EPSO competitions · AD5, AD7, AST3
The EUFTE written test, explained, and how to get good at it
The EUFTE (Free-Text Essay on EU Matters) is the graded written essay of EPSO competitions: the AD5 generalist one, and specialist ones such as AD7 and AST3. It is the exam candidates prepare least, there were no past papers, no way to practice under real conditions, and no one to grade you. That is exactly what this simulator fixes.
Try it: your first correction is freeNo card required. One full graded essay with feedback.
The test in six facts
40 minutes, one subject
A single imposed assignment: an EU policy scenario. Around 400-500 words is what realistically fits in the time.
Written in your L2
You write in your second EU language, not your mother tongue. It is not a language test, but clarity in L2 is graded.
Pass mark: 5/10
Below 5/10, you are eliminated, however good your MCQ scores were.
Its weight depends on the competition
In AD5 the essay counts for 15% of your final ranking. In specialist competitions (AD7, AST3) the field test sets the ranking: you must reach 5/10, but the mark does not move you up or down.
Source documents in advance
EPSO publishes the source documentation before the exam. You study it in advance; the assignment is revealed on test day.
5 official criteria
Structure, conciseness, clarity, audience fit, and effective use of the provided documents. A brilliant essay that ignores the documents fails.
Why it is the most underestimated test
Your essay is only corrected if you rank high enough on the MCQs, so everyone prepares the MCQs, and almost no one prepares the essay. Then the results arrive, the exam date is close, and there is no time left to become a good writer under time pressure.
Writing a structured 450-word note in 40 minutes, in your second language, exploiting a dossier you cross-checked, that is a trainable skill. Candidates who have done it ten times before test day are not stressed by it. That is the entire point of training on a faithful simulation.
How EPSO Genius makes you better
Not advice articles, deliberate practice: real conditions, a real grade on the official criteria, and concrete corrections on your own writing.
A simulator faithful to the real exam
The dossier is readable before the clock starts, exactly like the pre-released EPSO documentation. Then a countdown, a strict 40:00 timer, a bare editor with no spellchecker, no pasting, and the documents at hand, like on TAO, the real testing platform.
Graded on the 5 official criteria, in one minute
Every essay receives a score per criterion and an overall mark against the real 5/10 threshold, calibrated grading, consistent from one essay to the next. No waiting days for an evaluator.
Three passages of YOUR essay, rewritten
Not generic tips: the correction quotes your own sentences and shows the stronger version, plus the facts from the dossier you failed to use. You see exactly what a better essay looks like, built from yours.
A model answer on every subject
After each correction you can open an 8/10 model essay written on the same subject, so you calibrate what the expected level actually is.
Who it is for
- Now: candidates in specialist competitions with a written test, such as AST3 (EPSO/AST/158/26) and AD7.
- AD5 2026 candidates: the written test comes in Part 2, in 2027, after the reasoning tests of November.
What it costs
1 free correction
Every account gets one full graded essay, no card required.
10 corrections: €39
One payment, to add to any plan, free included. Corrections never expire.
Included with Pro
Pro lifetime includes 5 corrections. Pro monthly includes 2 corrections a month, up to 6 saved while you stay subscribed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EUFTE test?
The EUFTE (Free-Text Essay on EU Matters) is a 40-minute written essay used in EPSO competitions, including AD5, AD7 and AST3. You respond to an assignment on general EU matters, based on documentation provided by EPSO, writing in your second EU language. It is scored out of 10 and assesses written communication, not field knowledge.
When does the EUFTE take place and who gets corrected?
The essay is sat remotely along with the other tests, but it is only corrected for candidates who pass the MCQ tests and rank high enough. If corrected, you need at least 5/10. In AD5 it then counts for 15% of your final ranking; in specialist competitions it is a pass mark only.
How is the EUFTE graded?
On five official criteria: logical structure, conciseness, clarity, adaptation to audience and purpose, and effective use of the provided documents. Our simulator grades every practice essay on exactly these five criteria.
How should I practice for the EUFTE?
Write full essays in real conditions, 40 minutes, a source dossier, no spellchecker, and get each one graded with concrete feedback. On EPSO Genius your first graded correction is free, no card required.
Your first graded essay is free
Write one essay in real conditions and see your score on the official criteria, today, in the next 40 minutes.
Try it: your first correction is free