For ongoing EPSO competitions released before the new EPSO selection process was introduced, the next step to landing an EU job is still passing the Assessment Centre. Depending on your competition, the Case Study may be one of the exams. For many people, this is the scariest part of the whole EPSO competition process, but fear not: the EU Training team has created this step-by-step guide to help you plan and schedule your preparation to become a Case Study pro by the time your exam day rolls around.
For competitions released under the new EPSO competition model, we've split each step into two sections, to highlight the differences between the two types Case Study exams.
For simplicity's sake we've named and initialed the two categories:
- Before the current 2023 EPSO Selection Process: PRE-2023
- After the current 2023 EPSO Selection Process was put in place: POST-2023
Where there are no categories given, the information applies to both before and after the new EPSO selection process was put into place.
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Step #1: Re-read the notice of competition
Along with the communications you receive directly in your EPSO account, the Notice of Competition is your number one official source of information from EPSO. Read it again! It tells you all the basic information you need to know about which tests you will have to sit and how they will be scored.
PRE-2023: The case study is designed to assess general competencies and for some specialists, their competence in their field as well (but this will be mentioned clearly in the Notice of Competition). Your Notice of Competition will state explicitly which are the competencies measured by the case study, as this can vary slightly depending on your field and the grade of the position.
POST-2023: The current EPSO case study is wholly unrelated to any field. It is usually based on a general EU-related topic and will only be assessing a candidate's written communication skills.
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Step #2: Consult a more comprehensive summary material
This is going to be repeated a couple of more times: the notice of competition is a good starting point: this is where the competencies are listed and scoring is detailed. However, not much more info is given in this initial document.
EPSO has sample case studies available according to competition type which are great sources to familiarise yourself with the task you will be facing.
Go to this page to find your type of competition and then choose 'Case Study' from the list. We recommend you download them, and maybe scan through them quickly, but do not plunge into reading them in detail yet. They will be much more beneficial at a later stage as practice materials, once you are familiar with the exam setup and the details of what is expected from you to obtain a good score.
The Perfect EPSO Case Study Guide is an eBook, free to download, written by a former EPSO selection board president. This guide gives you a comprehensive summary of the EPSO case study exam and provides advice on preparation strategy. PRE-2023: One of its most valuable assets is the detailed explanation of the assessed competencies and the list of positive and negative indicators for each one of them. These are the things EPSO assessors will be looking for in your essay and your score will be based on how well these come through from your work.
It is good to keep the following in mind: having the competencies is one thing, showing it in your essay that you possess them is another. Practically speaking, the preparation is to learn how to master the latter.
The EPSO Case Study Exam Insights Webinar is also a useful methodology tool. Not only will it introduce you to the EPSO case study exam system, but it also gives practical advice on best practice exam strategies, from time management to writing tips, to making your essay both professional and appealing to the markers.
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Step #3: Catch up with EU affairs and know the EU institutions
EPSO case studies simulate real life in the EU institutions and EU-related scenarios. Although you will have the key background materials provided, to quickly grasp the context of the assignment it is important to be familiar with current EU affairs and to know how EU institutions work.
You might be asking yourself: what could the possible subjects be this year? It is hard to guess. It can be a hot EU topic such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Maybe one of its sub-sections is of special interest, like GMOs. Or it can always be an EU evergreen, such as unemployment, climate change or gender equality policies. The best thing you can do is refresh your knowledge and be up to date with EU-related news. Here are a few websites you can start with:
For EU institutions and legislation:
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary.html
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/chapter/institutional_affairs.html
- https://europa.eu/european-union/law_en
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/Powers-and-procedures.html
EU news:
- http://euobserver.com/
- http://www.euractiv.com/
- https://voxeurop.eu/en
- http://www.politico.eu
- http://europa.eu/rapid/search.htm
Pick your favourite from these news sites, bookmark 1 or 2 of them, and read them on a daily basis.
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Step #4: Try a mock case study early in the preparation process
No reading can replace practice, so you should try practicing as much as you can. Trying an EPSO-style case study simulation test at the beginning of your preparation process can help you in more ways than one:
- You will get to know the test situation and the test interface. You can experience for yourself how difficult it is for you personally to get through all the materials and write your essay within the strict time limit.
- You will become familiar with the test software and its functionalities won’t surprise you, so on the day of the exam you won’t be wasting precious time with things like finding out how to copy and paste text in the EPSO editor. (No, ctrl+c / ctrl+v won’t work.)
- You can get detailed feedback from someone who has marked case studies in real EPSO exam situations, via the Case Study evaluation service.
- Taking into account the comments you receive and your own experience, you can find out where you are at in the preparation process. Make a list of your biggest mistakes and the focus points you need to improve on.
IMPORTANT:
- Evaluation of a completed Case Study simulation is available in ENGLISH and FRENCH ONLY
- Turnaround is 5 business days, EXCEPT in peak exam periods, then it may take longer to get your evaluation - PLEASE submit your case studies well in advance of your exam date!
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Step #5: Create a preparation roadmap
Once you know where you stand in your preparation journey and know where you want to be by EPSO exam time, it’s time to think about how you are going to get there. Consider the areas you need to improve and plan how you are going to do it.
Do you run out of time because you cannot read through the background documents fast enough?
- Practice speed-reading.
Do you get lost in long, wordy sentences?
- See what the European Commission recommends on how to write clearly,
- Also, view Claire’s Clear Writing Tips and practice your drafting skills by writing some more texts.
These are just a few basic examples, but the point is, if you see what needs to be done:
- you will know what material to look for
- you will know how much time and effort the tasks will need.
Taking into account the time you will have, you can structure and schedule your steps to make the most of your EPSO exam preparation. It’s good to write all this down, so it becomes clearer for yourself as well.
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Step #6: Practice, practice, practice
While improving specific skills, do not lose sight of the big picture. It is important to practice speed-reading because it will add to your overall performance, but keep in mind what your ultimate goal is - it is to master EPSO-style case study writing in its entirety, and the best way to do it is by practicing it under exam condition on an EPSO-like platform.
Pull out the EPSO sample studies and complete the assignment. Also, attached to the EPSO Case Study Insights webinar on EU Training is a sample case study and sample solution. Even if you do not complete it, read the task and the corrected solution. This will give you a deeper insight into the common mistakes you should avoid, and general advice like ‘Be specific!’ is demonstrated in practice, and is much easier to grasp.
You can review the webinar and the eBook from time to time, focusing on the sections that are more relevant to you personally. The more you practice, the better you will understand the task and its difficulties and the tips will find their context.
EU Training has 18 EPSO case study simulations available in English, 5 in French, and one each in German, Italian, and Spanish.
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Step #7: Participate in a focused Case Study Workshop
EU training now offers EPSO Case Study preparation workshops regularly. Since EPSO now releases the assignment ahead of time, it may seem easier to prepare, but it's a mistake to think that. The documentation is vast, and you need focused, expert help to figure out which documents are relevant and which ones are not so important. Competition-specific Case Study workshops are available here (only when a Case Study exam has been announced by EPSO).
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Step #8: The day before the exam, rest and relax
Take it easy the day before the exam. Do a bit of news reading, and scan through your list of focus points one more time. Don’t panic, or start some last-minute learning frenzy. Get to bed early to get enough sleep, and rest assured: if you've done some preparation, it will show in your score.
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