Guide ·
EPSO digital skills test: format, DigComp areas and pass mark
In short
EPSO’s digital skills test has 40 questions in 30 minutes, about 45 seconds each, in your second language, with a pass mark of 20/40. It is based on DigComp, the EU’s digital competence framework, and its questions are short and practical, in five areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem solving. In the 2026 AD5 competition it weighs 30% of the preliminary score and 25% of the final one.
Key facts
- Questions and time
- 40 questions in 30 minutes, about 45 seconds each
- Pass mark
- 20/40
- Language
- Your language 2
- Framework
- DigComp 2.2, the EU digital competence framework for citizens
- Areas
- Information and data · communication and collaboration · content creation · safety · problem solving
- Weight in AD5 2026
- 30% of the preliminary score, 25% of the final score
- Used in
- The AD5 generalist competition; not in specialist competitions or CAST
What is the digital skills test?
A test of practical digital literacy, the everyday use of digital tools that any job in an EU institution takes for granted. It is part of the generalist competitions, in your language 2, and the AD5 notice ties it to DigComp 2.2, the European Commission's framework of digital competences for citizens.
It is not an IT test. The questions are basic to intermediate, and what makes it hard is the pace: 40 questions in 30 minutes is the fastest rhythm of the knowledge tests.
What do the questions look like?
Short, direct questions, with the DigComp area named at the start: "Safety: what is the purpose of a firewall?". In EPSO's own samples they are very practical:
- Which software do you need to browse the internet? A browser.
- How do you automatically move the emails from one sender to a folder? With a rule.
- Which of these file extensions is not an image format?
The wrong options are plausible names that are technically wrong, and some questions are negative ("which is NOT…"), which at 45 seconds a question is a real trap. Not every item has to be multiple choice: EPSO's 2023 sample test included one where you click the part of a web page that shows the connection is secure, the padlock.
What are the five DigComp areas?
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Information and data literacy | Browsing, searching and filtering information; judging sources; managing data and files |
| Communication and collaboration | Email, sharing, online collaboration, netiquette, managing your digital identity |
| Digital content creation | Creating and editing documents and other content; copyright and licences; basic automation |
| Safety | Protecting devices, personal data and privacy; phishing, passwords, secure connections; health and environment |
| Problem solving | Solving technical problems; choosing the right tool for a need; keeping your skills up to date |
The DigComp framework itself is the best syllabus: it is public and describes each competence with examples.
How much does it count?
In the 2026 AD5 competition (EPSO/AD/427/26), the digital skills test has a pass mark of 20/40 and weighs 30% of the preliminary score and 25% of the final one, as much as the EU knowledge test. It is marked last of the multiple-choice tests, only for candidates who passed reasoning and EU knowledge.
The specialist competitions and CAST Permanent do not include it. See how EPSO scores its tests.
How to prepare
- Train at 45 seconds per question. Most questions are answered in ten; the time goes on the few you hesitate over.
- Read negative questions twice. "Which is NOT an image format" is easy, as long as you see the NOT.
- Learn the exact names of everyday features: rules and filters in email, version history, sharing permissions, shortcuts, file formats.
- Cover the safety basics: phishing signs, strong passwords and two-factor authentication, secure connections, backups, privacy settings.
- Study in your language 2, where the names of tools and features can be very different.
- Use DigComp 2.2 as a checklist of the five areas, and EPSO's samples to see the format.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in the EPSO digital skills test?
- 40 questions in 30 minutes, about 45 seconds each.
- What is the pass mark?
- 20 out of 40 in EPSO/AD/427/26.
- Which framework is the digital skills test based on?
- DigComp 2.2, the European Commission’s digital competence framework for citizens, with five areas.
- Is the digital skills test an IT test?
- No. It measures practical, everyday digital literacy at a basic to intermediate level, not technical IT knowledge.
- Does it count for the ranking?
- Yes, in AD5: 30% of the preliminary score and 25% of the final score.
Sources
- Notice of open competition EPSO/AD/427/26, Administrators (AD5) · Official Journal of the EU, C/2026/711
- DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens · European Commission, Joint Research Centre · 2022
- EPSO testing: sample tests · EPSO