EPSO Digital Skills Test: What to Expect & How to Prepare

The digital skills test is one of the newer components in EPSO competitions, and it catches many candidates off guard. Unlike verbal or numerical reasoning, there are few established preparation resources. Here is what you need to know.

What the Test Covers

The EPSO digital skills test is based on the EU's DigComp 2.2 framework (European Digital Competence Framework, JRC, 2022), as explicitly cited in the Notice of Competition. DigComp 2.2 added over 250 new examples covering AI, remote work, misinformation, and sustainability. The test covers practical digital literacy, not programming or IT expertise.

The framework covers 5 competence areas:

1. Information and Data Literacy

• Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content (1.1)
• Evaluating data, information and digital content (1.2)
• Managing data, information and digital content (1.3)

2. Communication and Collaboration

• Interacting through digital technologies (2.1)
• Sharing through digital technologies (2.2)
• Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies (2.3)
• Collaborating through digital technologies (2.4)
• Netiquette (2.5)
• Managing digital identity (2.6)

3. Digital Content Creation

• Developing digital content (3.1)
• Integrating and re-elaborating digital content (3.2)
• Copyright and licences (3.3)
• Programming (3.4)

4. Safety

• Protecting devices (4.1)
• Protecting personal data and privacy (4.2)
• Protecting health and well-being (4.3)
• Protecting the environment (4.4)

5. Problem Solving

• Solving technical problems (5.1)
• Identifying needs and technological responses (5.2)
• Creatively using digital technologies (5.3)
• Identifying digital competence gaps (5.4)

What the Questions Look Like

Questions are typically scenario-based. You are presented with a workplace situation and asked to identify the best digital solution or the correct approach. Examples:

• A colleague needs to share a large file securely with an external partner. What is the most appropriate method?
• You discover a phishing email in your inbox. What are the correct steps to take?
• Your team needs to collaborate on a document in real time. Which tool features are essential?

The test rewards practical knowledge over theoretical understanding. Think about what you would actually do in a modern digital workplace.

Common Mistakes

• Overthinking the technology: The test assumes intermediate digital literacy, not expert knowledge. If an answer involves an obscure technical solution, it is probably wrong.
• Ignoring security: EPSO places significant weight on data protection and cybersecurity awareness. When in doubt, choose the more secure option.
• Forgetting accessibility: The EU is committed to digital accessibility. Questions may test whether you consider accessibility when creating or sharing content.

How to Prepare

1. Read the DigComp 2.2 framework summary on the EU Publications Office website (JRC128415). You do not need to read the full document — the competence descriptions and examples are sufficient.
2. Focus on Areas 2, 4, and 5. Communication, Safety, and Problem Solving are the most heavily tested in EPSO competitions.
3. Think like a civil servant. The correct answers reflect EU institutional values: security, accessibility, data protection (GDPR), collaboration, and environmental responsibility.
4. Practise with scenario-based questions. EPSO Genius generates AI-powered digital skills questions mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework — use these to identify gaps.

The Good News

The digital skills test has a lower difficulty ceiling than verbal or numerical reasoning. Most candidates with regular office IT experience already possess the underlying knowledge — they just need to learn the framework vocabulary and institutional perspective.