign to drive traffic back to the website.
• CBlame the hosting contractor and demand they fix the server capacity immediately.
• DAssume the drop is temporary due to seasonal changes and take no action for a month.

An external research team submits a draft report for your policy study, but it lacks critical statistical evidence for several key assertions. What is the most effective course of action?

• AAccept the report as is and try to research the missing data yourself to save time.
• BContact the research team, specify the missing evidence, and request they update the repo…
• CReject the report immediately, cancel their contract, and hire a new provider.
• DRewrite the assertions in the report to match whatever data is already available.

You are selecting key performance indicators (KPIs) for a regional development program aimed at reducing digital exclusion. Some stakeholders want to measure funding spent, while others want to measure the number of citizens trained. How should you proceed?

• AUse only budget-spent indicators since financial audit metrics are easiest to measure and…
• BUse only output indicators like the number of citizens trained to focus on direct project…
• CInclude a balanced mix of input (funding spent), output (citizens trained), and outcome (…
• DAvoid using standard KPIs and instead rely on qualitative success stories submitted by lo…

During an EU public consultation on consumer protection rules, your unit receives over 10,000 public submissions, far exceeding the expected 500. You have a fixed deadline to draft the summary report. How do you handle this workload?

• ARead only the first 500 submissions and base the summary report on those, assuming they a…
• BAsk the IT department to run a basic keyword filter to delete all duplicate or similar su…
• CRequest an indefinite extension of the legislative deadline so the unit can read every su…
• DGroup the submissions into thematic categories, use text-analysis software for clustering…

You must choose a research methodology to study the impact of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems. One methodology is cheap and quick but has a high margin of error; the other is expensive and slow but highly precise. How should you decide?

• AAssess the specific policy needs, required precision level, available budget, and timelin…
• BAlways select the cheapest and quickest option to demonstrate efficient stewardship of ta…
• CAlways choose the most precise and expensive option, as accuracy in scientific policy mus…
• DLet the external contractors make the choice on their own without policy intervention.

You are evaluating a draft cross-border transport project proposal. You notice that the risk assessment section ignores potential environmental litigation risks in one of the member states involved. What should you do?

• AApprove the project as is, assuming the local authorities have already resolved any legal…
• BFlag the missing risk factor, draft a note detailing the potential litigation risks, and…
• CRewrite the risk assessment section yourself to include the environmental litigation risk.
• DReject the entire project proposal immediately without giving the consortium an opportuni…

A final budget report for your unit's annual expenses has a €50,000 discrepancy that you cannot explain. The report must be submitted to the Court of Auditors tomorrow morning. What is the most appropriate action?

• AAdjust other expense categories arbitrarily to hide the €50,000 difference and meet the d…
• BSubmit the report with the discrepancy and hope the auditors do not notice it.
• CInform your supervisor of the discrepancy, explain the steps you are taking to find it, a…
• DRefuse to submit the report and demand that the entire accounting system be audited by an…

You are monitoring member states' compliance with a waste management directive. Three member states submit reports that use incompatible data formats, making it impossible to perform a comparative analysis. How should you resolve this?

• AExclude these three member states from the comparative analysis report entirely.
• BManually convert the data into a compatible format yourself, using your best guesses wher…
• CRequest that the three member states resubmit their data, but do not provide any technica…
• DContact the representatives of the three member states, explain the incompatibility, and…

An EU public consultation on food safety standards receives highly polarized feedback: consumer groups demand stricter bans, while industrial lobby groups warn of major job losses. How should you analyze this feedback?

• ASynthesize both perspectives objectively in your report, highlighting the arguments, evid…
• BAdopt only the consumer groups' arguments, as public safety must always take precedence o…
• CAdopt only the industry groups' arguments, as protecting jobs is the primary goal of econ…
• DDraft two separate reports for each group to avoid showing any conflict in the official p…

While evaluating tender proposals for an IT contract, you find that the highest-scoring proposal has a minor formatting error in its budget annex. The call for tenders specifies that incomplete submissions may be rejected. What is the best approach?

• AReject the proposal immediately to strictly follow the procurement rules.
• BConsult your unit's legal advisor to see if the formatting error is a minor non-complianc…
• CContact the bidder privately and allow them to resubmit the corrected annex before the fo…
• DIgnore the formatting error entirely and pretend it does not exist to avoid administrativ…

During the evaluation of a research grant application, you suspect that the project consortium might be requesting funding for work that is already funded by another EU program. How should you investigate this?

• AReject the application immediately based on your suspicion to protect EU funds.
• BApprove the grant application, as double-funding audits are the responsibility of the pos…
• CCross-reference the proposal's work packages with databases of previously funded projects…
• DAsk the consortium directly if they are receiving other funds, and accept their written a…

A monitoring system shows that import shipments from a specific region have a high rejection rate due to phytosanitary issues. You need to identify the cause of this increase. What is your first step?

• AImplement a complete ban on all agricultural imports from the region to prevent contamina…
• BIgnore the increase and assume the rejection rate will return to normal next month.
• CWrite a letter of complaint to the region's agricultural minister demanding they fix the…
• DAnalyze the specific rejection reports to identify common pathogens, product types, and e…

You are implementing a new internal HR system for your DG. You realize that the default cloud storage configuration might not fully comply with strict EU data protection regulations (GDPR). What should you do?

• ASuspend the system implementation, perform a detailed data protection impact assessment (…
• BProceed with the implementation to meet the project deadline, planning to fix the GDPR co…
• CDisable the cloud storage feature entirely and return to manual paper records for all HR…
• DAssume the vendor's standard configuration is compliant because they are a major internat…

You are preparing an economic forecast report. Three different forecasting models yield divergent predictions for EU GDP growth: one shows moderate growth (+1.5%), one shows stagnation (0%), and one shows a mild recession (-0.5%). How should you present this?

• APresent only the moderate growth model (+1.5%) to maintain consumer confidence and avoid…
• BPresent all three models, explain the underlying assumptions and risk factors of each, an…
• CPresent only the stagnation model (0%) as the safest, middle-of-the-road compromise.
• DAverage the three figures together and present a single prediction of +0.33% without expl…

Your translation unit has a backlog of 500 documents due to a sudden increase in urgent legislative files. Your team is working at maximum capacity, and hiring external translators requires a three-month procurement process. How do you resolve this?

• AInstruct your team to skip quality reviews and use machine translation without editing to…
• BDemand that your team work overtime every weekend until the backlog is cleared.
• CCategorize the documents by urgency, prioritize legislative and legal text, and coordinat…
• DRefuse to accept any new translation requests until the backlog is completely cleared.

You are reviewing scientific evidence to update EU safety standards for a chemical. Two peer-reviewed studies show contradicting results: one concludes the chemical is safe under current limits, while the other suggests it is carcinogenic at low levels. How do you approach this?

• ADisregard the study showing safety risks, as it was partially funded by an industry group.
• BDisregard the study showing cancer risks, as its sample size was relatively small.
• CWait for a third, definitive study to be published before making any recommendations.
• DConduct a comparative review of both studies' methodologies, consult an independent exper…

You are explaining a complex new trade regulation to representatives of local small businesses. They are concerned that the regulation will create too much paperwork. How do you handle the presentation?

• AAcknowledge their concerns, explain the long-term benefits of the regulation, and outline…
• BTell them that the regulation is already decided at the EU level and they have no choice…
• CUse highly technical legal and economic terminology to show that the regulation is based…
• DAgree with them that the regulation is too complex and suggest they write to their nation…

A journalist contacts you asking for confidential details about a disagreement between two Commissioners on a draft directive that has not been published yet. How do you respond?

• AShare the confidential details off-the-record to maintain a good relationship with the jo…
• BPolitely explain that you cannot comment on draft documents, and refer the journalist to…
• CRefuse to speak to the journalist and hang up the phone immediately.
• DInvent information to make the disagreement sound less serious than it actually is.

Your unit has experienced a delay in publishing a major policy report. The public and stakeholders are demanding updates. How should you structure the public statement?

• APostpone the statement until the report is ready to avoid drawing attention to the delay.
• BIssue a brief statement blaming the translation department for the delay.
• CAcknowledge the delay, explain the reason transparently, provide a new publication date,…
• DSend a message saying that the report is delayed indefinitely due to unforeseen administr…

A citizen sends a long, angry email complaining that the application process for an EU educational grant is too complicated and unfair. How should you reply?

• AReply with a short email stating that the rules are the same for everyone and cannot be c…
• BIgnore the email, as angry messages do not warrant an official response.
• CReply using highly formal legal terminology to explain that all procedures are legally co…
• DAcknowledge their frustration, guide them step-by-step through the process, and point the…

You are coordinating a joint communication campaign with another DG. The other DG's representative is slow to respond to your emails, which is delaying the launch. What should you do?

• ACall them directly or meet them in person to discuss the campaign timeline and see how yo…
• BSend a formal complaint to their head of unit copy-pasting all unreturned emails.
• CProceed with the campaign launch without their input to avoid further delays.
• DStop emailing them and wait until they get back to you, assuming they are too busy.

You are preparing a briefing note for a senior colleague who is representing the Commission at a public panel. The panel covers a highly controversial topic. How should you structure the speaking points?

• AWrite very general, evasive answers to avoid taking any clear stance on controversial poi…
• BStructure the briefing with clear key messages, anticipated critical questions, and evide…
• CProvide only the official policy texts for the colleague to read directly to the audience.
• DWrite aggressive counter-arguments to defend the Commission's policy against any critics…

A false rumor is spreading on social media that a new EU directive will ban a popular traditional national food product. The rumor is causing public anger. How should your unit respond?

• AIgnore the rumor, as social media stories are usually short-lived and unimportant.
• BPost a long legal analysis of the directive on the DG website to prove the rumor is incor…
• CPublish clear, easy-to-understand infographics and statements on social media explaining…
• DContact the social media platforms and demand they delete all posts mentioning the rumor.

Due to a budget reorganization, your DG has to reduce its financial support to several long-term NGO partners. You must communicate this decision to them. What is the most effective approach?

• ASend a standard form letter notifying them of the budget cut without explanation to avoid…
• BDelay the notification until the new budget is formally signed next year to avoid prematu…
• CCall a joint press conference to announce the funding cuts before notifying the NGOs indi…
• DOrganize bilateral meetings with each NGO, explain the budget constraints transparently,…

During a bilateral meeting with a member state delegation, they present a strong objection to a draft regulation, arguing it will harm their national industry. The meeting is becoming tense. How should you respond?

• AAcknowledge their concerns, listen actively to their specific points, and suggest explori…
• BTell them that the regulation is already agreed by the other 26 member states and cannot…
• CArgue back strongly to show that their national industry's concerns are exaggerated and i…
• DEnd the meeting immediately and tell them they must submit their concerns through the off…

You are writing a policy report that will be read by both technical experts and general policymakers. You need to explain a complex scientific concept. How should you write this section?

• AUse full technical detail with all scientific formulas to maintain scientific accuracy.
• BExplain the concept in plain language first, and include the technical details in an anne…
• COmit the scientific concept entirely to keep the report short and easy to read.
• DUse general metaphors and avoid any specific scientific details to prevent confusion.

Your project team has run into a technical issue that will delay the launch of a new public transparency database by two months. You must inform the director. How do you present this?

• AWait until the original launch date is closer before reporting the delay, hoping the team…
• BSend a short email stating that the database launch is delayed due to technical errors.
• CPrepare a briefing detailing the technical issue, the revised timeline, the communication…
• DAsk the IT contractor to present the delay to the director directly to explain the techni…

You are presenting draft guidelines on consumer protection to a committee of regional authorities. Several participants have divergent, conflicting views, and the discussion is losing focus. How should you manage the meeting?

• AAllow participants to argue until they reach consensus, even if the meeting runs over tim…
• BEnd the discussion and state that the Commission will draft the final guidelines based on…
• CFocus only on the participants who agree with your draft and ignore the critics.
• DAcknowledge the different views, note the key areas of disagreement for review, and guide…

You are negotiating draft amendments to a regulation with a representative from the European Parliament. The representative is insisting on changes that go against the Council's general approach. How do you handle this?

• AExplain the Council's reasoning, listen to the Parliament's arguments, and work to identi…
• BAccept all the Parliament's amendments immediately to ensure the regulation passes quickl…
• CState that the Council's position is non-negotiable and refuse to discuss their amendment…
• DComplain to your director about the Parliament representative's uncooperative behavior.

A misunderstanding arises during a video conference with colleagues from three different representation offices because of a translation error in the draft agenda. How should you resolve it?

• ABlame the translation service for the error and postpone the meeting.
• BClarify the correct meaning immediately, apologize for the translation error, and send an…
• CIgnore the misunderstanding and continue the meeting based on your own agenda.
• DAsk the colleagues to figure out the correct meaning among themselves after the meeting.

You need to deliver negative feedback to a colleague whose draft policy papers have recently contained multiple formatting and spelling errors. How should you structure this feedback session?

• ASend them a red-lined document showing all errors with no comments, copy-pasting the head…
• BMention the errors casually in front of other team members during lunch to make them awar…
• CMeet with them privately, point out the specific errors, explain the impact on the unit's…
• DIgnore the errors and fix them yourself to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.

You are presenting a new digital reporting tool to regional authority representatives. They are highly skeptical and argue the tool is too difficult to integrate. How do you respond?

• AEmphasize that the tool is mandatory under EU law and they must integrate it regardless o…
• BCancel the presentation and report their resistance to the senior directors.
• CIgnore their skepticism and continue with your planned presentation slides.
• DAcknowledge the integration challenges, demonstrate how the tool simplifies long-term rep…

You discover that a draft policy paper on sensitive agricultural tariffs has been leaked to the press before its official publication. The media is contacting your unit for comments. What should you do?

• AImmediately notify your supervisor and the spokesperson's service, and follow the officia…
• BCall the journalist who published the leak to explain the background of the draft private…
• CIssue a public statement denying that the leaked document is authentic, even if it is.
• DIgnore all press requests and delete your work email account temporarily to avoid contact.

You are organizing a public outreach event about EU migration policies in a region where public skepticism is very high. How should you structure the communication strategy?

• AFocus only on presenting statistical data and legal frameworks to avoid emotional debates.
• BStructure the event around open Q&A sessions, invite diverse local stakeholders, and expl…
• CUse the event to convince the audience that their concerns about migration are incorrect…
• DCancel the event to avoid potential public protests and media criticism.

Your unit is going through a major reorganization, which is causing high anxiety and rumors of job losses among staff. Your head of unit asks you to help manage internal communication. What is the best strategy?

• ATell staff that you know nothing about the reorganization to avoid sharing premature info…
• BAdvise the head of unit to postpone any announcement until all details are finalized, eve…
• COrganize regular, transparent update meetings, clarify what is decided and what is still…
• DSuggest creating a suggestion box where staff can submit their concerns anonymously, with…

A private company requests access to internal email correspondence between your unit and a member state under EU public transparency rules. The emails contain sensitive negotiations. How should you handle this request?

• AReject the request immediately, stating that internal correspondence is always confidenti…
• BProvide all emails immediately without review to demonstrate maximum transparency.
• CDelete the sensitive emails from the server before replying to the request to avoid shari…
• DConsult your unit's legal and access-to-documents experts to review the emails and redact…

Your unit has experienced a sudden influx of urgent translation requests. Your head of unit has asked you to manage the queue. How do you decide which documents to process first?

• APrioritize legislative texts and files with strict legal deadlines, and communicate clear…
• BProcess the documents in the exact order they were received, regardless of urgency.
• CPrioritize requests from senior directors first, even if their documents are not urgent.
• DRefuse all requests that are not submitted at least two weeks in advance.

You are preparing a briefing note for a Commissioner. The deadline is in three hours. You realize you are missing statistical data for one section. What should you do?

• AInvent realistic-looking data to fill the gap and meet the deadline.
• BContact the statistical unit immediately, request the data urgently, and prepare the rest…
• CSubmit the briefing with the section left blank and no explanation.
• DAsk for a one-week extension to research the data thoroughly.

You discover a spelling error in the title of a policy brochure that has just been sent to print. 10,000 copies are being printed. What is the most appropriate action?

• AIgnore the error, as it is just spelling and unlikely to be noticed by the public.
• BBlame the printing contractor for not catching the error before printing.
• CContact the printer immediately to stop the print run, correct the error, and assess any…
• DWait until all copies are printed and then order a reprint of the corrected brochure.

A key member of your project team goes on unexpected sick leave one week before a major legislative proposal deadline. How do you keep the project on track?

• AAsk the sick colleague to continue working from home during their recovery.
• BPostpone the legislative proposal deadline until the colleague returns to work.
• CDo nothing and hope the remaining team members can cover the gap automatically.
• DReview the colleague's remaining tasks, reassign critical items among the team, and step…

You are finalizing a report on regional development grants. The deadline is today. A member state sends late data that could slightly improve the report's accuracy. What should you do?

• AAssess if the late data can be integrated quickly without missing the deadline; if not, n…
• BAlways delay the report's publication to ensure all late data is included.
• CReject the late data immediately without reading it to stick strictly to the deadline.
• DSubmit the report late and blame the member state for sending the data after the deadline.

You notice a minor budget overrun of €2,000 in your project contract. The contract rules allow minor adjustments but require documentation. What should you do?

• AHide the overrun in another budget category to avoid paperwork.
• BDocument the overrun, explain the reasons to your head of unit, and follow the standard a…
• CIgnore the overrun, assuming €2,000 is too small for auditors to care about.
• DRequest a complete renegotiation of the contract to cover the additional cost.

You are responsible for gathering data from member states to write an annual report. Five member states have not responded to your reminders, and the deadline is next week. How do you proceed?

• ASubmit the report without data from those five member states, noting their failure to rep…
• BSend an angry email warning them of legal action if they do not reply within 24 hours.
• CCall the national representatives directly, explain the urgency, and discuss options for…
• DAsk your supervisor to contact their ambassadors to resolve the delay.